All questions answered by Tom in the Reddit AMA:
Q: Many people have been puzzled over some of the dialogue in Dark Knight Rises. This piece of dialogue has attracted the most amount of discussion.
CIA: You’re a big guy Bane: For you
Is he saying “I am a big guy compared to you” or “it will be painful for you if you pull of my mask” ?
A: It was written meaning it would be painful for you, but I intoned it meaning “I’m a big guy for you.”
Q: What’s the next step of your masterplan after this AMA?
A: Some push-ups.
Q: Why would someone shoot a man, before throwing him out of a plane?
A: To make sure he’s dead, I suppose.
Q: For Tom: How did you bulk up to be such a big guy for the Dark Knight Rises?
A: I ate a lot. Got a gym instructor. Hung out with a stunt team, like, take a few months, and pile it on. It’s work.
Q: Hey Tom, was doing this AMA part of your plan?
A: Of course.
Q: Was there any stuntwork in Locke - if so did tom do his own stunts, he seems to be a big guy, but I can imagine stunts gone wrong would be extremely painful
A: There were no stunts. I drank my own Beachams which is like Dayquil.
Q: Tom, if there was one bit of advice you would give to all aspiring artists, entertainers, performers, and young adults in general what would you give? For all us fans out there who look up to you a great deal, what would you say to those younger who are seeking out a place for themselves in this world? Would really appreciate an answer to this. You are like a mentor to me. For Steven - How would you say Locke’s filming went compared to other films you’ve directed/worked on, and have you ever taken such a leap of faith before on a film?
A: For artists, entertainers and performers: remember whatever is most important to you about your talent and why you got involved with the arts in the first place, because this will be your closest friend and ally. Work on your weaknesses. And go always with your strengths. Find your own voice, and stay true to it.
And for young people in general: whatever it is that you’re good at, believe in yourself and follow that path, and don’t let anybody tell you you can’t do what you believe instinctively is right for you. Find anyone, anywhere who will help you develop that, even if it’s just one person, and badger them to help you get whatever you need, because you generally can do whatever it is you want to do, you just have to find the right people to help you implement that.
And NEVER, ever be afraid or ashamed of making a mistake. The only mistake you can make is not making the effort to make a mistake for fear of shame or humiliation or anything.
Q: Hey guys, thank you so much for hanging out with us today!
Tom, cliché as it may sound I have to thank you. Your portrayal of Stuart Shorter is what sparked my interest in mental health and is the reason I’m a nurse in child and adolescent psychiatry pursuing my doctorate at one of the most renowned hospitals in the U.S. So genuinely, thank you!
What’s something you wish more people knew about you?
A: That I’m not crazy. I’m actually not crazy, that I genuinely care. And I’m actually rather pedestrian, and genuinely honest.
Q: Tom - is there anyone you’re dying to work with/work with again? Steven - same question.
A: Steven.
Q: Hi to both of you! Huge fan! I was wondering if it was a joint desicion to speak in a welsh accent for Locke? And if so how did that come about? Thanks! PS. Peaky blinders rules!!
A: (Steven): Tom’s decision.
A: (Tom) Yes, I met a man who I based Ivan Locke upon. He had very similar characteristics, he was calm and effective under duress, took me around Kabul for a week. And then I found out after I based the character on him, this week in fact, just yesterday, he’s not Welsh. We don’t know what he was. Which would explain my poor accent. And on another note, we needed to find a grassroots accent for a man who’d worked from the floor up to become successful in the construction industry, so of all the regional dialects around the British Isles, the Welsh seemed a gentle, calm and mellifluous tone for Ivan to deliver what he had to say as gently as possible.
Q: I saw Locke last weekend, really enjoyed it.
How did you manage to sustain the drama/tension when quite a lot of the movie involved discussing concrete?
A: (Steven) Concrete is intrinsically interesting.
A: (Tom) We used the concrete as a springboard into dramatic flair.
Q: do people shout inception or the dark knight rises quotes at you? does it get annoying?
A: No they don’t, and I imagine it would get annoying. But I would deal with it with grace and compassion.
Q: Hello there, thanks for the AMA. I will definitely be watching Locke, looks really good. I have two questions for you: 1) For both Steven and Tom: Are there more challenges associated with a film such as Locke when there is just 1 actor on screen for the duration of the film? 2) This is for Tom: I thought you were great on Band of Brothers. What was it like on set working with people such as Damien Lewis and Michael Fassbender?
A: No, not really, unless you buy into the idea of it being only one person in the world. There was an ensemble there. The camera just happened to be pointing at me.
I never actually got to work with them, but I went to school with Michael, he was in the third year when I was in the first year. So he’s an old blue.
Q: Tom Hardy, you are my absolute favorite actor. Every role I see you in, whether you are the lead or a side character, your dedication as an actor shines through. You are able to bring every character you play to life so perfectly that it’s hard to believe you didn’t train your whole life for each role. I have two questions. First, Bronson is one of my favorite films and characters. Do you plan on doing anymore work with Refn? And what advice would you give to those who also wish to be actors?
A: No, I don’t play on ever doing any work with Refn again. I think he’s better off where he is, doing well without me. And you must stick with what you know, and in order to reinforce your strengths, work on what you’re most frightened of, and really challenge yourself when it comes to work you find intimidating, or nervous-making, or anxiety-filled, in the quiet of your own home, without causing any harm. Train hard and smart.
Q: I love the idea of Locke, how self-contained and experimental this type of film is. What were the biggest difficulties, directing and acting, in approaching something like this?
A: In all honesty, the only challenge was not making the effort to try to challenge oneself at approaching something, or a project such as this, defying a generic formula.
Q: Hey there Steven and Tom, good luck with the film! I’m looking forward to watching it soon! Tom, you have no idea how big an inspiration you have been for me to get back into shape. Thanks!
A: You’re welcome, thank you!
Q: What do you feel was your most challenging role?
A: All of them have been a challenge in their own ways, and they continue to be, and I love each one of them for that.
Q: Hey Steven and Tom!
After reading the synopsis for Locke, I cannot wait to see how you guys pull off a film that seems to primarily focus on Tom’s character being restrained to the seat of his car for the duration of it.
Knowing this, my question would have to be for both of you: if you could be a fly on the wall and watch the day in the life of any historical figure, whose life would you be most interested in seeing?
Side note: Tom, I am a ginormously huge fan and actually first became familiar with your work fairly recently when my mom and I were at the movies one night and had no idea what to watch so we decided on Lawless. Your work as Forrest was fucking mesmerizing and thank you for being a part of such a fantastic film. Love you
A: Does your mother know you swear?
There’s too many to choose. In all honesty. Me! As a child!
Q: For Tom. (Sorry Steven i love you too) When it came to the accent that Bane has. did it come naturally to you? or did Nolan already have something for you (if that makes sense). Another thing, what was it like to work with Chris Pine? was he funny?
A: Yes, it came naturally for me. It came from a man called Bartley Gorman, who is a bare knuckle fighter known as “the king of the gypsies,” Romany, hence the Latin connection.
Q: I really loved you in Band of Brothers, could you please tell us how working on that was like? Especially with such a big cast that went on to become really famous.
A: It was amazing, that was my first job. And it was a lot to pickup and learn from. It’s where I first learned everything from what a mark was to what a focus puller was, to camera angles, coordinating my way around a film set. So it was an utter privilege as well as being part of a piece which was so important to so many people, including the veterans that were still alive whilst we were shooting it.
Q: Questions for both of you… As British artists how do you feel about the state of British cinema? Do we Brits rely too much on imports to the point where it hurts our own industry? Can we compete with Hollywood?
Steven, do you prefer to direct your own screenplays or just write them like you did with Eastern Promises? How much control do you have over your screenplay once you have sold the rights?
Not really a question but I rewatched Inception again today and I have to say, Tom, you’re awesome! Just keep doing what you’re doing.
A: (Steven) I think British Cinema is in a pretty good state. Particularly regarding actors and actresses. Writing and directing are different disciplines. If I’m writing for a studio, then you have to accept that you have no control over what happens to it when it leaves your keyboard.
I prefer to direct providing the shooting schedule is only 10 days long, which was the case with Locke.
A: (Tom) I’d like to see a more thriving British film industry and cinema, and I would like to see more British-based studios and infrastructures for artists. Polydynamic, from technical to acting/writing/directing aspects. I think we have the talent, I think the funds are available, and we have to link them together for this generation properly. Someone has to get ahold of that and bring it together. Not just one person, there are a lot of people who need to put their hands together and focus on resurrecting what was once a truly thriving and creative industry.
There’s nothing wrong with exporting talent as well, and I think a diverse and amicable back and forth between America, the UK and Europe is essential to thoroughly develop all the homegrown talent and bring them all assets available to successful fruition.
Q: What sort of unique challenges are there in filming in just one location, especially one as small as the interior of a car, versus say filming in a more varied set?
A: It’s a micro-climate, so you’re working laterals in a smaller area, you’re reduced to simple traces, but they have to be more specific.
Q: I am a huge fan of yours, and Inception and TDKR are my two favorite movies of all time, with Bronson and Warrior pretty close. My question is, what was it like working with Christopher Nolan, and how did it feel to join the Batman franchise?
BTW, it would be awesome if you can say “Hey Labcoates, you’re more awesome than Jenn!”.
Thanks man, and good luck!
A: Hey Labcoates, you’re more awesome than Jenn!
Chris Nolan is…wow. Chris Nolan is the grandmaster of orchestrating huge multifaceted movies and storytelling with visual effects and technical wizardry, right down to the finest detail. If he asked me to read a shopping list off the back of a flipflop, I would eat through my own underpants to get to him. That’s what it was like.
Q: Thanks for Warrior Mr. Hardy. Best damn fighting movie I’ve seen.
A: Thank you very much! Wanna fight?
Q: For Tom, did you initially have any hesitations in taking this part? And did you find more difficult at all compared to everything else you’ve done?
Thank you both for making this film! I am looking forward to seeing it very soon!
A: No, I didn’t. And thank you. Let me know what you think. It was a no-brainer. And it was an unprecedented privilege to work with Steven Knight. Put that in writing.
Q: What was your favorite tv show as a kid?
A: Neighbors and Home And Away.
And I used to watch Taxi Driver and things my father said I couldn’t.
Q: Oh shit oh shit ohshiiiiiit this is the closest I will ever get to talking to Tom Hardy and I don’t have a question
Uhhhh I will say that Tom, I am a huge fan, and any chance you’ll be doing more theatre work anytime soon?
A: Yeah, of course. That’s a lovely thing to say by the way, thank you.
Q: Mr.knight do you Plan on doing any more movies with Vigo mortison
A: (Steven) It would be fantastic to work with Viggo again.
A: (Tom) yes.
Q: If you never got into the film industry, what would you be doing right now?
A: (Tom) Robbing banks.
A: (Steven) Shooting horses.
A: (Tom) Being in the army or navy, in a nice hat.
Q: is LOCKE a villain? or villainous in any way?
A: No, it’s just the beard.
Q: Tom: How do you pick and choose what characteristics your characters have and do you keep some of them for yourself? like Bronson’s laugh or Eames’ sharp wit?
A: They just happen? It’s an organic thing that just happens. Either through observation or meditation. And yes, it takes a while to wash the traces of characters off. Otherwise, they would become mannerisms and tricks and tics that i would take into other characters.
Q: Helloooo Tom. What are your thoughts on pancakes vs waffles?
A: Seriously?
When somebody waffles, they talk a lot of shit, and a pancake is something you can eat.
I’d go for a crepe.
Q: Tom, if you could have any kind of dog, what kind would you have? (Ps. Can’t wait to see The Drop. :)
A: I have 2 dogs. I’m not allowed any more. They are a handful.
Q: Tom-what were the challenges of playing Ivan and how did you prepare for a role that required you to develop connections with people simply through phone conversations?
A: Life. It’s true though.
Q: Where is the strangest place someone has asked you for an autograph?
A: Meaning what? Location on their body, or geographically?
Q: Question for Mr. Knight and Mr. Hardy: what are some of your favorite movies?
A: I have so many that it’s hard to put them all down.
Q: Hey Tom, would you rather fight 100 duck sized horses, or a horse sized duck?
A: The duck-sized horses of course. With a hammer. Or a tennis racket.
Q: For both Tom and Steven: What is something interesting that happened during the filming of Locke that you can share?
A: My dog would work the catering line every evening. He put on about 3 stone in 5 days. That’s about 90 pounds. I went with a labrador, I came home with a donkey.
Q: Mr. hardy what has been your favorite part to play and what part would you like to play again?
A: I haven’t got a favorite part. Maybe Stuart, and Forrest, and Ivan, and I’ve loved them all. And there’s no need to play them again.
Apart from maybe Ivan and the long red row on film and Ivan has to go onstage.
Q: Hello Steven & Tom - I’m looking forward to seeing Locke next week here in the States. Congrats on its great reviews.
Tom - Were you nervous about your performance prior to filming Locke? And why did you delete your Twitter account (twice!)?!
A: No, I wasn’t nervous. I love working. Especially with Steven. And I deleted my twitter account because they’re unmanageable and they become a place of harassment and not as much fun as I would have liked it to be.
"That’s so sad." said Victoria.
Q: Hi what was it like shooting in such a cramped, limited environment?
A: It’s noisy and you have to pick up the shells.
Q: Hi Steven I just want to thank you for bringing so much back to the midlands I am from wolverhampton myself will you continue to bring such fantastic film and stars back to your home town? and Tom did you find this movie as challenging as a big budget film?
A: (Steven) I’m committed to trying to start something in Birmingham regarding the film industry, theatre, etcetera.
A: (Tom) I’ll be there, too!
A: (Steven) Birmingham and the Black Country should unite…
A: (Tom) …with me…
A: (Steven) And make the West Midlands a film destination.
A: (Tom) Subject to availability.
Regarding challenges, they’re all the same to be honest. Everything has its own challenges, and provide opportunities for solution. And a goldfish grows to the size of its bowl.