Who is Louis Thomas Hardy?
Born on 8th April 2008, in London, England, Louis Thomas Hardy is the son of the beloved British thespian Tom Hardy and his ex-girlfriend Rachael Speed, who works as a casting director, and met Tom on the set of the 2005 miniseries “The Virgin Queen”.
Family
Although not many details of the adolescent’s life have been made public by his parents, we know that Louis comes from an illustrious line of creatives. The family legacy began in 1950 with the birth of Edward John Hardy, affectionately known as “Chips”, who would go on to become a respected novelist and playwright.
Edward John married artist and painter Elizabeth Anne Barrett, at a relatively young age, with their only son being Tom.
He worked tirelessly as a creative director as well as writing for popular films and series; some of his works include “Each Day a Small Victory”, a humorous tale about a psychopathic rat which was published in 2007.
After working with big names in the industry, such as the award-winning actress Maureen Lipman, the high point of Edward’s career came when he won a British Comedy Award alongside the Irish comedian Dave Allen.
The late 2000s were also good years for Edward, with his cabaret show being well-received at the Edinburgh Festival, and another play being showcased in London. In 2009, he began working with his son on the story behind “Taboo”, an eight-part drama series which eventually premiered in 2017.
In the show, Edward worked as a writer and consulting producer; a year after the first season premiered, he won the Writer’s Guild of Great Britain award in the Best Long Form TV Drama category.
As for Louis’s father, Tom was born in London’s Hammersmith district, and studied at Tower House School and Duff Miller Sixth Form College. With a love for the arts instilled in him from an early age, Tom went on to study at Richmond Drama School, and the Drama Centre School.
At just 21 years old, Tom scored his first modelling contract, signed by Models 1 after winning the “Find Me a Supermodel” competition. In the following year, he joined forces with close friend Edward Tracy and dabbled in hip-hop, although the pair wouldn’t release their only mixtape until almost two decades later.
2001 brought with it Tom’s big break, as he made his first feature film appearance in the gritty war thriller “Black Hawk Down”. In 2003, he travelled to North Africa to shoot another war drama, this one being “Simon: An English Legionnaire”. To avoid being boxed into a particular genre, the thespian also appeared in horror and comedy movies.
Tom’s first awards soon came rolling in, such as the London Evening Standard Theatre Award in the Outstanding Newcomer category. From that point, the actor never looked back and was regularly seen in TV dramas, such as ITV’s take on “Wuthering Heights”.
Playing a variety of roles, from a drug addict to a homeless man, earned Tom scores of fans thanks to his versatility and good looks.
In 2017, Tom turned to his son for help while preparing for his role in the popular superhero movie “Venom”, and confessed in an interview: “…He told me what I was doing wrong, and I was doing more things wrong than I was doing right because children are deeply honest”.
By then, Tom and Rachael had broken up, and Tom had moved on with the brunette actress Charlotte Riley, known for her works in “Edge of Tomorrow” and “Entity”.
After marrying in a private 2014 ceremony, the attractive couple welcomed a daughter in 2015, and a son in 2019. Tom and his wife are known for being notoriously private when it comes to their children, although some news outlets claim that the son is named Forrest and looks just like his father.
In an August 2021 interview, Tom explained how his priorities had changed following the COVID-19 pandemic, which included being more present in his children’s lives, and not focusing so much on work. “I think there’s less reason to work, ultimately, because the life-drive is to be with the kids and to be fit and healthy,” he explained.
Charity Work
Using his fame for the greater good, Tom has been an avid philanthropist for over a decade. In 2010, the actor became an ambassador for The Prince’s Trust, which was founded in 1976 by Prince Charles and Frederick John Pervin to help disadvantaged youth. Two years later, Tom and Charlotte became patrons of the Bowel Cancer UK charity.
A few years after teaming up with other entertainers to read a poem for the promotional video of the inaugural Invictus Games, Tom lent his image to the Reorg Brazilian Jiu Jitsu Foundation in 2018.
Launched by the Royal Marines Charity, the Foundation aims to teach veterans and serving army members Brazilian jiu jitsu as a way of improving mental health.
Personal Life & Net Worth
Before his career took off, Tom was married to the producer Sarah Ward from 1999 to 2004. Shortly after his divorce, he embarked on a four-year relationship with Rachael, but the couple called things off when their son was a year old. Although neither party have explained why they decided to separate, they maintain a cordial relationship to this day, in order to co-parent.
While Tom and Charlotte met in 2009 on the set of “Wuthering Heights” and have been going strong for over a decade, it’s unknown if Rachael is currently in a relationship, as the brunette beauty has no social media presence.
As for money, with an impressive CV including roles in “The Dark Knight Rises” and “Inception”, it’s little surprise that Tom is worth an estimated $45 million, making him one of the best-paid British actors. In 2022, he’s set to appear in “Havoc”, an action thriller and XYZ Films production, which will premiere on Netflix. Other projects will possibly be confirmed in the coming months.
