Highlights

• Tom Hardy surprised Austin Butler on set by being funny and intense, contrasting his preconceived grizzly bear image.
• Butler admired Hardy's ability to switch between relaxed and intense acting, similar to Josh Brolin's approach.
• Despite his reputation for being difficult on set, colleagues like Emily Browning praise Hardy's dedication and commitment to good work.

Austin Butler had the opportunity to work with Tom Hardy while they filmed their 2023 movie The Bikeriders, and the British acting legend left his co-star completely surprised on set. While working on a project, Butler is known to be super intense and like a sponge, absorbing what he can, especially from actors more seasoned than him.

When filming for Dune: Part Two, he modeled his character on Heath Ledger and Gary Oldman. On the other side of the coin, Butler’s co-stars have often expressed delight at their experience working with him. This was definitely the case with Timothée Chalamet on the set of Dune 2, with Dave Bautista also insisting that he loved their time shooting together.

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Being such a people person, Butler connected well with Hardy while they shot The Bikeriders, but he was surprised at how his colleague would switch intensity when filming started.

Austin Butler Expected Tom Hardy To Be “Like A Grizzly Bear” On The Set Of The Bikeriders

Austin Butler compared his expected image of Tom Hardy to that of a grizzly bear, before they met on the set of The Bikeriders. This preconception came from Hardy's reputation as having an intense personality on set. However, Butler's experience with the Mad Max star as they shot the Jeff Nichols-directed biker drama was completely different from what he had anticipated.

Butler was interviewed by his Dune: Part Two co-star Josh Brolin, in a feature titled "Austin Butler Cleans Up," for Interview Magazine in October 2023. In this conversation, he expressed his surprise at Hardy’s real personality once he finally met him for The Bikeriders.

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"Tom Hardy surprised me. I pictured him to be this grizzly bear, always serious,” Butler said. “Really, he’s one of the funniest people I’ve ever met. He’d be joking around until action is called, and then go into being the most intense guy I’d ever seen."

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Butler's observation about Hardy's on-set behavior reminded him of tales related to Marlon Brando, who would reportedly engage in casual conversations with crew members right up until the director yelled, "Action!"

Austin Butler Also Compared Tom Hardy’s Approach To That Of Josh Brolin

In the same conversation with Josh Brolin for Interview Magazine, Austin Butler drew parallels between Tom Hardy's and Brolin's own approach to acting. "I learned a lot from Tom. It reminds me of you, where you can be in that relaxed place where you’re receptive to your environment, and then when the time comes, you can click into what the scene demands," he explained.

Butler also mentioned the practical aspects of preparing for his role in The Bikeriders, emphasizing the importance of the time he spent getting ready for the movie. "That one was also great because I had a couple of weeks off from Dune,” he shared. “I went back, and just started training on the motorcycles every day."

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Reflecting on the unique experience of filming The Bikeriders, Butler shared his enthusiasm for the scenes shot on motorcycles. "To get to ride motorcycles through Cincinnati, through these cornfields, it was just amazing,” he recounted. “You know what that feels like, where the wind is in your hair. You feel like you’re mainlining god.”

Tom Hardy Has A Reputation For Being “Difficult” On Set

It is no secret that Tom Hardy is often perceived as being a challenging presence on set. All the same, this is a reputation that contrasts sharply with the respect and admiration he receives from his colleagues. Emily Browning, Hardy's co-star in Legend, for instance, spoke highly of him during a promotion with Flicks and the City.

"[Tom] was a big draw for me because I was such a big fan of his for a long time," Browning commented. "He really, really cares about what he's doing. And he never phones it in. And he just wants the work to be really good. It's so nice to be around that energy when you're making a film because it makes you up your game."

Similarly, Cillian Murphy, who worked with Hardy on Peaky Blinders, lauded him not only for his exceptional acting skills but also for his friendship. Hardy himself finds the label of being difficult a source of frustration: "My intention is to help, which is frustrating, and I suppose maybe that’s why some people might find me difficult," Hardy said in an interview.

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