BBC/Battersea Dogs and Cats Home
From the adrenaline fuelled Mad Max to breaking Batman’s back, Tom Hardy is a star of the screen. And it turns out he’s a legend in the real world…
Advert
First of all – and a great measure of character – Tom simply loves dogs and works as an ambassador for the Battersea Dogs and Cats home in London.
Tom lost his own dog Woody back in 2017 and was completely heartbroken by the death of his four-legged friend. Woody, a golden retriever, had been spotted with Hardy several times including on the red carpet with him and on sets of films he was starring in.
Tom found Woody as a stray while shooting Lawless in 2011 and the pair were inseparable. After spotting the young pup roaming around, Hardy actively ran after him to bring him to safety and took him into his care. If you didn’t already love him, you should now.
Advert
Woody and Tom captured the nation’s hearts with their appearances on the CBeebies show Bedtime Stories.
Sadly Woody died three years ago at the age of six after a brief battle with aggressive polymyostisis. Despite being an extremely private person, the actor wrote a huge heartfelt tribute about Woody online – something you wouldn’t expect from a guy who played the Kray twins.
The London born actor dedicated an episode he had previously recorded with Woody to his memory in which he read Fleabag, a story by Helen Stephens, about the relationship between a young boy and his scruffy pup. Safe to say you may have needed a box of tissues to get you through that episode.
BBC
Tom first featured on the show back in 2016 and went on to become one of its most popular guests. Following his debut, according to the BBC, his Bedtime Stories have been requested one million times on BBC iPlayer (and that’s not just by the kids). With a velvety voice and face like that, it was inevitable he was going to be a hit on the programme.
He last appeared on the show in April, much to the joy of children and parents alike, this time accompanied by his adorable French Bulldog, Blue.
In the episode, Hardy begins:
Hello. I’m Tom. Sometimes, on a day like this, I feel strong and happy. But on other days, I just need somebody to give me a hug. Tonight’s bedtime story is all about a little cactus called Felipe, who just wants a hug too.
Not only is this showing kids that it’s OK not to be OK sometimes, it’s generally just cute as heck and could have melted even the coldest of hearts.
Advert
CBeebies
As well as working with animals, Hardy had previously become an ambassador of the Prince’s Trust in 2008, a leading UK youth charity that provides training, personal development, business start-up support, mentoring, and advice. In 2017 he launched the Youth Can Do it campaign as well as helping to create new programme initiatives and holding acting workshops.
Another thing Hardy can add to his CV is the CBE (Commander of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire) for his services to drama. He was given the impressive honour in 2018 by Prince Charles during a ceremony at Buckingham Palace.
PA
If all this didn’t already confirm he’s a great guy, during a interview with Esquire two years ago, Tom rushed to the aid of a passerby who had collapsed. Bizarrely it turned the woman was the mother of one of his childhood best friends. It’s lucky the woman knew him – if Tom Hardy came rushing to my aid, I think I would have passed out.
Checking she was okay, Tom took her hand and spoke to her to keep her calm until the ambulance arrived. Referring to himself as ‘Tommy’, he said to his friends mum, ‘Squeeze my hand. Keep talking to us. Can you open your eyes?’
After his friend turned up to help his mother, Hardy followed the pair to hospital to make sure everything was OK despite being in the middle of an interview. If that’s not a good mate, I don’t know what is.
Basically, Hardy is a great actor who has starred in great films and is an all round great guy.
Venom might have only got 29% on Rotten Tomatoes, but Tom Hardy sure gets 100% from us. Happy birthday, old chap!
If you have a story you want to tell, send it to UNILAD via [email protected]
Link nguồn : https://www.unilad.co.uk/featured/tom-hardys-life-off-screen-should-be-just-as-celebrated-as-his-movies
