Tom Hardy's character, John Fitzgerald, on the upcoming Iñárritu film "The Revenant" may be a hardened criminal, but his heart is far from callous upon looking back at his "Suicide Squad" journey.
In an exclusive interview, Hardy talks about the challenges he faced during production of "The Revenant" and how he really feels about leaving "Suicide Squad."
The 38-year-old actor explained that it was Leonardo DiCaprio, who plays 1820s frontiersman Hugh Glass, who got him to take on a role in "The Revenant."
"Dude, I know you're about to do something where you're jumping out of helicopters and shooting guns and shit. But before you do that, I need you to take a look at this script," described Hardy as regards DiCaprio's invitation. Hardy then met with director Alejandro G. Iñárritu ("Birdman," "Amores perros"), and was consequently given the role.
The film received its fair share of challenges in terms of logistics, with the bulk of them being a toss between problems with location, or weather issues. The initial idea was to capture the film in one shot, such as the case of Inarritu's 2014 satire, "Birdman." However, the plan had to undergo several changes in order to adapt to the environmental constraints.
"It was a hugely ambitious pitch," said Hardy.
The shooting days were long, detailed the "Mad Max: Fury Road" star. Many last-minute changes had to take place due to the weather and location. Rehearsals took up six to eight hours, while shooting for certain specific movements took around an hour and a half.
"It's quite a big epic to wrangle," shared Hardy. "It was an interesting procedure."
The biggest challenge, however, for him was not the weather, or location, or shooting times.
"I don't like horses. They scare me," Hardy admitted in the interview.
The London-born star then explained that he preferred dogs, as they were "a bit more manageable."
"I think horses are beautiful, but I didn't know any growing up. It's quite alien. They are so big and muscular. If they sat on me or kicked me, that would be it - wouldn't it?" he added.
Hardy had to get on a horse during filming, and is also involved in a series that requires riding horses.
"I wouldn't tell you I ride horses. It's something I've got to learn," he said.
The greatest point of interest, nonetheless, for fans and colleagues alike, was his sentiments as regards to dropping out of "Suicide Squad" due to delays in the production of "The Revenant."
"Was I bummed? Of course I was. I hate f*****g losing work. I kept bemoaning that they were losing me significant money on a daily basis," shared Hardy.
However, he admitted that there was a slight break in the clouds during that bleak time.
"It was good for my character," he acknowledged.
Iñárritu took Hardy's character in a good direction by offering "a smorgasboard of ideas."
As for rumors that Hardy punched Iñárritu during filming, it's a thumbs down.
"No. If you hit somebody, you'd know about it. That didn't happen. That's just nonsense," Hardy clarified.
He described their relationship as "harmonious" and "fun."
