Tom Hardy on His 'Taboo' Character: 'He's a Bristly Pig'

“Taboo” star and executive producer Tom Hardy told the Television Critics Association press tour that he worked very hard to achieve the gait and physicality of his character.

“He’s a bristly pig,” Hardy said. “This is a man who horse rides so he’s bow-legged. This is a man who probably has very achy joints so he stomps about.”

“It’s a physical and sort of brutal terrain [in 1814 London],” he continued. “He doesn’t do a fair amount of mincing around the court…To throw up a direct flagrant, brazen disassociation with social etiquette was essential because he is the fly in the ointment.”

Also Read: 'Taboo': The Real History of Nootka Sound, James Delaney's Contested Land

The series — which was created by Hardy, Steven Knight, and the actor’s father, Chips Hardy — is set in 1814 and follows James Keziah Delaney (Hardy), a man who has been to the ends of the earth and comes back irrevocably changed.

Long believed to be dead, he returns home to London from Africa to inherit what is left of his father’s shipping empire and rebuild a life for himself. But enemies are lurking in every dark corner. James must navigate increasingly complex situations in order to escape with his life.

The series debuted on Jan. 10 and opened to a solid 0.6 rating in the key adults 18-49 demographic and 1.8 million viewers, on par with other FX premieres.

Also Read: Tom Hardy Talks 'Taboo': 'One of the Most Tortured Characters I've Ever Played'

“Taboo” airs Tuesdays at 10 p.m. on FX.

The Evolution of Tom Hardy: From 'Band of Brothers' to 'Venom' (Photos)

Tom Hardy has done it all. He's played witty rogues, brutal villains and brooding heroes. Take a look back at the English actor's career trajectory.
HBO/ Warner Bros./ FX
Hardy's first big screen role came in 2001 on the HBO miniseries "Band of Brothers" as Pvt. John Janovec, a replacement soldier whose first scene features him getting caught having sex with a German woman by his commanding officer.
HBO
That same year, Hardy had another small role as a soldier in "Black Hawk Down," a war film about the bloody Battle of Mogadishu in Somalia between U.S. forces and rebel militias that have started a civil war.
Columbia Pictures
Before becoming Bane, Hardy got some practice playing a supervillain in the maligned "Star Trek: Nemesis." He played Shinzon, a clone of Captain Picard who has staged a rebellion against the Romulan government, forcing the Enterprise to come to the aid of their most hostile foes.
Paramount
Following "Nemesis," Hardy took roles in several English plays and TV movies. He received an Olivier nomination for his work in the play "In Arabia We'd All Be Kings" as a failed actor who has fallen into a crack cocaine addiction.
Hampstead Theatre
Hardy made his return to the big screen in 2006 when he donned a powdered wig and strolled into Versailles in "Marie Antoinette."
Columbia Pictures
2008 saw Hardy join Guy Ritchie for the crime film "RocknRolla" as a closeted gay member of the "Wild Bunch" gang. The film also starred Gerard Butler and Idris Elba.
Warner Bros.
Hardy had his breakthrough in 2010 as the dashing forger Eames in Christopher Nolan's "Inception." The actor won over moviegoers with his quick wit and banter with Joseph Gordon-Levitt.
Warner Bros.
Hardy then got a shot at some more serious fare alongside Gary Oldman and Colin Firth in "Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy." Hardy played Ricki Tarr, a spy framed for murder who claims there is a mole hidden in British Intelligence.
Focus Features
In 2011, Hardy underwent intense MMA training to bulk up for "Warrior," the story of a Marine who slowly begins to reconcile with his estranged father and brother after he enters into a high-stakes tournament.
Lionsgate
Hardy reunited with Nolan in 2012 to play one of his most iconic roles: Bane in "The Dark Knight Rises." Hardy's "Warrior" physique, breathing mask, and unmistakable accent made him an instant hit with Batman fans.
Warner Bros.
In 2014, Hardy performed alongside the late James Gandolfini in his final film, "The Drop." Hardy played a bartender at a tavern that stores money for the mafia. Hardy tries to balance his boss' life of crime with his attempts to lead a normal life, but a dark secret threatens to drag him back into a world of violence.
Fox Searchlight
The same year, Hardy joined the cast of the British crime drama "Peaky Blinders" as a Jewish gang leader named Alfie Solomons. The show's creator, Oscar-nominated writer Steven Knight, would go on to co-create "Taboo" with Hardy.
BBC
2015 was a massive year for Hardy, as he appeared in five films. In "Legend," he played a set of gangster twins with the aid of special effects.
Universal
But the biggest moment of his career came through not one but two Oscar-nominated films. In the summer, he succeeded Mel Gibson as Max Rockatansky in the critically acclaimed "Mad Max: Fury Road."
Warner Bros.
Then, in the winter, Hardy earned his first Oscar nomination for his performance as the murderous John Fitzgerald in "The Revenant."
20th Century Fox
Hardy reunited with Christopher Nolan for a third time in the 2017 World War II film "Dunkirk," about the evacuation of over 300,000 Allied soldiers from the titular French town.
Warner Bros.
Also in 2017, Hardy played the lead role in "Taboo," a miniseries he developed with his father, Edward, and Steven Knight, about an adventurer who returns to London in 1812 to help rebuild his family's shipping empire.
FX
In 2018's "Venom," Hardy played a reporter named Eddie Brock who gets bonded to a symbiote that's part of an invasion of Earth -- but decides to protect the planet instead.
Sony
Hardy returned Eddie/Venom in the 2021 sequel "Venom: Let There Be Carnage," taking on another symbiote bonded to serial killer Cletus Kasady. Oh, and the weird romance between the two is kicked up a notch.
Sony