Apparently, starring in action movies for the better part of a decade prepares you for some real action. Tom Hardy entered a martial arts competition and won, as reported by The Guardian. At 45 years old, he entered under his real name, Edward Hardy, for the 2022 Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Open Championship in Milton Keynes, England.
When you are one of the biggest celebrities in the world, you are going to get recognized even in a setting that nobody would suspect you would be in. A spokesperson told The Guardian that “everyone recognized him” and that he was “humble” as he took pictures with eager fans.
Tom Hardy wins the gold prize at a martial arts competition
From Bane in The Dark Knight Rises to taking on Mel Gibson’s role as Mad Max in Fury Road, going into a martial arts competition for Tom Hardy seemed fitting. For his competition, it was a shock to go against a world-class actor. His competitor, veteran fighter Danny Appleby, was “shell-shocked” during the semi-final match. Still, it went as any fight would go as the actor told Appleby, “Just forget it’s me and do what you would normally do.” He called the star “a really nice guy” and “a really strong guy.”
Winning Jiu-Jitsu matches are not new. Tom Hardy won another martial arts competition earlier in the year, as noted by The Guardian. In August, he competed and won Wolverhampton’s REORG Open Jiu-Jitsu Championship. That championship was for charity as it raised money for veterans recovering from injuries, PTSD, and depression.
On the acting front, the actor is not stepping away from explosions and fighting bad guys. He will star in a third Venom film for Sony Pictures. He is also attached to Havoc, a Netflix action flick by Gareth Evans, the director of The Raid.
