"The Dark Knight Rises", "Inception", and "This Means War" all have one thing in common, one underrated actor named Tom Hardy. This British hunk of an actor has gone under the radar by many in our generation. His gorgeous accent and drop-dead looks caught my attention in the 2012 action, rom-com "This Means War". Hardy stars beside the timeless Reese Witherspoon and the quirky Chris Pine. To take a quote from that movie, “If you haven’t seen it, you’ll thank me later. If you have seen it, then you know what a good choice it is.” I could ramble on about "This Means War" for a lifetime, but that is only one of Hardy’s many brilliant works.

His silver screen appearances really took nerds’ attention in the 2002 sci-fi film, "Star Trek: Nemesis". Young Hardy took the film as the leading villain, Shinzon, who is Captain Sean Luke Piccard’s clone. Trekkies know all about the plot and understand all of the nerdy topics I could easily bring up, but again that is for a different time. The main point is that Hardy captivated the attention of many filmmakers. He played minor roles in many early 2000s movies that had many big name leading actors, such as Gerard Butler and Gary Oldman.

Being an underrated actor, it is no surprise that the gem movie "Bronson" slipped by many American filmmakers. It was a hit British film about one of England’s most notorious criminals. It is a crazy ride of a film, and I would recommend it to anyone, but his portrayal of Charles Bronson did get the attention of one of Hollywood’s most famous directors, Christopher Nolan. Nolan put Hardy in an all-star supporting cast in the hit "Inception", which I give five stars across the board. Most viewers of the film were drawn to Leonardo DiCaprio’s fantastic performance, but I was drawn to the interesting and rugged character of Eames, played by Hardy. Eames can be considered the film’s comic relief, as he is joking through most of the developing plot, but his quick wit is well worth the noting.

I will come back to Christopher Nolan, but in the meantime, Hardy starred in a few other noteworthy films between his times spent with Nolan. "Warrior" is a sport drama in which Tom’s character, Tommy, physically fights his brother in the MMA championship, while fighting internal conflicts with his father. It is an emotional ride, but Hardy produces a brilliant performance. "Lawless" is also a noteworthy film based on a true story from Franklin County, Virginia. As Hardy’s character, Forrest Bondurant, and his brothers run an illegal moonshine business during Prohibition, they are faced with many problems concerning police corruption and violence. Of course, I have already noted the fantastic rom-com, "This Means War," so I will not drag on about how Tom Hardy and Chris Pine fight for the love of Reese Witherspoon because I think you know who wins the fight in my opinion.

Can I get a drumroll please?The shining moment of Tom Hardy’s career came in Christopher Nolan’s "The Dark Knight Rises." Batman fans across the board can all agree that Tom Hardy’s Bane will never be beaten. Bane, the brilliant and muscular villain, takes more screen time than Batman himself. The story behind Bane is incredible, and as we follow his reckoning of Gotham City, I could not help but be in complete awe with this character.

Nolan is very good at making villains outshine the hero, but Tom Hardy will always bring a stellar performance to any film. If this article has not convinced you of how amazing his acting truly is, I recommend you watch any of the film mentioned.I want to think that you will not be disappointed.So I will leave you with one of my favorite quotes from Hardy, “You mustn’t be afraid to dream a little bigger, darling.”