Highlights

• Tom Hardy's movies number over 60, and he is an icon of British cinema.
• Blockbuster films like The Dark Knight Rises and Venom have propelled Hardy to household name status.
• Hardy's remarkable ability to captivate audiences and commitment to pushing limits has cemented his status as a Hollywood superstar.

On the night of September 15th 1977, in Hammersmith, London, talented painter Elizabeth Ann Hardy and adept novelist Edward "Chips" Hardy welcomed their newborn son, Edward Thomas Hardy.

Both his father and mother were extremely talented at creative pursuits, so their child seemed highly likely to be gifted with a talent for the arts.

Over the years, Tom Hardy has shown that creative skill is perhaps heritable, and now he is one of the finest in his own craft – acting.

An Academy Award "Best Supporting Actor" nominee, Hardy has acted in 61 movies (four are upcoming projects). He produced 13 films, and wrote four engaging scripts, both for television and film.

Today. Tom Hardy's movies are eagerly anticipated by his fans, and they await each new release; he is now a superstar in the British film industry.

So the question arises, among almost five dozen of Tom Hardy’s movies, which were the biggest at the box office, and why?

Let's take a glance at Hardy’s blockbuster films, and examine how he contributed to making them successful.

8 Black Hawk Down (2001)

Black Hawk Down’s Worldwide Box Office: $212.3 Million

After a brief stint as a rapper and some short-acting gigs, Tom Hardy got two major breaks in 2001, after word of his talent reached the corridors of Hollywood's elite.

Hardy earned a role in the acclaimed TV miniseries Band Of Brothers, and right after his debut in the series, he seized an opportunity in Black Hawk Down, his debut flick.

Hardy's first movie was a massive hit at the box office, opening many doors for the British actor.

Vaunted producer and director Ridley Scott directed Black Hawk Down, which made a major impact at the box office.

It surpassed expectations, bringing in $212.3 million through both box office and digital releases.

7 Mad Max: Fury Road (2015)

Mad Max: Fury Road’s Worldwide Box Office: $380.4 Million

In 2015, Tom Hardy solidified his status as a superstar.

He had many hit movies to his credit, but his star power was boosted when he landed the epic role of the titular character Max, from Mad Max.

Max Rockatan’s role was previously portrayed by the legendary, acclaimed, and controversial actor Mel Gibson in earlier Mad Max films, and the character has great significance to the franchise.

Interestingly, in the past, Hardy had auditioned for smaller roles in the Mad Max series.

No one imagined that years later, the same young man who once auditioned for minor parts would emerge as the lead actor in the franchise.

Also starring Charlize Theron, Mad Max: Fury Road picked up the pace from the start in terms of making money.

At the domestic box office, the movie earned $45.4 million in just three days.

Ultimately, Mad Max: Fury Road grossed a total of $380 million against a budget of $150 million, meaning the studio profited a massive $230 million from the film.

6 Venom: Let There Be Carnage (2021)

Venom: Let There Be Carnage’s Worldwide Box Office: $506.8 Million

The concept of Venom inhabiting a human body and spreading chaos works perfectly — and after the huge success of Venom, producers couldn't say no to Venom 2.

After all, Venom is the highest-grossing Tom Hardy movie in which he played the main lead.

But in Venom 2, not only did Hardy play the part of Eddie Brock and Venom, he also helped Kelly Marcel (who wrote the film) to craft the script, and earned himself a writer's credit.

Hardy used to write as gig work, and he wrote the Taboo series along with his father, Chips Hardy.

But Venom: Let There Be Carnage was the first time he was credited as a writer on a feature film.

Audiences particularly enjoyed a fight between Hardy and Woody Harrelson's inner demons, "Venom" and "Carnage."

Iconic actor Andy Serkis directed Venom: Let There Be Carnage, which had an impressive haul of over half a billion dollars at the box office.

5 Dunkirk (2017)

Dunkirk’s Worldwide Box Office: $530.4 Million

Tom Hardy possesses a unique ability to captivate audiences single-handedly, as demonstrated in films like Locke.

The whole movie was filmed in the car – with Hardy driving and acting throughout – and his compelling performance held the audience's attention effortlessly.

In Dunkirk, director Christopher Nolan was eager to have Hardy on board for Dunkirk, in his role as Farrier, who wore a mask for the majority of his screen time.

As such, Hardy had to act with his eyes and his mouth covered by a mask during the delivery of his dialogue.

Despite this restriction, Hardy did a magnificent job captivating the audience with his voice and eyes.

It’s worth noting that the Farrier character in Dunkirk is based on the real-life World War 2 hero pilot Alan Deere.

Another film directed by Christopher Nolan, Dunkirk not only aced the box office by earning $530.4 million, but also won Oscars for "Best Film Editing," "Best Sound Editing," and "Best Sound Mixing."

In all, Dunkirk was nominated for Oscars in seven different categories, including "Best Film," "Best Direction," and "Best Cinematography."

4 The Revenant (2015)

The Revenant’s Worldwide Box Office: $532.9 Million

Tom Hardy was cast as the antagonist in The Revenant, and was nominated in the Oscars' "Best Supporting Actor" category — while Leonardo DiCaprio (the film's protagonist) famously won the "Best Actor" Oscar for the first time.

The Revenant interprets an epic tale of hatred and survival, and both Hardy's and DiCaprio's acting were top-notch.

Alejandro G. Iñárritu directed The Revenant.

It was not only a huge box office success, but also bagged Oscar nods in twelve different categories.

The Revenant won awards in major categories, for "Best Director," "Best Actor," and "Best Cinematography."

3 Inception (2010)

Inception’s Worldwide Box Office: $839.9 Million

In Inception, Tom Hardy portrays Eames, an identity thief who provides comic relief in the film, with a sharp tongue and clever responses.

Inception is a notoriously mind-boggling movie with a complex plot, and its ending was ambiguous.

Even 14 years after it hit theaters, film buffs still debate whether the events of the film were representative of a dream or a reality in the end.

Nevertheless, Inception stands as one of the finest movies of Hardy's career.

Another Tom Hardy movie, and another story of box office and awards success ... Hardy seems to be like a lucky charm for every movie in which he appears.

Inception earned a massive $839.9 million and was nominated in eight categories at the Oscars.

The movie won in the "Best Cinematography," "Best Sound Editing," "Best Sound Mixing," and "Best Visual Effects" categories.

2 Venom (2018)

Venom’s Worldwide Box Office: $856.1 Million

Venom is now synonymous with Tom Hardy; as the movie franchise grows, so does Hardy's reputation and star power.

Venom marked the first time Hardy led an entire movie franchise based on the strength of his performance, and the star did a marvelous job.

Hardy's Venom 3 will be released in 2024, and for this role, he was paid a staggering $20 million.

Venom tells the story of reporter Eddie Brock, who is contacted by an ugly and lethal alien that grants him powers – but seeks to control him.

This engaging story of a human and an alien – the work of talented writers Kelly Marcel, Jeff Pinkner, and Scott Rosenberg – was an attention-grabber right away.

In Venom's first week, the film earned $80 million, 80 percent of its entire budget.

The total gross of this Tom Hardy movie was $856.1 million, meaning the studio netted more than $700 million.

1 The Dark Knight Rises (2012)

The Dark Knight Rises Worldwide Box Office: $1.08 Billion

The Dark Knight Rises is the highest-grossing of Tom Hardy's movies, and his only film to have broken the billion-dollar barrier to date.

In the last installment of The Dark Knight series (and Christian Bale's last appearance as Batman), Hardy transformed himself, bulking up and altering his voice to sound and look more intimidating.

His hard work paid off, and Hardy became one of the most memorable villains as Bane — a significant undertaking, after The Dark Knight's Joker.

While Hardy objectively did an excellent job, no one could measure up to the late Heath Ledger's Joker as an antagonist.

Once again, Christopher Nolan (as director) collaborated with Tom Hardy; when they've worked together on a project, the film always seemed to become a blockbuster.

Examples of these successful efforts are Dunkirk, Inception, and The Dark Knight Rises, which are also among the finest movies in Hollywood.

The Dark Knight Rises was their second movie together, and it earned a massive $1.08 billion at the box office.

Intense striving for every role, the commitment to go beyond imagination, and incredible talent are among the traits that make Hardy one of the finest actors today.

Hardy's net worth is estimated at $55 million, and he has just started. His career shows what happens when you work hard, don’t settle for less, and push past your limits.

In the years ahead, Hardy is likely to leverage his success into greater prominence and a larger fortune, due to his innate talent and drive to succeed.