50 facts about actor Tom Hardy: became an ambassador for the Prince's Trust

50 facts you missed about actor, screenwriter and producer Tom Hardy.

1. Hardy was born in Hammersmith, London.

2. He is the only child.

3. His mother Anne is an artist and painter.

4. His mother's family was of Irish descent.

5. His father Edward "Chips" Hardy is a novelist and comedy writer.

6. He was raised in East Sheen, London.

7. He studied at Tower House School and Reed's School, then at Richmond Drama School, and subsequently at the Drama Centre London.

8. His full name is Edward Thomas "Tom" Hardy.

9. He is also a screenwriter, and producer.

10. He made his debut in the war film Black Hawk Down.

11. His other notable films include the science fiction film Star Trek: Nemesis, the crime film RocknRolla, the biographical psychological drama Bronson the science fiction thriller Inception, the sports drama Warrior, the Cold War espionage film Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy, the crime drama Lawless, the drama Locke, and the mobster film The Drop.

12. He also portrayed Bane in the superhero film The Dark Knight Rises, "Mad" Max Rockatansky in the post-apocalyptic film Mad Max: Fury Road, and both Kray twins in the crime thriller Legend.

13. Hardy's television roles include the HBO war drama miniseries Band of Brothers, the BBC historical drama miniseries The Virgin Queen, ITV's Wuthering Heights, the BBC British historical crime drama television series Peaky Blinders, and the Sky 1 drama series The Take.

14. Hardy has also performed on British and American stages.

15. He was nominated for the Laurence Olivier Award for Most Promising Newcomer for his role as Skank in the 2003 production of In Arabia We'd All Be King.

16. He was awarded the 2003 London Evening Standard Theatre Award for Outstanding Newcomer for his performances in both In Arabia We'd All be Kings and for his role as Luca in Blood.

17. He starred in the 2007 production of The Man of Mode and received positive reviews for his role in the 2010 Philip Seymour Hoffman-directed play The Long Red Road.

18. In 1998, Hardy won The Big Breakfast‍‍'​‍s Find Me a Supermodel competition at age 21.

19. Hardy joined Drama Centre London in September 1998, and was taken out early after winning the part of US Army Private John Janovec in the award-winning HBO-BBC miniseries Band of Brothers.

20. He made his feature film debut in Ridley Scott's 2001 war thriller Black Hawk Down.

21. In 2003, Hardy appeared in the film dot the i, and then travelled to North Africa for Simon: An English Legionnaire, a story of the French Foreign Legion.

22. He gained some heavy international exposure as the Reman Praetor Shinzon, a clone of USS Enterprise Captain Jean-Luc Picard in Star Trek: Nemesis.

23. Hardy was awarded the 2003 London Evening Standard Theatre Award for Outstanding Newcomer for his performances in Blood and In Arabia We'd All Be Kings performed at the Royal Court Theatre and Hampstead Theatre.

24. He was also nominated for a 2004 Laurence Olivier Award for Most Promising Newcomer of 2003 in a Society of London Theatre Affiliate for his performance as Skank in the aforementioned production of In Arabia We'd All Be Kings.

25. Hardy appeared in the 2005 BBC miniseries The Virgin Queen as Robert Dudley, a childhood friend of Elizabeth I. The miniseries portrays them as having a platonic, though highly romantic, affair throughout her reign over England during the 16th century.

26. Hardy featured in the BBC Four adaptation of the 1960s sci-fi series A for Andromeda.

27. In 2007, he appeared in the BBC Two drama based on a true story, Stuart: A Life Backwards. He played the lead role of Stuart Shorter, a homeless man who had been subjected to years of abuse and whose death was possibly a suicide.

28. In September 2008, he appeared in Guy Ritchie's London gangster film, RocknRolla; Hardy played the role of gay gangster Handsome Bob.

29. In early 2009, Hardy starred in the film Bronson, about the real-life English prisoner Charles Bronson, who has spent most of his adult life in solitary confinement.

30. For the film Bronson he put on three stone (19 kg/42 pounds).

31. In June 2009, Hardy starred in Martina Cole's four-part TV drama The Take on Sky One, as a drugs and alcohol fuelled gangster.

32. The role in The Take gained him a Best Actor nomination at the 2009 Crime Thriller Awards.

33. In August 2009, he appeared in ITV's Wuthering Heights, playing the part of Heathcliff, the classic love character who falls in love with his childhood friend Cathy.

34. He also appeared in Riz Mc's music video for the song "Sour Times".

35. Hardy played the title character, Max Rockatansky, in 2015's Mad Max: Fury Road. His performance was praised by critics and overall the film received critical acclaim and became a box office success. As of July 2015, it has grossed $366 million against a $150 million budget, becoming the highest grossing film in the Mad Max franchise.

36. In 2015, Hardy is appearing in the BBC One series Taboo, which is set in 19th century England. Hardy plays an adventurer who wants justice after the death of his father.

37. In 2015, he starred in a dual role as London gangsters Reggie and Ronnie Kray in the crime thriller Legend.

38. Hardy married Sarah Ward in 1999, but the marriage ended in divorce in 2004.

39. He has a son, Louis Thomas with then-girlfriend Rachael Speed, whom he dated from 2004 to 2009.

40. In 2009, Hardy began a relationship with actress Charlotte Riley.

41. Riley and Hardy met on the set of Wuthering Heights.

42. The couple became engaged in 2010 and married in July 2014.

43. They have two dogs, both rescues, one of which Hardy appeared with in a PETA advert to promote pet adoption.

44. In October 2015, the couple welcomed their first child together.

45. In 2010, Hardy became an ambassador for the Prince's Trust, a leading UK youth charity which provides training, personal development, business start up support, mentoring and advice.

46. In 2012, he and Riley became patrons of Bowel Cancer UK.

47. Hardy battled addictions to alcohol and crack cocaine in his early-to-mid-20s.

48. He entered rehab and has been sober since 2003.

49. Hardy has referred to Gary Oldman as "the greatest actor that's ever lived", and described Oldman as his hero, adding "everybody [at drama school] used to quote him in all of his films."

50. Hardy was named one of GQ magazine's 50 best dressed British men in 2015.