How Tom Hardy’s Son Influenced Actor’s ‘Venom’ Performance

While shooting “Venom,” star Tom Hardy didn’t just take notes from director Ruben Fleischer. Louis, his 10-year-old son, was also an important influence, and he didn’t go easy on his dad.

“He told me what I was doing wrong and I was doing more things wrong than I was doing right because children are deeply honest,” Hardy explained to Entertainment Tonight.

Don’t worry, he eventually got his comic book loving son’s stamp of approval, and it turns out Louis is the only critic that matters. “He was my little spirit guide in that aspect. So as far as I’m concerned, I passed his [test], and that’s the best I could do,” the British actor noted.

Hardy is no stranger to the superhero genre. He played Bane in Christopher Nolan’s “The Dark Knight Rises” in 2012, and he dropped out of David Ayer’s “Suicide Squad,” where he would’ve played Rick Flagg. He previously stated that his son inspired him to jump back into the world of comic book adaptations, this time with Marvel rather than DC, to take the role of Eddie Brock.

“First and foremost, I’m a dad. One of the things you come across as a father is a massive influx of stories brought to you after Fireman Sam by Spider-Mans and Venoms and Captain Americas,” he told Variety in July. “So, my son came to me with a specific character that he absolutely fell in love with.”

Hardy actually plays two characters. The movie follows Eddie Brock, a journalist who is obsessed with the mysterious Life Foundation. His investigation leads to the alien Venom merging with his body. The symbiote gives him superpowers, but Venom is also unpredictable and fueled by rage. He’s dangerous, but they need each other to survive.

“When I was presented with the opportunity to play Venom — and that correlated with my son’s love of Venom and how cool he was — I got really, really excited and decided I wanted to do it,” Hardy explained.

Hardy shares Louis with his ex, Rachael Speed. He welcomed his second child with wife Charlotte Riley in October 2015.

“Venom,” produced by Columbia Pictures, also stars Michelle Williams, Riz Ahmed, Scott Haze, Reid Scott and Jenny Slate. It is set to hit theaters Friday.