Celebrity Tattoo Roundup: Tom Hardy

Photo Gallery Follows the Text

Judging him entirely from his unforgettable roles as Bane in The Dark Knight Rises, the slick forger Eames in Inception, and, most recently, John Fitzgerald in The Revenant, you would never know that Tom Hardy is completely covered in tattoos. Though once you see him shirtless, it’s kind of hard to erase that image from your memory. With everything from a British flag tattoo on his chest, to a fighting Irishman tribute to his mother’s Irish heritage on his arm, and a “Till I die SW” tattoo inked in honor of his now ex-wife, Sarah Ward, Hardy has amassed quite the diverse collection of tattoos, but to hear him say it, he doesn’t regret a single one of them.

So, are you wondering why Tom Hardy has covered up that incredible physique of his with all those tattoos? It’s certainly not because he fancies himself a bit of a bad-ass. During a recent interview with Esquire, he actually admitted that he doesn’t feel very manly. We know, it seems completely ludicrous, but Hardy uttered the words, “I don’t feel rugged and strong and capable in real life, not how I imagine a man ought to be. So I seek it, to mimic it and maybe understand it, or maybe to draw it into my own reality. I’m not a fighter. I’m a petit little bourgeois boy from London.”

Okay, this is NOT what we would expect to hear from Hardy, the man who had us all falling for his brooding but ultimately kind-hearted character in Warrior, but no matter, he also explained why he likes getting tattooed. According to Hardy, “Every tattoo I have means something to me. Each one is something that I’ve been through in my life or [something] I’ve done or [somewhere] I’ve been. So I map that out on me, where I’ve been and where I’m going.”

So, for those of you dying to know where Tom Hardy has been and where he’s going, here is a breakdown of some of his most meaningful tattoos, and some pictures for your visual enjoyment!