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Tom Hardy couldn't handle Hollywood when he first found fame. The 36-year-old star - who was catapulted to the spotlight in 2002's sci-fi film Star Trek: Nemesis - hit a low point with alcoholism and drug abuse and insists these past experiences, including the breakdown of his marriage to Sarah Ward in 2004, have helped shape who he is now. He said: "I've learnt as I grow older to be less 'jumping' at everything. I had a brief stint with the Americans, with Hollywood, the movie industry, with Star Trek. And the first year after drama school, I had Black Hawk Down and Band of Brothers, and then Star Trek. And I was like 'this is it! Straight out of drama school, here we go!"
‘I had no idea how to handle the industry, to interact with producers’
"But I had no idea how to handle the industry, to interact with producers, executive producers, studios, even my fellow men. I was 24 - punching well above my weight! It's taken being someone's dad, being divorced, going to rehab, having mortgages, playing different characters, doing theatre, waiting and then it not happening."
Tom's perception of the world has changed since he was younger and is more appreciative of the privileges he has.
He added to Total Film magazine: "Now I'm not 'white knuckle', so if I get invited to a party ... the gratitude I feel ... people are really pleasant, really talented, and I'm useful! It's like, 'How can I help and be a part of this?' Rather than 'I must impress everyone!' Which is what it was when I was 24."
-Bang Showbiz
