Tom Hardy: 'There's Nothing Ambiguous About My Sexuality'

Actor Tom Hardy's sentiments toward his sexuality stayed stubbornly private and unapologetic when he spoke with The Daily Beast about his heated encounter with a reporter for Daily Extra, a Toronto-based LGBT publication, at a panel held for his new film Legend, in which he plays both bisexual gangsters Ronnie and Reggie Kray, during the Toronto Film Festival.

When asked to respond, the smokey-eyed Brit said he thought it was incorrect to address the sensitive subject in a public forum:

"What he had to talk about was actually interesting, but how he did it was so inelegant. And I appreciate that I could probably have more grace as a human being, but I'm just a bloke. I'm just a man. And I'm just a man doing a job. I'm not a role model for anyone, and you're asking me something about my private life in a room full of people. I don't want to discuss my private life with you. I don't know you! Why would I share that with a billion people? Also, if you felt it was so important for people to feel confident to talk about their sexuality, why would you put somebody on the spot in a room full of people and decide that was the time for them to open up about their sexual ambiguity? There's also nothing ambiguous about my sexuality, anyway. I know who I am. But what does that have to do with you? And why am I a part of something now that, however legitimate, I haven't offered my services for? It's not about what he and his publication stands for, none of that is offensive, and on the contrary, it's very admirable, and an important issue. But how I was asked was incredibly inelegant, and I just thought it was disrespectful and counterproductive to what he stands for."

Hardy also discussed his admiration for Michael Fassbender, who was two years ahead of him at Drama Centre:

"Everybody wanted to be like him--not me, because that's just the way I am and when people tell me they're going to do something, I'm like, 'Nah, I'll do the other.' But secretly I was like, 'Ah, I wish I was as good as him!' He was really, really good. He was a special student in the third year, and then he left and I didn't see him again until we did Band of Brothers. I remember when we were there, he was doing the play The Silver Tassie, a character who lost his legs in World War I, and he was spending a lot of time in a wheelchair. We only had half an hour for lunch and Michael would spend forever getting through the line in his wheelchair, so we'd all be like, 'Come on, Michael! Just order your food, man!' And he'd spin around in his wheelchair and yell, 'FUCK OFF!' "

Another tidbit during the interview: Hardy confirmed that he's still set to play 1970s-era Elton John in the biopic Rocket Man.