Tom Hardy

Summary

In a heartfelt acceptance speech, Tom Hardy expresses his surprise and delight at receiving an honorary fellowship from the University of the Arts London. He candidly discusses his insecurities about public speaking and his passion for acting, which he considers more of a vocation than a job. Hardy shares wisdom from his father about the importance of observation and reflection in his craft, and the value of embracing failure as a learning opportunity. He acknowledges the significance of cultural institutions in enriching a nation's resources and expresses gratitude for the recognition, encouraging others to enjoy and persevere in their artistic pursuits.

Takeaways

• 🎓 Tom Hardy expresses his surprise and delight at receiving the honorary fellowship from the University of the Arts London.
• 🗣️ He admits to being uncomfortable with public speaking and feeling more at ease within his character roles.
• 💭 Hardy reflects on his past, mentioning that he was not expected to achieve such recognition, with some even thinking he might end up in prison.
• 📜 He quotes Shakespeare, drawing a parallel between the transformation of Prince Hal in 'Henry IV Part 2' and his own journey of personal growth.
• 🔨 Hardy emphasizes the importance of passion and persistence, suggesting that doing what you love can lead to success even if the path is unclear.
• 👨‍👦 His father's advice plays a significant role in his life, encouraging him to observe, reflect, and let go of anything that obstructs his focus, including self-doubt.
• 🎨 Hardy views the arts as a lifelong companion, providing solace and inspiration during times of unemployment and solitude.
• 🚀 He believes in the vocation of the arts, suggesting it's more than just a job and requires dedication and commitment.
• 🧐 The actor stresses the importance of being erudite and focused in one's work, especially in creative fields where time and resources are precious.
• 💡 Hardy acknowledges the risk of failure in creative endeavors but sees it as a valuable learning experience rather than something to be embarrassed about.
• 📝 He shares a speech written by his father, highlighting the importance of education and the cultural enrichment that institutions like the University contribute to society.
• 🙌 Hardy concludes by expressing his gratitude for the recognition and encourages others to enjoy their journey in the arts, acknowledging the challenges ahead.

Q & A

What honor is being conferred upon Tom Hardy in the script?

Tom Hardy is being awarded the honorary fellowship of the University of the Arts London.

How does Tom Hardy describe his feelings about being in the public eye?

Tom Hardy expresses feeling shocked and uncomfortable being in the public eye, preferring to disappear and be in character.

What does Tom Hardy believe about the role of the Arts in his life?

Tom Hardy sees the Arts as a companion that will always keep him company, especially during quiet times when he is alone.

What advice did Tom Hardy's father give him about pursuing what you love?

His father advised him that if you do what you love and do it well, everything should fall into place.

How does Tom Hardy view failure in the context of his profession?

Tom Hardy believes that failure is not embarrassing and is a good learning experience, stating that humiliation is your friend.

What is Tom Hardy's perspective on the importance of observation and reflection in his work?

He believes that observation and reflection are crucial, and anything that gets in the way of the 'telescope', including oneself, must go.

What does Tom Hardy consider the Arts to be in relation to his career?

Tom Hardy considers the Arts to be more of a vocation rather than just a job, emphasizing its importance in his life.

How does Tom Hardy feel about the speech made by Jonathan?

Tom Hardy highly praises Jonathan's speech, calling it truly brilliant and wishes he had written or spoken about the same points.

What does Tom Hardy's father think about his education and its role in his life?

Tom Hardy's father believes that education is an integral part of him and continues to unfold as his life goes on.

What does Tom Hardy appreciate about the recognition from the University of the Arts London?

Tom Hardy is genuinely grateful for the recognition, seeing it as another proud moment in his lifelong relationship with the university.

What message does Tom Hardy have for those in the creative department or pursuing a career in the Arts?

He encourages them to embrace the challenge, be willing to take risks, and to understand that failure is a part of the learning process.

Outlines

00:00

🏆 Honoring Tom Hardy with Fellowship

The speaker expresses surprise and delight at Tom Hardy being honored with a fellowship at the University of the Arts London. Despite feeling unprepared and more comfortable in character roles, Hardy shares his gratitude and reflects on his career and the importance of perseverance in the arts. He quotes Shakespeare to emphasize the importance of passion and drive, even when one's goals are not clear. Hardy also shares life advice from his father about doing what you love and observing and reflecting, which he applies to his work in the arts. He acknowledges the value of the arts as a lifelong companion and the necessity of risk-taking in creative endeavors, embracing failure as a learning opportunity.

Keywords

💡Honorary Fellowship

An honorary fellowship is a prestigious title awarded to individuals in recognition of their outstanding contributions or achievements in a particular field. In the video, Tom Hardy is being conferred with the honorary fellowship of the University of the Arts London, which signifies his exceptional work in the arts and the recognition of his impact on the cultural landscape.

💡Public Speaking

Public speaking refers to the act of addressing an audience in a formal setting. Tom Hardy mentions his discomfort with public speaking, indicating that he feels more at ease when embodying characters rather than speaking as himself. This is a common theme for individuals who are more introverted or find it challenging to express themselves in front of a crowd.

💡Passion and Drive

Passion and drive are terms that describe a strong emotional connection and motivation towards a particular activity or goal. Hardy refers to these qualities when discussing his approach to his career, suggesting that even without a clear vision of what he wanted to achieve, his passion and drive have propelled him forward and contributed to his success.

💡Shakespeare

William Shakespeare is a renowned English playwright and poet, often quoted for his profound insights into human nature and society. In the script, Hardy quotes Shakespeare to illustrate his point about personal transformation and growth, drawing a parallel between Shakespeare's character and his own journey.

💡Drama Centre

The Drama Centre is a renowned institution for training actors, known for its rigorous and immersive approach to actor training. Hardy mentions the Drama Centre, indicating that his education and experiences there have been foundational to his career as an actor.

💡Arts as Companionship

In the context of the video, arts as companionship refers to the idea that the arts can provide solace, inspiration, and companionship, especially during times of solitude. Hardy speaks about the arts as a constant companion that has kept him company during quiet times and periods of unemployment.

💡Vocation

A vocation is a strong sense of purpose or calling towards a particular occupation or activity. Hardy discusses his career in the arts as more of a vocation than just a job, implying that it is a deep-seated passion and commitment that goes beyond mere employment.

💡Observation and Reflection

Observation and reflection are critical skills in the arts, allowing artists to interpret and convey the world around them. Hardy's father advised him to observe and reflect, emphasizing the importance of these skills in his work, and this advice is reflected in Hardy's approach to his craft.

💡Risk and Failure

Risk and failure are inherent parts of the creative process, often leading to growth and learning. Hardy acknowledges the importance of taking risks and being willing to fail, stating that it is through failure and humiliation that one can learn the most, which is a common sentiment across various professions.

💡Cultural Resources

Cultural resources refer to the wealth of cultural heritage, knowledge, and creative expressions within a society. Hardy speaks about the importance of institutions that enrich cultural resources, underlining the value of the arts in shaping and reflecting the identity and evolution of a nation.

💡Recognition

Recognition is the act of acknowledging someone's achievements or status. Hardy expresses his gratitude for the recognition he receives through the honorary fellowship, viewing it as a validation of his work and a proud moment in his relationship with the university.

Highlights

Tom Hardy expresses his shock and delight at being honored with the fellowship of University of the Arts London.

Hardy admits to feeling more comfortable in character than speaking publicly due to a desire to disappear.

He reflects on his time at Drama Centre, where even then, no one expected him to achieve such recognition.

Hardy humorously compares himself to Shakespeare's Prince Hal, a transformation from a reckless youth to a responsible leader.

He emphasizes the importance of passion and drive, even when one's goals are not entirely clear.

Hardy shares his father's advice on doing what you love and doing it well, which he believes leads to success.

The actor highlights the role of the arts as a constant companion, especially during quiet and unemployed times.

Hardy discusses the concept of the arts being more of a vocation than just a job, indicating a deep commitment.

He quotes his father again, urging observation and reflection as key to his profession, and the removal of any obstacles.

Hardy acknowledges the importance of focusing in the workplace and the challenges of creating something from nothing.

The actor admits to the risk of failure in the creative process and encourages embracing it as a learning opportunity.

Hardy views failure and humiliation as friends, suggesting they are integral to growth and learning in any profession.

He humorously admits to having his father write his speech, showing a personal and candid side.

Hardy considers education as an integral part of his life that continues to evolve.

He appreciates the value of institutions that enrich cultural resources and adapt to the country's challenges.

The actor expresses genuine gratitude for the recognition and the pride it brings to his relationship with the university.

Hardy congratulates the audience on their achievements so far and encourages them to enjoy their careers, acknowledging the journey has just begun.

Transcripts

and I am absolutely delighted to call upon the Chairman to confer the honorary

fellowship of University of the Arts London upon Tom Hardy.

Hello. I'm a I'm a bit shocked to be stood here actually because I'm, I still

feel and I've written a little speech but I'm terrible at speaking

publicly because I almost shouldn't even really be in my job because I just want

to disappear and I probably that's that's why I'm more comfortable in

characters but being a being me I suppose I'm less comfortable and I never

really felt , I never thought that I would be standing here to be fair and I think the

last time I was at Drama Centre I don't think anybody at Drama Centre

thought I'd be here either but probably be locked up in in prison but um but

having said that actually, I think Shakespeare said - you know me quoting

Shakespeare is really random because just come in but like that which hath

no foil to set it off in Henry the fourth part 2 before he becomes Henry

the fifth and sort of shapes up becomes proper establishment and that, he was a

bit of a drunken philanderer and a bit useless, bit like me really but he

had a lot of passion and drive and sometimes I think even if you don't

know quite what it is that you want to achieve, that if you just keep cracking

on towards it anyway, that you know if you do what you love doing - this is what

my dad said to me- he said 'if you do what you love doing and you do it well then

everything should sort of fall into place' and you know and the great thing

about the Arts is that it's something that will always keep me company even

like in in my quiet time when I'm on my own so you're going to do anything in

the arts the first and foremost you know it's one of your closest friends it'll

keep you a companion so I think that's that's massively important for me it's

kept me you know when I've been unemployed yes that's what I've sort of

come back to us that would I do this is it a vocation or is it is it a job and I

think it's more of a vocation to be fair. Another thing that my dad said was

that ' your job Tom is to observe and reflect right and anything that gets

in the way of the telescope has to go, including yourself' and I suppose that

having wished I'd wrote or spoke done what Jonathan just spoke

about because I don't have those words and that was a truly brilliant speech,

I think that's what it was getting at is also about being more erudite

towards the workplace you know because as we focus more in the workplace

there's not as much time to naff about because obviously there's time and money

involved as well, especially if you're coming up with something from nothing

which is presumably what we will do in the creative department, is that I'm

selling a handful of nothing and hoping to come through with some

results and I'll put myself right out there for the risk of it and I will fail

and it's ok to fail in fact you learn more from failing and humiliation in my

game than any other that I know and actually that seems to be quite

similar across the board and most professions for the people that I've met

so it's good to fail it's not embarrassing and humiliation is your

friend.

On a sort of more formal front, I think I just read out what written down because

I'm just in case well because I had to write a speech so I got my dad to do it.

Hello dad. Because he never thought this would happen either -

that I'd finish school. My education is integral part of me and

it continues to unfold as my life goes on and hopefully I can pass on some of

its precepts in my work but I believe that any institution that is

concerned with the enriching of the cultural resources of the country

through all of that country's changes and its challenges is of immense and

lasting value. I think it's a fine and a good thing and that's why I'm genuinely

genuinely grateful to be recognized in this way and it's another proud moment

in a lifelong relationship with the well with with the university that's

presented me with this sort of this honor so and all of you it's all day so

enjoy it and enjoy the rest of your career because it does get harder and

well done for getting this far because it's just started. Thank you.