Ben Hardy is an English actor, known for his role as Angel in the superhero action film "X-Men: Apocalypse" (2016) and as Queen's drummer Roger Taylor in the biographical film "Bohemian Rhapsody" (2018).
Pictured: Ben Hardy
The actor is not related to Tom Hardy - they share the same surname.
Childhood and Youth
Ben Jones was born on January 2, 1991, in the resort town of Bournemouth in the English county of Dorset. Ben's father, an insurance company employee, and his stay-at-home mother soon divorced, plunging the family into difficulties. Ben and his younger brother and sister remained in the care of their mother and grandmother, who lived in the small town of Sherborne.
During his school years, Ben was involved in sports
During his school years, Ben excelled in sports and precise sciences, and considered becoming an engineer, but one incident changed everything. As a senior, Hardy played the role of the carefree Sergeant Francis Troy in the adaptation of Thomas Hardy's book "Far from the Madding Crowd". The director of the movie was Hardy's school teacher, who had no experience in film production. She shot her debut film using only one camera, and her students acted in it.
Ben Hardy started acting in movies during his school years
"When Miss Clark suggested this idea, we thought she was joking," 18-year-old Ben Jones said in one of his first interviews. "But we all agreed, and it turned out great."
Participating in such a project cemented Ben's decision to pursue an acting career. Later on, Hardy graduated with honors from the London Central School of Speech and Drama, specializing in "Acting".
Acting Career
In 2012, Ben Hardy landed a role in David Hare's play "The Judas Kiss," where he performed alongside the renowned British actor, Rupert Everett. The play was successfully staged at the Hampstead Theatre in London for two months, after which the actors embarked on a short tour around England. Critics and audiences warmly received the play, with Hardy, who performed part of his role completely naked, attracting particular attention.
In 2012, Ben Hardy landed his first serious role
In the spring of 2013, Hardy secured the role of Peter Beale in the British soap opera BBC's "EastEnders." The series, which has been airing since 1985, depicts the daily life of the ordinary residents of the fictional borough of Walford in East London.
I'm thrilled to join the fantastic cast of a show that my family has been watching for years.
Hardy's last episode of the series aired in February 2014, after which the actor switched to another large-scale project. Hardy was cast as the winged mutant Angel in Bryan Singer's superhero action film "X-Men: Apocalypse." To prepare for the role, the actor had to train extensively in a wind tunnel. "Angel needs to learn how to fly," joked the actor. Working on the film not only brought him widespread popularity but also introduced him to some of Hollywood's most sought-after actors – James McAvoy, Michael Fassbender, Jennifer Lawrence, and others.
X-Men Apocalypse: Ben Hardy as Angel
In 2017, Hardy starred in Haifaa Al-Mansour's film "Mary Shelley." The drama tells the story of writer Mary Shelley (creator of Frankenstein) and the relationships that inspired her to write her masterpiece. The central character was played by Elle Fanning, while Hardy portrayed the English writer John William Polidori, the author of the first vampire novel in literature history.
A scene from the movie 'Mary Shelley'
Additionally, the young actor appeared in the real-life-based drama "Only the Brave," about firefighters confronting one of the most devastating fires in history in Arizona. The film, featuring Josh Brolin and Miles Teller, was released in November 2017. In April 2018, Hardy starred in the BBC miniseries "The Woman in White" – a modern adaptation of Wilkie Collins' classic gothic novel.
A significant break for the young actor was landing one of the leading roles in the biographical film "Bohemian Rhapsody." In the drama about the legendary British rock band Queen, Ben portrayed drummer Roger Taylor; vocalist Freddie Mercury was played by Rami Malek.
Ben Hardy in the film 'Bohemian Rhapsody'
Before the casting, Hardy had never approached a drum set in his life but managed to convince the producers otherwise. "It's almost common wisdom: confidently claim that you're a master at it, and figure it out later!" Hardy laughs. Before the audition, the actor bought a drum set and practiced diligently every day. As a result, he managed to play a couple of songs decently at the casting, and Hardy, remarkably resembling Taylor, was confirmed for the role.
Ben Hardy in Bohemian Rapsody
The film was a resounding success and was nominated for an Oscar in five categories. Worldwide box office revenues exceeded production costs by 16 times – "Bohemian Rhapsody" became the highest-grossing music biographical film of all time.
In 2019, Ben Hardy appeared in the action film by American director Michael Bay "6 Underground" – a story about wealthy people who fake their deaths to form a team to fight crime underground. The screenplay for the film was written by the creative duo Paul Wernick and Rhett Reese – the authors of the box office hits "Zombieland" and "Deadpool."
Ben Hardy (on the set of the film '6 Underground'
In 2020, the actor could be seen in the British comedy thriller "Pixie" – about three friends hiding from gangster priests in rural Ireland.
A scene from the movie 'Pixie'
In 2021, the erotic thriller "The Voyeurs" was released, in which Ben filmed in 2019 alongside Sydney Sweeney, Natasha Liu Bordizzo, and Justice Smith. That same year, he played one of the central characters in the miniseries "The Girl Before."
A scene from the movie 'The Voyeurs'
Ben Hardy's Personal Life
From his college days and for almost 9 years, Ben Hardy was dating actress Catriona Perrett, but the couple broke up in the summer of 2018.
Ben Hardy with Catriona Perrett
In 2020, the actor had a brief affair with actress Olivia Cooke. They met on the set of the thriller "Pixie" and it seemed that everything was going well, but then the lockdown due to the coronavirus pandemic began, and their relationship naturally fizzled out.
Ben Hardy and Olivia Cooke
From June 2021 to March 2023, Ben was romantically linked to actress and singer Jessica Plummer, with whom he co-starred in the BBC series "The Predecessor". Rumors of their romance emerged and were confirmed at the end of 2021 when paparazzi captured their passionate kiss in central London.
Ben Hardy and Jessica Plummer
Unfortunately, constant separation - both were too busy to devote enough time to each other - inevitably led to their breakup.
Ben Hardy Now
In 2023, fans saw Ben Hardy in two feature films. In the drama "Unicorns", he landed the main role - a single father who unexpectedly falls in love with a transvestite (Jason Patel), and in the romantic comedy "Love at First Sight" - a student named Oliver who falls in love with a passenger on his plane (Haley Lu Richardson).
Ben Hardy and Jason Patel on the set of 'Unicorns'
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