“When I first met Tom Hardy on visit I said: ‘F*** me, are you having a bubble?’ He was an 11½ st wet. I’m 16½ st! But within six weeks he had bulked up and put on three more stone of muscle. The transformation was awesome and it blew me away. I honestly believe nobody on the planet could play me as Tom did. He is more like me than I am. This guy didn’t just act the part he is the part. My family love him to bits.
“I did very little to help him. Tom does his homework. He takes his acting seriously. He sees something, hears it, smells it, tastes it and then he’s there. He goes into Bronson mode and he’s the bizz. F*** the Oscars, he has won my respect. That’s better than any Oscar.”
- Michael Peterson aka Charles Bronson comments on Tom Hardy playing him