Sweeney Todd - coming soon on ´óÏó´«Ã½ ONE
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Tom Hardy is Matthew Payne
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Tom Hardy plays Matthew Payne, the upstanding Bow Street Runner, who owes his life to Sweeney.
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Describing his latest role, Hardy says: "Matthew is young and athletic, but also a particular breed of person.
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"When you consider how dangerous life was in general in those days, choosing a career in law enforcement was a seriously risky job, especially for a married man like Matthew who is father to two small children.
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"Law enforcement wasn't a remotely touchy-feely occupation; it was about seeing people hang (for crimes they might or might not have committed). Death and depravity was widespread and sending offenders off to the colonies was acceptable practice.
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"The police force was new, and methods were rough and ready – a good beating was often meted out to wrongdoers.
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"All of which means I see him as a scrapper, a guy who likes a good fight
but equally has a burning zeal to do right. So I'm playing him as a mixture of an Edinburgh award winner and hood rapper," laughs Hardy. Ìý
Explaining more about what makes his character tick, he says: "While he's naturally inquisitive and good at finding things out, in Sweeney's case his instincts are all wrong.
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"Matthew cannot help but befriend Sweeney after the barber saves his life, when he operates on the young law enforcer and removes a bullet from his shoulder. I think it's a terrific section of the story and reminds us all how barbers often carried out surgical procedures - and without anaesthetic or antiseptic!
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"It calls for great bravery on Matthew's part and steadfast courage on Sweeney's. It's no wonder that Matthew is eternally grateful to his barber saviour – especially when you consider that stepping on a rusty nail could finish you off in those days! It's understandable that after this life-saving episode, Matthew fails to recognise Sweeney as a killer."
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Hardy's enthusiasm about playing opposite Winstone is evident.
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"He's a legend – he is a Londoner, and perfect for Sweeney Todd. I can't believe I'm working with him - I grew up watching Scum and Ray is The Daddy!
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"It doesn't get any better than Ray Winstone. He's one of the most generous actors in the business and brilliant to watch in action – even when he's scary."
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As the New Year arrives, so does Tom Hardy on ´óÏó´«Ã½ ONE. Viewers can see him next in the much-anticipated The Virgin Queen, in which he stars as Robert Dudley, lover to Queen Elizabeth I (played by Anne Marie Duff).
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This performance is followed with a leading role in Stephen Poliakoff's Gideon's Daughter, in which Tom is a whiz-kid PR who works with Gideon (played by Bill Nighy) and is in awe of the older man's apparent guru-like wisdom.
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Hardy's credits include the critically-acclaimed West End production of Festen, as well as such high-profile productions as Black Hawk Down, Band of Brothers, Layer Cake, Colditz and Star Trek: Nemesis. Ìý
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