Tom Hardy has revealed that he is drawn to character that are nothing like him and that he is afraid of.
Hardy is set to return to the big screen this autumn as he leads an all star cast in The Drop - which has screened at the Toronto International Film festival this week.
The movie is an adaptation of the Dennis Lehane short story Animal Rescue, and is directed by Michaël R. Roskam.
And Hardy reveals that the characters that intrigue him have changed as he has got older.
Speaking to the Press Association, the actor said: "I play characters that I am not, that I am frightened of.
"It's easier to mimic that which frightens me than it is that which comforts me."
"As I get older, people like Locke are more enticing because I feel safe enough to try that. I'm allowed to be here, as an actor. I've made inroads, certainly, to say: 'Now can I play something else?'."
The Drop sees the British actor tackle the crime/drama and star alongside James Gandolfini, Noomi Rapace, and Matthias Schoenaerts.
Locke hit the big screen earlier this year and was a tour-de-force performance from Hardy: he is the only actor who appears on the screen during the eighty five minute movie.
The actor has also completed work on Child 44, London Road, and Mad Max: Fury Road. He is currently filming Legend, which will see him play both Ronnie and Reggie Kray.
The Drop is released 14th November.
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