Tom Hardy dishes on his 'deeply private' friendship with Prince Harry

There are many things you most likely know about movie star Tom Hardy, like: he began his career as a model, he played super villain Bane in The Dark Knight Rises and he’s married to Actor Charlotte Riley with two children. We bet you didn’t know he’s also close friends with royalty.

Recently calling Prince Harry a ‘f*ing legend’ in an Esquire interview, the actor dished (somewhat) on his friendship with the Prince.

“It’s deeply private. Harry is a f*ing legend,” he said.

Attending the wedding at Windsor Castle with his wife, the 40-year-old admits he flew from New Orleans – where he was filming his role as Al Capone in Fonzo – to London for the Prince’s special day. Beyond those few details, Hardy wouldn’t share much more about the relationship.

The brief statement made by the upcoming Marvel Venom star has us wondering – when did this high-profile friendship spark?

Hardy, ambassador for the Prince’s Trust, is believed to have met the Duke of Sussex in 2010 when he joined the initiative run by Prince Charles. The Prince’s Trust is a charitable undertaking that supports young people in finding jobs and completing education – an initiative that Hardy believes in.

“I became an Ambassador for The Prince’s Trust to show my support for its work with tens of thousands of disadvantaged young people every year. It’s so important to me that they get the life-changing second chance that I had,” he said.

The duo also made an appearance in Star Wars: The Last Jedi alongside Prince William, however the scene was later cut in editing.

Hardy and the royal were also photographed catching up at the 2016 Audi Polo Challenge – where both Prince William and Harry played for Team Audi Ultra.

While it’s not clear how the pair were first introduced, Hardy has had several brushes with the royal family. This year he received a CBE in the Queen’s Honours list – which recognises extraordinary people across the UK.

Calling the award an honour, the model-turned-actor admits he almost lost the opportunity after his assistant assumed he wouldn’t want it.

“She refused it by accident. I was like, ‘Noooo! I want that one!’ You wouldn’t see me doing that for a Bafta! Ha! With no disrespect,” he said, poking fun at the independent British charity that promotes art.

Despite it being unknown when Hardy first crossed paths with the royal, one thing is certain, Prince Harry has found a friend in the acclaimed actor.

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