Acting iconPatrick Stewartis delighted to eat his words about hisStar Trek: Nemesisco-star,Tom Hardy. Twenty-one years ago when the fourth and finalStar Trek: The Next Generationfeature film hit theaters, Hardy was a virtual unknown in Hollywood. And Stewart didn’t think too highly of his young colleague’s acting abilities or attitude. Stewart said in an excerpt from his new memoirMaking It So(perInsider):
On the evening Tom wrapped his role, he characteristically left without ceremony or niceties, simply walking out of the door. As it closed, I said quietly to Brent [Spiner] and Jonathan [Frakes], ‘And there goes someone I think we shall never hear of again.’ It gives me nothing but pleasure that Tom has proven me so wrong.
Hardy portrayed the clone of Captain Picard, which was created by the Romulans, known as the Praetor Shinzon. Looking back, virtually no one could have predicted what an A-list talent Hardy would become. But in 2002, the actor portrayed a lackluster villain in what turned out to beTNG’sworst outing financially on the big screen.
Star Trek: Nemesismade only $67 million worldwide. By comparison, its predecessorStar Trek: Insurrectionmade $70.2 million in the United States alone on its way to a global haul of $112.6 million. But, as both we and Patrick Stewart now know,Star Trek: Nemesiswas the beginnings of a major Hollywood talent for the now Academy Award nominated Tom Hardy.
Star Trek: The Next Generation: The 10 Best Guest Stars in the Series, Ranked
The Next Generation had quite a few memorable, and even a few familiar guest stars during its run.
Tom Hardy Did Not Impress Patrick Stewart
Sir Patrick Stewart might not have thought much of Tom Hardy back in 2002, but the young actor certainly came into his own over the last two decades. Hardy gave a mesmerizing performance as the Batman’s (Christian Bale) adversary Bane in Christopher Nolan’sThe Dark Knight Rises(2012), and he’s become one of the brightest spots in Marvel’s recent on-screen entries as the symbiote Venom, as well asdelivering captivating performancesin the likes ofInception, Bronson, Warrior, The Drop, and more.
In fairness, Stewart wasn’t thrilled with theStar Treksequel that featured Hardy as the villain either. Stewart said in the same interview:
“Nemesis, which came out in 2002, was particularly weak. I didn’t have a single exciting scene to play, and the actor who portrayed the movie’s villain, Shinzon, was an odd, solitary young man from London. His name was Tom Hardy.
Tom wouldn’t engage with any of us on a social level. Never said, ‘Good morning,’ never said, ‘Goodnight,’ and spent the hours he wasn’t needed on set in his trailer with his girlfriend. [He] was by no means hostile. It was just challenging to establish any rapport with him.”
Since breaking the Batman’s back inThe Dark Knight Rises, Hardy has made memorable appearances inThe Revenant, Dunkirkand, of course, inMad Max: Fury Road. But for many Marvel fans, Hardy is and will forever be the charismatic anti-hero Venom. And on June 15, 2025, the untitledVenomsequelis slated to hit theaterswith Hardy returning as the slick-talking symbiote and his investigative-reporting host, Eddie Brock.
Tom Hardy can next been seen inThe Bikeriders, which is scheduled to be released in the United States on June 19, 2025.
