When it comes to taking on some of the most challenging and stimulating roles in the film industry, one of the first names to come to everyone’s mind is none other than Tom Hardy, the English actor who is known for his intimidating yet captivating persona, which also translates to some of the best performances that the audience has ever seen on the big screen.
Tom Hardy
His fame has also been a result of the aforementioned challenges that he faced when he depicted a character in the film, the most memorable of which is his depiction of Max alongside Charlize Theron in Mad Max: Fury Road. But in the past, there was a chance that he would not have been chosen for the role, and that role could’ve gone to another star whom he almost got into a fight back in his days in drama school.

Michael Fassbender Could’ve Taken The Role From Tom Hardy In Mad Max: Fury Road

Tom Hardy as Max Rockatansky in a still from Mad Max: Fury Road
Since he stepped into the world of cinema, Tom Hardy has had nothing but good fortune following him as to this day, he has consistently been part of some of the most impactful films in cinema history with some of the most impactful performances to top it off. Even in the past, there has been no shortage of praise he received when he took on the role of Max Rockatansky, the protagonist of the classic Mad Max franchise. But before he was in the picture, the production was considering one of his acquaintances from his younger days as the lead star.

In the past, there was a panel of the cast and crew from the film, where they discussed the movie in-depth, what went through the entire production process, and what experiences everyone had altogether during filming. Here, the casting director Ronna Kress revealed that before they finalised the Bronson star, Michael Fassbender was the top contender to bag the role of the main protagonist of the film. Evan Megan Gale, the actress who played the role of The Valkyrie in the film revealed that she could see the X-Men: First Class star taking on the role, saying:
“I did a workshop in L.A. with Michael Fassbender, who they were considering for Max.
He wasn’t as big a star as he is now, but he was on the rise, so it was a wee bit intimidating for me.”
But ultimately, it was Hardy who won the hearts of the executives during the auditions, and later, the hearts of the audiences in the final cut.

Michael Fassbender And Tom Hardy Almost Came To Blows With Each Other In Drama School

Michael Fassbender in a still from Assassin’s Creed
In all reality, Hardy revealed that he respected Fassbender when they were young and attended the same drama school, where the Steve Jobs star was his senior, but during this one time, he just came to blows with him. Hardy recalled the day when the star would be practicing his method acting skills on campus grounds where he was in a wheelchair to prepare for his role. Hardy had no problem with it, but was becoming a hindrance for everyone around him. One day, during lunch break in the cafeteria, Hardy shouted at him to just stand up on his legs and get the food.

After this, Fassbender also shouted at him with a F__ You, and the environment became tense, but thankfully, they didn’t resort to physical violence.

Mad Max: Fury Road, available on Apple TV.

Source: The Brag