Who Is Louis Thomas Hardy? Truth About Tom Hardy’s Son

Louis Thomas Hardy is the first child of English actor Tom Hardy and his ex-wife. Louis’ father Tom Hardy is best known for his roles in Peaky Blinders, Venom, The Dark Knight Rises, Bronson, Mad Max, and others. Hardy is one of the most sought-after actors. However, he is equally notorious for keeping his personal life private, and yet there are still some insider details about his family and children.

Outsiders know Hardy mainly as the father of two children with his current wife. But others do not know that the Hammersmith-born actor is also the father of a slightly older son, Louis, born to Tom’s previous marriage. The actor has spoken openly about fatherhood in the past while keeping in mind not to reveal too much.

The Inception star claims that there is no job that is “harder” or “more important” than being a father to his children; however, at the same time, he is very proud of being a father. And it turns out that having children has changed his life in many ways. Especially after the birth of his first child, Luis. Decipher the role that Luis has played in his life in the narrative below while reading a little more about his relationship with his famous father.

Louis Thomas Hardy Birth, Ancestry, And Grandparents

Tom’s first child, Louis Thomas Hardy, was born in April 2008.

On his father’s side, Louis, who is now 14 years old, is of English and Irish descent. His actor father was born in Hammersmith. His paternal grandfather, Chip Hardy, was an advertising manager and his paternal grandmother, Anna Hardy, was an artist.

ALSO READ: Who Was Raymond Craig Turner? What Happened To Tina Turner’s Son

How Louis Thomas Hardy Birth Changed His Father, Tom Hardy’s Life

Obviously, the birth of Lewis Hardy was a significant change in his life. Hardy says that Louis was one of the biggest reasons why he decided to give up the party life and become sober.

Before that, the Bafta winner admits that he had been complacent for a long time. He thinks only of themselves and “their own personal nonsense”.. After the birth of Luis, Hardy says that having a child has freed him from selfish behavior and given him responsibility. It also forced him to become a better person and live a healthy life.

Before that, Hardy had a history of drug and alcohol abuse, which began as a teenager in East Sheen, southwest London, and continued early in his acting career.

In fact, the English actor has spoken openly on several occasions about his struggle with substance abuse and its devastating effects on his two previous partnerships. His first marriage was rather short-lived. He then married Rachel Spade, with whom he had Louis.

By that time, he had gone from the London Drama Centre to small roles in major projects, including Steven Spielberg’s Band of Brothers and Ridley Scott’s Black Hawk Down.

The Star Trek star once opened up about his struggle with drug addiction and said his “reality check” was a credit to his son, saying,

“I was self-indulgent for a long time and I was only thinking about myself and my own stupid stuff. Having a child lifts you out of selfish behavior and gives you responsibility. It forces you to be a better man and to live a healthy life.”

Louis’ actor-father eventually went into rehab in 2003 and has been sober ever since. After the birth of his first child, Hardy also discovered that “family is the greatest thing there is”.

At the time, the “Fury Road” actor also confirmed that he had improved his relationship with his father after the birth of Luis and the other children. He added that becoming a father made him reflect on his past mistakes, which caused his parents grief when they were children.

Louis Has Two Step Siblings

Luis is also the stepmother of two children, a son, and a daughter, with his current wife and actress Charlotte Riley.

His step-brother Forrest got his name thanks to Tom and Charlotte’s passion for the 1994 film Forrest Gump. Forrest was born in 2015. Meanwhile, Louis’ stepmother and Hardy’s second child with Riley were born in 2019.

It’s worth mentioning here that, starting with their births, the gender of Luis’ sibling hadn’t been in the press for quite some time.

Tom Hardy Does Fewer Films Because Of Louis Thomas Hardy And His Siblings 

Hardy has often said that raising children has made him work less. After the birth of his first son, Louis, and his other two children, Hardy stated that he felt “less reason to work”.

The actor has also repeatedly said that he could not be more excited about his family and has additionally said that becoming a father made him re-evaluate his priorities and gave him a new sense of purpose.

In August 2021, the Oscar-winner told Esquire magazine that, as he got older, he “didn’t worry so much about what people thought”, which in turn made him think more about his children and his family.

The actor believes that in the end there are fewer reasons to work, as he is driven to be with his children, to be fit and healthy, to eat well, and so on.

Tom Hardy Refused To Settle In America Because Of Louis

Apparently, Hardy also invested most of his time in parenting, so much so that he often felt strongly about giving up career opportunities to keep Louis close. For example, the father of three gave up a full-time residence in Hollywood for his children.

When Cosmopolitan asked the Peaky Blinders star why he refused to move to the US, he explained,

“My son (Louis) lives in London with his mother and I need that contact with him. It’s so important to me. Any time away from him is just criminal,”

said the Oliver Twist graduate.

And although Hardy found parenting difficult, he admits that raising Louis and his other two children have given him a purpose that makes him think more carefully about how he lives his life.

The star of Spider-Man: No Way Home says he will always be there to help his children make their way in the world.

“I take great pride in being a father and make sure I’m there for him and helping him as he makes his way in the world,”

Tom said in September 2015.

Who Is Louis Thomas Hardy’s Biological Mother? 

Louis’ mother Rachael Speed and his father Hardy met in 2005 while filming the historical miniseries The Virgin Queen. His mother Rachel Spade is reportedly a casting director.

Unfortunately, Speed and Tom broke up in 2009 after meeting Louis in 2008. Before Speed, Louis’ father was the husband of Sarah Ward, whom he had married in 1999. At the time, Hardy was virtually unknown.

Louis’s Father, Tom Hardy Current Wife, Charlotte Riley

Louis’ father Tom married actress Charlotte Riley in 2014, tying the knot four years later in a quiet ceremony in the south of France. They were engaged in 2010.

Riley and Tom began their relationship after meeting on the set of the TV adaptation “Of Wuthering Heights” a year ago.

Like his father, Lewis’s stepmother has also starred in films. She is well known for her role as Alice in the 2012 film ‘The Town’ and as Juliet Wagstaff in the crime drama ‘Heart of Darkness. Her other roles include Holly Evans in ‘The Press’, Robin Lund in ‘Trust’ and Maggie Summers in ‘The Take’.

Luis also has a great relationship with his stepmother, Riley. From the moment Tom Hardy and Charlotte Riley began their relationship, Riley quickly embraced Louis. She called him “the most incredible, intelligent, creative little person I have ever met”.

Riley once said that she felt very honored to be Louis’ stepmother.

Louis Thomas Hardy Was A Fan Of Comic Book Superheroes Even Before His Father’s Role As Venom  

Hardy once confirmed that his eldest child, Luis, has a strong passion for comic book superheroes. The actor admitted at the 2018 Comic-Con that he specifically tried to get roles in Marvel movies to make a film that Luis would like.

As reported, the Locke actor announced,

“My son is a massive Venom fan. And he was a strong influence on me why I should play Venom specifically. I wanted to do something my son could watch.”

Louis Helped His Father, Tom Hardy To Prepare For The Role Of Venom

Hardy says his son played an important role in helping him prepare for the role of Venom. He said that Lewis was instrumental in helping his father, Tom, to play Eddie Brock in the Sony/MCU film Venom.

In 2018, he told Entertainment Tonight:

“He was pretty much in the driving seat for most of it. And I did use him as my anthology and mythology wizard.”

According to the actor’s father, his son Louis told him what he was doing wrong. And Hardy did more things wrong than right. He knew this because Louis was deeply honest as a child. The fourteen-year-old was his father’s little spiritual guide in that respect.

Tom said on the red carpet of the film in July 2018,

“My son’s a massive fan of Marvel and Venom. And he was very clear about what I can and can’t do. It’s very odd being told what to do by your son who’s 10 and him being right.”

Hardy believes that he eventually passed his son’s [test] that day.

ALSO READ: Is Anouk McGregor Adopted? Untold Facts About Ewan McGregor’s Daughter

Why There Aren’t Proper Images Of Louis Thomas Hardy And His Siblings

Charlotte Riley’s husband has deliberately done his best to keep his children’s names out of the press, including Louis.

In fact, Hardy is trying so hard to protect his family from prying eyes. So much so that the sex of his children with Riley was not public knowledge for a long time, as mentioned above.

When it comes to his children, Hardy keeps it a secret, as he explained to Esquire UK in August 2018. Hardy stated that he has no objection to people taking pictures of him and his wife. But when it comes to his children, cameras are a no-go area.

Explaining his attitude to paparazzi harassing his children, Louis’ father said,

‘If someone takes a photo of my kids, all bets are off. I will take the camera off you and beat the fucking shit out of you.’

Tom added that he understood that the tabloid press persecuted celebrities on the streets. However, he believes that there is no difference between them taking out a camera or a gun.

He finds it strange. And, having said that, there is a “firm no” to the media trying to photograph his children.

From now on, it may be a long time before people see clear images of Luis; unless the soon-to-be teenager decides to start using Instagram, Facebook or Twitter.

Other Facts

Hardy once admitted to playing with Louis’ toys more than he did. He said that the best thing about being a father was being able to go to the toy shop with his boy and try to persuade him to buy the things he wanted.

Under Hardy’s tattoo “Till I die SW” and the dragon on his left arm is the inscription “Figlio Mio Bellissimo”, which commemorates the birth of his son Louis.

Contrary to rumors, Louis Thomas Hardy has not yet starred in any film.

Quick Facts About Lous Thomas Hardy