Edward Thomas Hardy was born on September 15, 1977, in Hammersmith, London, to Elizabeth Anne (Barrett),an artist and painter, and Chips Hardy, a writer. He is of English and Irish descent. Hardy was brought up in East Sheen, London, and first studied at Reed's School. His education continued at Tower House School, then at Richmond Drama School, and subsequently at the Drama Centre London, along with fellow Oscar nominee Michael Fassbender.
After winning a modeling competition at age 21, he had a brief contract with the agency Models One. Tom spent his teens and early twenties battling delinquency, alcoholism, and drug addiction. After completing his work on Star Trek: Nemesis (2002),he sought treatment and has also admitted that his battles with addiction ended his five-year marriage to Sarah Ward.
Returning to work in 2003, Hardy was awarded the Evening Standard Most Promising Newcomer Award for his theatre performances in the productions of "In Arabia, We'd All Be Kings" and "Blood". In 2003, Tom also co-starred in the play "The Modernists" with Paul Popplewell, Jesse Spencer, and Orlando Wells.
During the next five years, Hardy worked consistently in film, television, and theatre, playing roles as varied as Robert Dudley in the BBC's The Virgin Queen (2005),Bill Sikes in Oliver Twist (2007),and starring in "The Man of Mode" at the National Theatre.
