Since the beginning of his career, Tom Hardy’s hair has gone through about as many transformations as he has as an actor, seemingly to match whatever villain or gentlemanly character he was playing at the time—from Black Hawk Down to Inception to Mad Max: Fury Road. The actor is never afraid to try something different with his hair, whether called for by a role or not; he’s been slicked back, messy, and completely shaved. With the number of different looks he’s shown through the years, you have many options when it comes to emulating his famous locks.
If you’re looking for some new haircut inspiration yourself, Hardy is a great actor to look towards, with his mix of styles that all have a masculine edge to them. Here, we’ll take a look at 15 Tom Hardy hairstyles that prove he’s the ultimate grooming inspiration.
Short and Spiked
A short taper on the sides and slightly longer pieces on top make for a casual-cool look that couldn’t be easier to style. If you have a similar cut, use a small amount of gel to push your hair forward and texturize into spikes.
Buzz Cut
Tom Hardy’s hairstyles include a fresh buzz now and then, which the actor always manages to pull off effortlessly. For a DIY buzz, an electric shaver with a #1 guard will do the trick. If you have a beard as well, use a slightly higher guard to fade into the cut.
Slicked Comb-Over
A sleek comb-over look paired with equally sharp tailoring always looks good. Use a high-shine pomade to stand out; wax may make the hair look dull.
Spiked with Fade
A truly memorable Tom Hardy hairstyle was this spiked, bearded look he rocked while promoting Venom. Keep hair short and use a gel or wax to create texture up top. On the sides, you’ll want to get as close to a skin fade as you can get—use a low guard like a #.5 or #1.
Spiked with Beard
The actor also provides great examples of how to seamlessly show off a slightly longer length. To recreate the cut, you’ll want to keep the hair a bit longer on the sides than the above example (around a #3), then fade the sideburns into your beard.
Slicked Back with Beard
Tom Hardy is frequently seen with a look similar to this one, as it looks good with or without a beard. Add a little gel or pomade and comb through to slick back the hair. This style will work well with medium to long lengths.
Side Part
Keep things simple, as shown here—just apply a bit of product to create a side part.
Thin with Skin Fade
To recreate this Tom Hardy hairstyle, keep the sides as short as possible and create a tousled top with a gel or pomade. Your barber can thin the hair on top out, if necessary, by using a pair of thinning shears.
Completely Shaved
In addition to adding or dropping weight for a role, Tom Hardy has also completely shaved his locks off a few times before, like for 2012’s The Dark Knight Rises. This is one of the easiest hairstyles you can choose if your goal is a fresh start.
Finely Slicked Back
Here, the actor opted to go with a longer length and slightly more untamed facial hair—long sideburns and a beard—for this subtly refined look.
Undercut Fade
To recreate this undercut look, use an electric razor with a guard between #.5 and #1.5 on the sides while leaving a significant length on top. Finish with a bit of pomade to slick the hair back.
Messy Undercut
This Tom Hardy hairstyle is similar to the above on the sides, but a little shorter on top. Add some product and use your hands to tousle the hair and give it a slightly messy look.
Slick and Scruffy
Here, the actor and grooming icon embraces his slightly graying hair with a slicked-back short trim, blending a short fade into the rest of his beard.
Clean-Shaven and Combed
For his 2015 film Legend, Tom sported a clean-shaven face with a gentlemanly cut combed back, resulting in a decidedly youthful look.
Messy Cut with Beard
To recreate this look, start with a strong wax product to hold the hair in place and use your fingers to add texture. You can also opt to use a pomade to add shine, but the overall look will be the same.
