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W
e’re gonna be
honest here,
Tom Hardy,
and say that
we’re pretty
disappointed you decided to
cover up your trouser snake for
your new series Taboo, but we
do appreciate your commitment
to your craft.
The dark period drama, which
has already been renewed for a
second season, is the brainchild
of Tom and his dad – playwright
Edward “Chips” Hardy – and is
a welcome addition to the current
crop of fantasy shows made
popular by Game Of Thrones.
Unlike totally made-up GoT,
however, this drama is set in
1814 and centres around James
Delaney, whose family believe
he’s dead – until he returns for
his father’s funeral after years
in the African jungle.
Only then does he discover
he’s inherited a plot of land
coveted by Sir Stuart Strange
(Jonathan Pryce, aka GoT’s
High Sparrow) – the villain of
the series and president of
the East India Company.
Once news of James’s fortune
gets around town, it seems
everyone wants a piece – like
the mysterious woman who
lands on his doorstep, claiming
to be his father’s secret wife.
But back to the important
stuff, like Tom and his kit- or lack thereof.
The star of the series
says wardrobe is crucial
for setting scenes in 1800s
London and Africa.
“You’re lucky there
was a loincloth, because
I didn’t want one,” he says.
“It’s not a period
drama until someone
gets naked and covers
themselves in blood.”
And he did – it just
didn’t make the cut!
“I was [filming] in
Tilbury [in Essex, UK],
in the moat, in the
docks, with nothing
on,” he spills.
“We were trying to
eke out drama from any
opportunity and none
of that makes the cut.”
Let’s hope it makes the
special features on DVD!
Taboo Season One premieres
July 17 on BBC First
Tom Hardy
Um, we think
you mean
‘unlucky’, Tom!
TV‘YOU’RE LUCKY
I WORE A
LOINCLOTH’
James
(Tom) uses
his newly
inherited
land as a
bargaining
chip in the
War Of 1812
between the
UK and
the USWe’ll be
glued to our
screens when
the eight-part
season airsIt’s a spooky
world of
voodoo, ghosts
and flashbacks!