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Emmanuel Itier: How did you approach this movie? Was it like “Spy vs. Spy” in the comic strip from Mad magazine? Did you get inspired a little bit by that?

Tom Hardy: Mad magazine? Oh! With the mice. Is that what you’re talking about?

EI: “Spy vs. Spy.”

TH: No, I didn’t, actually. It was much more, I think, McG called it James Bond versus Bourne. But no, it was just rivalry between the two of us as spies.

EI: How was it working with McG? Tell me about his energy as a director.

TH: McG is a brilliant director for creating an environment of enthusiasm and allowing a space for us to play within – a world and a vision that he has very specific, and he draws upon all kinds of references from films that he’s seen. He’s a huge cinephile, and he says, “This scene is like this from Gone with the Wind, and This scene is like On the Waterfront and this scene here is from “Grease Lightning.” And they all look at him, “Okay, right. Okay cool,” and then try to recreate the world that he wants to recreate, and also live within it. But he’s very supportive of our work.

EI: Was there a specific scene that was more challenging than another?

TH: Not really. Sometimes it was very cold. We shot Vancouver in the winter for an LA summer, so sometimes we were out and it was freezing cold. But apart from that, no, it was fun.

EI: How was working with Reese? Is she as charming as she appears?

TH: Yes, she is. And as talented and as brilliant, and a huge draw to want to work in an action-comedy like This Means War. Like anything, because I’ve watched her career for a long time and I thought, I’d really love to get involved and see how she works and how they work in that genre, so it was an honor to be able to work with her, because I think she’s really the top of her game. Although this is not a romantic comedy – this is an action-comedy, which is a completely different think altogether.

EI: Do you see yourself more the wild type or more the peace and love type?

TH: I’m more the peace and love type. But I can have a tear-up.

EI: What do you think the movie is about, and what would you want to get from This Means War?

TH: I think the movie is about just having fun, and it’s a very light action-comedy which is about a free-spirited, strong, independent woman who is trying to make a choice between two guys she has the choice of. And it puts a woman at the forefront of the story, and the two of us are sort of jumping around, trying to impress her. Not a lot of message [laughs], but a lot of fun.

EI: Have you ever have a time in your life where you had to fight another guy to get the girl?

TH: No, not that I’m aware of. If I want something, I go get it.

EI: This is the year of The Artist. Did you see The Artist?

TH: No. I really want to see it. I’ve actually got it on DVD at home, so I’m gonna go and watch that.

EI: Do you think that Jean Dujardin has a chance to win?

 TH: I hope so, but isn’t he up against Gary Oldman? Because Nick Nolte was in Warrior, Gary Oldman was in Tinker Tailor, and I’m blind faithfully loyal to…I’ll send it to Gary Oldman. [Laughs] So even if he’s better, I’m sorry, f*ck him. It’s got to go to Gary. And this is an action-comedy.