Movie Star Tom Hardy Makes Bleak Admission About The State Of His Health: 'It's All Falling To Bits'

Tom Hardy recently opened up about the toll aging and action roles have taken on his body, citing knee surgeries, back issues, and sciatica.

The 47-year-old also discussed potential treatments like stem cell therapy and tinctures, while staying committed to jiu-jitsu, which he calls humbling and ego-shattering.

In the past, Tom Hardy has talked about his struggles with addiction during his younger years, revealing his journey to sobriety after a turbulent youth.

In an Esquire interview, Hardy shared that he is feeling the weight of middle age, admitting that years of physically demanding roles in action movies are catching up with him.

Opening up about a growing list of health issues, the 47-year-old actor revealed: "I got dizzy today. I took a Sudafed and it's starting to work, so I feel better, but in the interviews, I was sitting there, and you know when you feel not right, but you can't tell someone you don't feel right?"

Hardy, known for throwing himself into intense action roles, listed a string of physical complaints, sharing: "I've had two knee surgeries now, my disc's herniated in my back, I've got sciatica as well."

"And I have that… is it plantar fasciitis? Where did that come from? And why? Why?!" he added with disbelief, "It's like, it's all falling to bits now, and it's not going to get better."

Hardy also spoke about exploring new ways to manage his physical decline. When asked whether he'd consider stem cell therapy, the "Inception" actor said he's open to it.

"I think if it comes down to the wire and it seems the sensible thing to do and I take advice," Hardy noted.

He also mentioned alternative remedies, including personalized homeopathic solutions like tinctures.

Hardy joked about the surreal setting of the interview: "This is the biopsy of where we're at: two vapes, somebody else's clothes, and a hotel room that neither of us feels comfortable in!"

Despite the toll on his body, Hardy remains disciplined with his jiu-jitsu training.

Reflecting on his past attempts to project toughness, he said, "I did the posturing bit of boxing and hitting mitts, and trying to be a bloke. But ultimately I was sort of scared of blokes, because there's so many of them, and there's always one stronger than you."

Hardy went on to reflect on what drew him to jiu-jitsu in the first place.

"You know, somehow you're supposed to be able to look after yourself in this wicked world, but in a numbers game it's not possible to be the strongest," he said. "So eventually I was like, 'Just have a go, who cares who wins.' And of course, I care who wins, but you spend the first couple of years trying to forget it. You're not winning anything. It's very humiliating, in the right way."

Now a purple belt, the "Venom" actor described jiu-jitsu as a "submission sport."

He broke it down: "It's about stopping your opponent. They submit to defeat, or you choke them, shutting off the carotid artery so the blood doesn't go to the brain."

He added, "But once you isolate a limb — an arm or a leg — and put pressure through the joint, and it's correctly applied, you needn't go any further. It's a fait accompli. It's done. You are done. Only your ego will take you any further."

Hardy's journey to the top hasn't been smooth sailing. Before the "Peaky Blinders" actors became one of Hollywood's most magnetic talents, he had turbulent teenage years in London where he frequently clashed with authority and soon developed a serious addiction to alcohol and crack cocaine.

In a 2014 interview with The Mirror, he opened up about the all-consuming nature of his addiction: "If I had four pints of lager and half a bottle of vodka, I could turn this room into an absolute f-cking nightmare in about three minutes. I could destroy everything in my life I have worked so hard for."

After gaining early recognition in "Black Hawk Down" (2001), Hardy shared that he quietly entered rehab, following "Star Trek: Nemesis" in 2002, hoping to regain control.

"I didn't want anyone to know I was out of control, but I couldn't hide it," he said.

Speaking further on his past struggled with addiction, Hardy told The Mirror how he initially intended to stay for a short while in rehab before returning to his drinking habits.

However, he ended up staying for the precise amount he was meant to be there and was able to interact with people going through similar struggles.

Hardy said, "I went in thinking I'd do it for a little bit until I can go out and drink and people forgive me. But I did my 28 days, and after listening to people who had been through similar circumstances, I realized I did have a problem."

He added, "I did something particularly heinous that allowed me to wake up. I had to lose something. Sometimes you have to lose something that is worth more to you than your drinking."