Belloni’s reporting makes it sound like Hardy was just kind of obnoxious. Hardy reportedly clashed with Jez Butterworth and David Glasser throughout the production of MobLand‘s second season, frequently showing up late, asking to give notes on the script, and changing dialogue. Hardy reportedly felt that he was being overshadowed by co-stars Helen Mirren and Pierce Brosnan (which is a reasonable observation) and that the show he was supposed to lead was becoming more of an “ensemble showcase.” Belloni writes that Hardy threatened to quit, and Paramount hit him with a “you can’t quit, we fire you” instead. Hardy’s contract did have the option to leave for the third season if he wanted to.
It’s worth mentioning that a third season of MobLand hasn’t officially been greenlit yet, at least not publicly. Last June, the series was picked up for a second season that hasn’t received any kind of official release date yet. Last month, The Sun reported that Paramount+ had begun preparations for the third season anyway, which is presumably how these conversations about Hardy began. If you want to indulge in some more speculation, the Daily Mail reported around the same time that Hardy wanted to take “a major career break”—one that could reportedly last years—after the second season of MobLand. Reasons given for the sabbatical were both the toll Hardy’s physical roles have taken on his body, and a desire to spend more time with his family.
Keep scrolling for more great stories.