Hardy: 'Bronson isn't a monster'

Tom Hardy has admitted to growing fond of Britain's most violent prisoner Charles Bronson.

The British actor, who plays the criminal in this week's biopic Bronson, told This Morning that he refused to judge the man he was portraying.

"Over the past four years I was speaking to him two or three times a week," Hardy said. "I grew very fond of him actually. He's a very articulate, gentle, funny and clever man.

"I had to put his past and facts behind him and my job was to study, observe and reflect a man who was in front of me. There was no judgement from me, and I wanted to get as close to his characteristics and hear as many of his stories as I could to help my performance."

Hardy acknowledged that coming face-to-face with Bronson, who was jailed in 1974 for a failed armed robbery and had his sentence extended for repeated violent offences in prison, was a "very odd situation".

"I wanted to get as much out of him in terms of his reactions to my questions," Hardy added. "His mother said I am always welcome at her house, and she is lovely. I obviously can't speak for any of his victims and I can only speak of my personal experiences.

"The man I met wasn't a monster - massive anger problems yes, and hugely charismatic, but very insightful and interesting."