Bearded and shirtless Tom Hardy covers May issue of Esquire

A bearded, shirtless Tom Hardy covers the May issue of Esquire in advance of his new film Locke.

Surprisingly, Hardy says he's not the rough and touch he-man  he plays in many of his roles:

"I have always been frightened with men," Hardy said. "To the point where I couldn't go into a gym because of the testosterone and I felt weak."

"I don't feel very manly," he continued. "I don't feel rugged and strong and capable in real life, not how I imagine a man ought to be. So I seek it, to mimic it and maybe understand it, or maybe to draw it into my own reality.

"People who are scary, they terrify me, but I can imitate them."
The actor opened up about ‘not feeling manly.’ Greg Williams The actor opened up about ‘not feeling manly’ among othe men in the gym.

"I'm not a fighter. I'm a petit little bourgeois boy from London," he added. "I don't fight, I mimic."

Tom also talks frankly about substance abuse issues he faced earlier in life:

"I am f---ing lucky to be here, to be honest. Any near-death experience — if you're lucky enough to f---ing realize that it is one — is going to leave an indelible mark on you. And then you add shame and guilt and fear into that, it's a recipe for awareness if you have the ability to become aware from it. And good things can come back into your life."

(via NY Daily News)