I had a privileged upbringing but I f***** everything up with crime and drugs, says Peaky Blinders star Tom Hardy

TOM Hardy has candidly told how he “f***** up” his privileged life “with crime and drugs” before becoming sober for good.

The Peaky Blinders actor, 44, who plays Alfie Solomons in the hit drama, checked himself into rehab in 2003.

RexTom Hardy has candidly told how he ‘f***** up’ his privileged suburban life with ‘crime and drugs’ prior to his stint in rehab[/caption]

RexThe Hollywood star previously told how he was a ‘lunatic’ in his teens before he checked into rehab in 2003[/caption]

His journey to sobriety came after his realisation he could “destroy everything” if he had too much to drink.

Dad-of-one Tom told the Daily Mirror in 2017: “If I had four pints of lager and half a bottle of vodka I could turn this room into an absolute f***ing nightmare in about three minutes.

“I could destroy everything in my life I have worked so hard for.”

His alcohol and substance issues came after he told of a “privileged and peaceful” upbringing in East Sheen, south west London.

Yet the Krays star believes this in part sparked his rebellious streak and downfall, and added to the publication: “It’s the suburbs, the life is so privileged and peaceful and so bloody dull, it gives you the instinctive desire to want to f**k everything up.

“I got arrested at 15 for joyriding in a stolen Mercedes. And for good measure there was a gun in the car.

“I just had to endanger myself – it was a kind of self-harming.”

Tom has previously said of his teens: “I was an obnoxious, trouble-making lunatic.”

The star was spotted at drama school and signed up for Steven Spielberg’s TV series Band Of Brothers.

It was his big break, but Tom was still in the throes of a chronic drug and alcohol addiction.

He said: “I would have sold my mother for a rock of crack . . . The police would come, people would beat me up, but it never killed me so I was like, ‘All right, what else you got?’”

‘BOG STANDARD ALCOHOLIC’

More recently, he opened up on his past as he hailed himself a “bog standard alcoholic” and told how he took inspiration from his demons for new movie, Venom.

Tom was interviewed with co-star Riz Ahmed, and told Good Morning Britain‘s Richard Arnold: “For me obviously I am a bog standard alcoholic, for my whole life, in recovery as it were.

“There are elements of that which I go, ‘OK, that’s my inside voice.’ Normally I would act out on that, but that’s not good for me as a human being.

“But this isn’t me, this is a superhero entity thing. I can see the symbolism there.”

PEAKY RETURN

Tom Hardy fans can rejoice as it was confirmed he will be in the sixth and final season of Peaky Blinders.

When the BBC show revealed their official trailer for series 6, Tom’s character Alfie was shown.

The short clip shows Tommy Shelby (Cillian Murphy) walking through Solomons’ old rum distillery.

Alfie emerges from the shadows, and Tommy says: “Alfie, I think I may have written your final act.”

Tom Hardy’s Alfie first appeared on Peaky Blinders in season 2 as the leader of the Jewish gang in London.

After forming an alliance with the Peaky Blinders to oust the local Italian gang, Alfie and Tommy developed a friendly rivalry that progresses into betrayal.

Their rivalry appeared to culminate in the season 4 finale when Tommy shoots Alfie in the face following another double-cross.

But the season 5 finale revealed that Alfie was alive, but was heavily scarred following the shooting.

Fans are speculating there is one big reason that Tommy is seeking Alfie’s help in Peaky Blinders season 6.

They think he is still planning to take on the fascist party leader, Oswald Mosley (Sam Claflin).

Fans think, despite their history of betrayals, Alfie is actually the perfect person to help Tommy fight such a powerful enemy.

Getty – ContributorHis wild behaviour and drug issue saw him arrested at 15 and he later told of his ‘self harming’ streak[/caption]

GettyTom, 44, used some of his former demons to inspire his performance in new movie Venom[/caption]

BBCDad of one Tom will return as Alfie Solomons for the final Peaky Blinders season[/caption]