Noomi Rapace and Tom Hardy on 'The Drop' and Their Unusual Bond

Noomi Rapace and Tom Hardy like each other. They really, really like each other.



That's never more apparent in "The Drop," a gangster crime thriller starring the two intense young actors, as well as the late James Gandolfini (his last film). Rapace and Hardy ooze chemistry on-screen, and apparently it translates into real life as well.



Moviefone Canada spoke to them at the Toronto Film Festival, where they revealed that they actually look for movies starring each other. Hardy also talked about working with Gandolfini, and the two buddies reminisced about being on-set of "The Drop" together.



(Hardy was a bit late to the party -- but he showed up about 10 minutes into the interview.)



Moviefone Canada: Let's talk about that blonde hair. Is that for a movie role? [Noomi's hair is platinum blonde with pink streaks]

Noomi Rapace: [Laughs] I went dirty blonde for "Child 44," which I also did with Tom [Hardy] as well; I played a Russian. Then I met with the director for my next film, and he loved me as a blonde, and he wanted to go full platinum. So it's for my next movie.



"The Drop" takes place in Brooklyn in winter. Did you actually shoot there?

NR: Yes. Well, I love being on location. It gives you so much to absorb. You get so much from the environment and the people. I love to go out and sit in cafes, just walk around - feel it, smell it. When you're locked up in a studio you have to imagine more. For me, to discover the Bronx, Brooklyn, that side of New York, I loved it. I actually worked a bit at an animal rescue centre in Queens. All three of us - Matthias [Schoenaerts ], Tom and I - really enjoyed being there.



Are you a pet person?

NR: I grew up on a farm and we had lots of horse. My best friend was a dog, Krummi, and then he died on me - he was hit by a car when I was 11. He broke my heart, and I was like, "I'll never survive this again." I've kind of closed my heart a little bit to pets.



You obviously got along with Tom Hardy, since you're in this subsequent film with him. What was your relationship like while filming this movie?

NR: We tried to find a project for two years together before this came along. We were approached by a director for another project, so we met over that. Neither of us did that one in the end, but we started to talk and I think we connected strongly straight away. I love his work. I was a big fan, and he was a big fan of my work. I read "Animal Rescue" [the book "The Drop" is based on] before they sent the script to Tom, and I remember texting him saying, "This could be it! This could be something for us!" He read it and he loved it, and we did it! Then we went straight into "Child 44" afterwards.



Is it because you're both similar types of actors?

NR: Umm ... yeah. We're both very passionate and we both work very hard. What we have in common is we approach every single character in its own way. There's no formula, there's no recipe that will always work. Tom was very different working on "The Drop" than he was as Leo in "Child 44." He had completely different personalities, on- and off-set. He doesn't know that, though. [Laughs] I think we have that in common: it will affect us, colour us and stain us. The character is still living with me, even though I'm trying to shake her off. I think it goes very deep in both of us.



[Tom Hardy arrives]



Tom Hardy: Whatever she's saying, she's lying! [Laughs]



Noomi was just talking about how you're both absorbed by your characters...

NR: I basically said that you change a lot, depending on who you're playing.



TH: You talked about adopting a ghost persona to your character. You have to sort of stay neutral, then tweak to fit your character, and then you hone it to a certain degree. I try to change up every single character so that there's a distinguishable difference, for two reasons: one, I love trying to transform, and two, I think it's always good to keep shifting, to offer more with the work.



NR: From the first time I saw you, one of the things I've most admired is you're not driven by vanity. You would never make a decision ...



TH: Well, I am. [Laughs]



NR: No, listen to me! Most actors ... it's difficult to let go of your vanity and for me, someone who can transform like you - like me ... it's like, what do I need to do? Gain weight, lose weight? Shave my head? Dye my hair platinum blonde? Beautiful, ugly, I don't care. And you have that too. That, for me, is very liberating.



This movie was fascinating in that I could never quite figure out Tom's character, Bob.

TH: Neither could I. [Laughs] I think he hides behind a kind of ["Of Mice and Men"] Lenny persona. We underestimate him, and you'd write him off as this "special" guy. He's the guy we don't really know. That's a good camouflage for him. I wondered if maybe I overplayed that aspect...



NR: It starts with a closed door. You would kind of move away from your fragile you, and it was interesting to see Bob unfold. Sometimes I saw it crack into something else, almost like a broken mirror, and then you see a new angle.



Tom, what do you remember about James Gandolfini?

TH: We would laugh a lot. This is my personal way of referencing him. The New York or Chicago rehearsal room, in the theatre, is where I've met a specific kind of actor and artist. Predominantly this kind of actor comes from the east coast. These people are very talented, beautiful, sensitive and vulnerable. They're serious about the "work." I didn't know Jimmy in a social setting, but he was one of those artists. He was a very specific person.



NR: He was real.



TH: He was full of heart. With Jimmy, I couldn't pull myself back together. He made me laugh, he was so on the ball, and he was so funny.



"The Drop" opens in theatres today.

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