2002's Star Trek: Nemesis was the last big-screen Trek adventure to feature The Next Generation crew, and focused on Captain Jean Luc Picard's encounter with his clone, who was initially created by the Romulans for the purpose of replacing Picard with an agent to infiltrate Starfleet.
The movie was not very well-received by fans, and ended up being a critical and commercial failure, but it is notable for being one of the first feature outings for Tom Hardy as Picard's clone, Shinzon.
In his new memoir, “Making It So,” Sir Patrick Stewart shares his blunt thoughts on Nemesis (which he was not overly fond of), as well as his "odd" co-star.
“Nemesis, which came out in 2002, was particularly weak,” Stewart writes. “I didn’t have a single exciting scene to play, and the actor who portrayed the movie’s villain, Shinzon, was an odd, solitary young man from London. His name was Tom Hardy.”
“Tom wouldn’t engage with any of us on a social level,” he added. “Never said, ‘Good morning,’ never said, ‘Goodnight,’ and spent the hours he wasn’t needed on set in his trailer with his girlfriend. He was by no means hostile — it was just challenging to establish any rapport with him.”
“On the evening Tom wrapped his role, he characteristically left without ceremony or niceties, simply walking out of the door,” Stewart continued. “As it closed, I said quietly to Brent [Spiner] and Jonathan [Frakes], ‘And there goes someone I think we shall never hear of again.’ It gives me nothing but pleasure that Tom has proven me so wrong.”
Hardy, of course, went on to become a household name with lead roles in the likes of Bronson, The Dark Knight Rises, and Mad Max: Fury Road, but the actor has spoken in the past about feeling enormous pressure while filming Nemesis, which he viewed as his big break.
When the movie tanked, he sank into depression, turning to drugs and alcohol and even considering suicide. Taking his part so seriously could certainly explain why Hardy came across somewhat aloof while shooting Nemesis, but that's just one theory.
It'll be interesting to see if Hardy has any response
.
"Capt. Jean-Luc Picard (Patrick Stewart) diverts the starship Enterprise from its scheduled trip to Cmdr. Riker (Jonathan Frakes) and Counselor Troi's (Marina Sirtis) wedding to negotiate a peace treaty with the Romulans. Picard is shocked when Shinzon (Tom Hardy), the new Praetor of the Romulans, admits to being a clone of him. When the crew members discover a break-in on their computer, they are forced into a life-or-death battle to stop Shinzon's Warbird before it can destroy the Earth."