Tom Hardy revealed why he didn't feel good as Bane in The Dark Knight Rises

While we may watch the biggest blockbusters from the comfort of our own home, those involved push their bodies to extraordinary lengths.

The likes of Dwayne 'The Rock' Johnson and Chris Hemsworth come to mind when it comes to intense workout dedication - and even attempting some in-movie workouts can be a bit of tough.

But the older you get, that type of effort to complete wide stunts and be in tip-top shape can take its toll.

And one of Tom Hardy's most loved performances took more out of him that most people would expect, though.

The British legend was cast by veteran film director Christopher Nolan in 2012 to play Bane in the film The Dark Knight Rises.

At the time, it was reported the 46-year-old had added an incredible 30lbs (13.6kg) to his frame to play the musclebound psycho.

In an old interview, Hardy opened up about the transformation process, admitting that he didn't feel good putting on all the extra weight, but said feeling was ‘not the point’.

He said: “If we look closely, if we really study the photographs, I was really overweight. I ate a lot, and you know, I was not much heavier than I am now but I just ate a lot more pizza.

“It took three or four months of training and lifting and eating lots of pizza. And, it wasn’t great for my heart.”

Warner Bros. Pictures

When asked if he felt good, he replied: “Not really, no. But that’s not the point - the point was to look as big as possible.”

His new build piqued the interest of fans, who were keen to see how he would portray the comic book villain.

And the Bronson star had previously revealed that he was upset by the reaction from some who expected him to be even bigger for the role.

In an interview with CineMovie, Hardy said: "I'm at 190. [lbs] Bat-fans want me to be over 220lbs. 400lbs. I'm like dude!

"Batman is like Superman, Spider-Man - he belongs to so many people. So many people love him. He belongs to them, and when you step into that kind of character, you are going to fail. And be judged.

Warner Bros.

"I'm human, and I do read things. I read the comments, and I cry. I can't cry for everybody. I just give them a job, and be the best that I can be.

"Just trust me. I trust Nolan."

A few years ago, Hardy said that as he's got older, he's become more conscious of the kinds of stress he puts on his body.

“I think you pay the price with any drastic physical changes,” he told the Daily Beast in 2017.

"It was alright when I was younger, to put myself under that kind of duress, but I think as you get into your 40s you have to be more mindful of the rapid training, packing on a lot of weight and getting physical, and then not having enough time to keep training because you’re busy filming, so your body is swimming in two different directions at the same time."