Meet Tom Hardy's very famous wife - who you'll definitely recognise

Tom Hardy is widely considered one of the best British film stars of the 21st century thanks to his stellar acting career. The 48-year-old has a variety of acclaimed films and TV shows on his CV, including Bronson, Warrior, Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy, Mad Max: Fury Road and Taboo. 

Most recently, Tom starred in Guy Ritchie's gritty crime drama, MobLand, which follows the "kill-or-be-killed battle" battle between two warring London crime families.

© Paramount

But did you know that the Venom star isn't the only famous face in his family? The actor is married to actress Charlotte Riley, who has starred in Wuthering Heights, Peaky Blinders, Trust and London Has Fallen. 

The couple tied the knot in 2014 before going on to welcome two children. Find out all about their love story below…

Who is Charlotte Riley?

Like her husband Tom, the British beauty has a career in the acting world. Born in County Durham, Charlotte was a pupil at Teesside High School and attended St Cuthbert's Durham University, where she graduated with a degree in English and Linguistics. In 2005, she also attended the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art for two years.

© Mike Marsland

How did Charlotte and Tom meet?

The Hollywood power couple met on the set of the TV adaptation of the literary classic Wuthering Heights in 2009. The lovebirds became engaged a year later. It's believed Tom and Charlotte married in secret in the south of France at the 18th-century castle Chateau de Roussan in 2014. "It was a beautiful, low-key day made even more special because they just had their closest friends and family around them," a source told The Sun at the time.

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In an interview with The Times in March this year, Charlotte recalled the moment she met her "cheeky-chappy" husband. "He made me a really decent cup of tea. Strong. There's not much point if the spoon doesn’t stand up," she said. "And he told me that his mother was northern. So I thought, all right then. When somebody can give as good as they get, you know you're in for a good time."

HELLO!'s TV & Film Editor, Emmy Griffiths, explains that their Wuthering Heights roles cemented the pair as one of the UK's most interesting power couples.

"Ever since they played opposite one another as Heathcliff and Cathy in Wuthering Heights, Tom Hardy and Charlotte Riley have been THAT couple. After all, what can you say about a pair who play wild, passionate soulmates who then actually fall in love and get together in real life?," she says.

"Both with a host of blockbusters to their name while continuing to co-star together, most notably in Peaky Blinders, Tom and Charlotte can go ahead and take their place as a Duke and Duchess of Hollywood royal couples."

Do the couple have any children?

The couple are doting parents to two young children. They reportedly welcomed their first child, a daughter, in 2015, and their second, a son, in 2019, who was named Forrest after Tom Hanks' character in Forrest Gump.

Tom is also a father to a son named Louis, 18, from a previous relationship. 

© David Fisher/Shutterstock

Tom has previously opened up to HELLO! about the impact his children have had on his life. "Being a father has given me the kind of purpose that makes you think more carefully about how you live your life," he said. "I made a lot of mistakes and I put my mum and dad through a lot because they were so worried about me. I take great pride in being a father and make sure I'm there for him and helping him as he makes his way in the world."

Tom Hardy: 5 top roles

Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy (2011) 

Amongst a huge cast, Tom stood out playing Ricki Tarr, a low-level field agent who happens to be quite the charmer.

Locke (2013)

 Tom plays British construction manager Ivan Locke, and the entire film is a shot of him sitting at the wheel of his car, talking to important people on his mobile.

The Revenant (2015)

Tom Hardy's first Academy Award nomination was for his role as Fitzgerald, the villainous trapper, alongside Leonardo DiCaprio.

Mad Max: Fury Road (2015) 

Action star, Max Rockatansky, was a big shoe for Tom to fill, but he made the character his own. 

Legend (2015) 

Tom plays the Kray twins in this crime epic drama about the famous, notorious real-life gangsters.

In 2018, Charlotte touched upon her family life being juggled with her career. "What’s important for me is stability – that’s what I aim for in terms of my friends, my family and my children," she told You magazine. "The best you can hope for is to create a warm, loving, safe and consistent environment." She added: "We do it the same way everyone else does: a combination of juggling and help."

Other acting credentials

Since playing Cathy and Heathcliff together in the ITV period drama, Charlotte and Tom have also starred together on the TV series Peaky Blinders, where she played racehorse-training socialite May Carleton. She also appeared on stage with Diana Rigg and Maureen Lipman in Chekhov's The Cherry Orchard and in the 2008 film of Noël Coward's Easy Virtue. Other movie roles include Tom Cruise's 2014 sci-fi action film Edge of Tomorrow and In the Heart of the Sea.

© BBC/Hat Trick Productions

Her recent TV credits include Press, Babies, Smoggie Queens, Masters of the Universe and Trying.