Tom Hardy Strips Shirtless, Says He Doesn't 'Feel Very Manly' to 'Esquire' May 2014

Tom Hardy shows off his ripped shirtless abs on the cover of Esquire magazine’s May 2014 issue.

Here’s what the 36-year-old British actor had to share with the mag:

On not being manly: “I have always been frightened with men. To the point where I couldn’t go into a gym because of the testosterone and I felt weak. I don’t feel very manly. I don’t feel rugged and strong and capable in real life, not how I imagine a man ought to be. So I seek it, to mimic it and maybe understand it, or maybe to draw it into my own reality.”

On his past with drugs and alcohol: “I was a shameful suburban statistic. I was told very clearly, ‘You go down that road, Tom, you won’t come back. That’s it. All you need to know.’ And that message stayed with me very clearly for the rest of my days. The beginning, really, of a new life. I couldn’t value life until I risk losing something worth more to me than my behavior. I am f*cking lucky to be here, to be honest. I couldn’t value life until I risked losing something worth more to me than my behavior,” the actor explained. “I am f—ing lucky to be here, to be honest. Any near-death experience – if you’re lucky enough to f—ing realize that it is one – is going to leave an indelible mark on you. And then you add shame and guilt and fear into that, it’s a recipe for awareness if you have the ability to become aware from it. And good things can come back into your life.”

On his rumored feud with Charlize Theron: “That’s disappointing. I think she’s fucking awesome. I think she’s incredible. I think she’s one of the most talented actresses of our generation. But it’s very interesting, the concept of what danger is, and this has nothing to do with Charlize Theron or Mad Max, actually, but this has to do with life in general.”

For more from Tom, visit Esquire.com.