Tom Hardy has bought a £2 million mansion in the same neighborliness as Sir Mick Jagger and Richard Ashcroft

Tom Hardy

The 'Dark Knight Rises' star is said to be in "good company " with his rock and roll neighbors - with The Rolling Stones and The Verve musicians living "just up the road" from his new south west London property.

A source said: "Tom's going to keep good company among the rock elite - Mick and Richard are literally both just up the road.

"He'll have his work cut out before any entertaining starts, though, as it needs a fair bit of work. It's a stunning property with a huge ballroom, which he's up for renovating."

The 35-year-old actor has plans to renovate the property for his and fiancee Charlotte Riley's son Louis, four, when he's older.

He also reportedly wants to call it Manderley after the manor in 'Rebecca', the thriller starring Tom's "hero" Sir Laurence Olivier.

An insider told The Sun on Sunday newspaper: "Naming it Manderley is fitting because Lawrence Olivier is one of his heroes.

"He's planning to make it a home for his son Louis but it's not known whether he will live there on his own or not yet."

Tom Hardy and his fiancée Charlotte Riley write love letters to each other "most days" when they are apart

Tom Hardy and his fiancée Charlotte Riley

The 'Dark Knight Rises' star and the 'All You Need is Kill' actress have a rule in their relationship whereby they must see each other at least every two weeks when they are away filming, but they love to correspond by putting pen to paper rather than use modern forms of communication such as email or phone calls.

She said: "I've always been a keen letter writer and so Tom and I write to each other most days when we are apart - or at least every other day."

While the 31-year-old beauty feels "very honored" to be a stepmother to Tom's four-year-old son Louis - who he had with ex-girlfriend Rachael Speed - she is keen to take their relationship one step further and have "lots" of children of her own with the 35-year-old actor.

Charlotte - who met Tom in 2008 when they were both filming the TV adaptation of novel 'Wuthering Heights' - added to You magazine: "Hell, yes. I want babies, lots of them. Definitely, absolutely definitely.

"Louis is four and the most incredible, intelligent, creative little human being I have ever met - he is amazing. I feel very honored to be his step mum."

Emma Stone was "arrogantly confident" she would end up an actress.

Tom Hardy was fascinated by the "female" side of his "Lawless" character

Tom Hardy

The actor plays bare-knuckle boxing bootlegger Forrest Bondurant in the forthcoming movie - which also stars Shia LaBeouf, Guy Pearce and Gary Oldman - and though he admits he has to depict some "horrific" behaviors, he signed on for the role because of Forrest's "caring" nature.

He explained: "He does some pretty horrific things. From cutting people's testicles off to using knuckledusters. And yet this is a man who also mothers two boys, his brothers. He has to feed them, look after them, he doesn't drink. He's a carer.

"He's a specific type of man. What interested me was the female role in this guy. And what the nature of violence is to men. Non-egotistical violence, non-macho violence. Violence from within the cardigan."

Tom has grown a beard for the movie, and while he isn't bothered about his new look, he admits it does have some drawbacks.

He added to Esquire magazine: "I have to grow a beard for the character. It's really ginger and wild. But I don't give a f**k about it, personally.

"My fiancee doesn't give a f**k about it. She'd like to have my lips back and I'd like to feel hers.

"But on the whole, the beard is welcomed by a lot of people."

Here's the trailer for "Lawless":

'The Dark Knight Rises' star Tom Hardy feels "sad" that he doesn't see more of his son

Tom Hardy as Bain in "Dark Knight Rises"

The actor regrets the fact he doesn't get to spend as much time with four-year-old Louis - his child with ex-girlfriend Rachel Speed - as he would like because of his film work.

Despite his guilt, Tom - who stars as villain Bane in new Batman film 'The Dark Knight Rises' - knows his successful career has many benefits for his child.

He said: "My little boy lives mostly with his mum and I see him when I can.

"I'm very much aware of being a 'Skype father', which is sad. But I have to have the finances to make sure he'll be secure and I can only do that by working."

Tom, 34, also admits it is tough finding the time to see his fiancee, actress Charlotte Riley, because of his filming commitments.

He added: "I like to go no longer than three weeks without seeing my loved ones but it does take some juggling. My fiancee is an actress, too, so quite often she goes to the other side of the globe while I go to the other."

However, the 'War Horse' star has vowed to do anything he can to make his loved ones happy.

He told Company magazine: "I'm prepared to go to any sort of counseling or therapy in order to keep my feet on the ground and clean up my act to be in a relationship.

"I'll do anything to be both a better boyfriend and a better father. That sounds worthy, doesn't it? But it's what I believe I have to do."

"Inception" and "Dark Knight Rising" star Tom Hardy is set to swap movies for musicals

Tom Brady

The 'Lawless' actor has revealed he's closely involved in the development of a new stage production called 'Harold's Harem', which he will star in.

Tom - who will appear in this year's latest Batman film, 'The Dark Knight Rises' -  describes the musical as a "crazy piece of work" and he can't wait to get started on the project.

Speaking about his character, he told the Daily Mail newspaper: "Harold's a cross between two guys Robert De Niro has played in Martin Scorsese films, 'The King of Comedy' and 'Taxi Driver'.

"Think of 'Taxi Driver' as a Bollywood movie and 'Harold's Harem' is somewhere where all those - 'The King of Comedy', 'Taxi Driver' and 'Bollywood' - meet."

However, Tom was coy when asked if he would be singing and dancing in the production, saying: "It's not a traditional musical."

He added that he thought it would be a serious piece more in the vein of the Civil Rights breakthrough musical 'Caroline Or Change' that transferred from New York to London's National Theatre in 2003.

Tom said when and where the show would be produced was still being debated.

"Dark Knight Rises" actor Tom Hardy worries he is a "Skype father" - VIDEO

Tom Hardy, who plays Bane in "Dark Knight Rises"

The 'Dark Knight Rises' actor has four-year-old son Louis with ex-partner Rachel Speed, and he admits he is concerned he is not with his child often enough, but knows he has to be away to secure his financial future.

He said: "I am very much aware of being a Skype father, which is really sad sometimes. But one reason I'm away so often is to secure enough finances, so that in the future I can choose to go away for shorter periods and command enough money to bring my family with me.

"At the moment I'm just doing what I have to do. And my little boy does have consistency because when I'm away he lives with his mother and her husband."

Now, the British actor is away from his homeland so much he considers the US his home.

He added to Britain's HELLO! magazine: "The more regularly I travel to America, the more like home it becomes. New York is a home and Los Angeles is definitely a home.

"The only thing is that every three years I have to get my visa renewed in order to work here. And because I was such a very naughty boy, I have to go back to the American Embassy every time and I apologize for things I did when I was 12."

Here's the trailer for Dark Knight Rises:

'Warrior' and 'Inception' actor Tom Hardy wants to put his dog's ashes in a pillow

Tom Hardy

The 'Warrior' actor's beloved pet pooch recently passed away, and he and his three-year-old son Louis have been debating exactly what to do with the remains and Tom has been contemplating creating a cremation cushion.
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He said: "My dog and son recognise me no matter what. Actually, my dog's dead now so he won't. We had him cremated. There's a cardboard box of his ashes on our sofa that we're working out what to do with. I might put him in a pillow."

As well as having strong feelings about his departed canine companion, Tom – who is engaged to actress Charlotte Riley – admits eh is very loyal to his loved ones and he will "protect" anyone he cares about "to the death".

In an interview with Marie Claire magazine, he explained: "There are two things that are great in my life. One is my family and the other is my work, and I will protect both to the death."