Rehearsals begin today for Goodman Theatre's world-premiere production of The Long Red Road by Brett C. Leonard, directed by Philip Seymour Hoffman, February 13 - March 14, 2010 in the Goodman's Owen Theatre. London's acclaimed stage and screen actor Tom Hardy (pictured at left, bio appears below) makes his U.S. and Chicago theater debut in the complex central role of Sam-a character the playwright penned specifically with Hardy in mind-whose hard-drinking does little to quell the devastating memories of a past that haunts him. Joining Hardy in The Long Red Road's cast of six are Marcos Akiaten (The Legend of Hell's Gate); Greta Honold (The Wild Duck at Court Theatre); Chris McGarry (National Tour of Doubt, Salome on Broadway, with Al Pacino); Fiona Robert (High School Musical 2 at Circle Theatre) and Katy Sullivan (a former Goodman intern). Hardy appears with the permission of Actors' Equity Association, which the Goodman gratefully acknowledges for its assistance with this production. Support of new work development is provided by Harold and Mimi Steinberg Charitable Trust.
"Philip and I are extremely excited about premiering this play at the Goodman, about the terrific cast and design team and especially thrilled and thankful that Equity has enabled Tom to make his Chicago and U.S. stage debut," said Playwright Brett C. Leonard, "a passionately engaged writer with a poetic soul, a gift for bristling dialogue, a pitch-black comic sensibility and an almost Orwellian view of the world" (Chicago Sun-Times). "He's a brilliant actor, one of the best there is. I sat down to write this play with him in mind. I'm happy it all worked out."
Adds Philip Seymour Hoffman, who makes his Chicago directorial debut with The Long Red Road, "To be in Chicago directing Brett Leonard's heartbreaking play under the guidance of Bob Falls is beyond exciting and daunting and wonderful. I'm grateful everyone at the Goodman made it possible for Tom to jump the pond and be with us. Chris, and Greta and Fiona and Marcos and Katy-all incredibly gifted actors-round out a cast that this play deserves and demands."
Tom Hardy's London stage credits include Blood and In Arabia, We'd All Be Kings at The Royal Court Theatre and New Hampstead Theatre, for which he received the London Evening Standard Theatre Award for Outstanding Newcomer and a nomination for The Laurence Olivier Award for Most Promising Newcomer. Other stage credits include The Man of Mode (National Theatre), Festen (Almeida) and Roger and Vanessa (Latchmere). Film and television credits include the roles of Heathcliff and Bill Sykes in the Masterpiece Classic retellings of Wuthering Heights and Oliver Twist, Guy Ritchie's RocknRolla, The Take, The Virgin Queen, Layer Cake, Thick as Thieves, Blackhawk Down, Band of Brothers, Scenes of a Sexual Nature, Colditz, Gideon's Daughter, Sucker Punch, Minotaur, Star Trek: Nemesis, Cape Wrath and his BAFTA Best Actor-nominated titular performance in Stuart: A Life Backwards. His highly acclaimed performance as Charlie Bronson in Nicolas Winding Refn's Bronson won him Best Actor honors at this year's British Independent Film Awards, as well as a London Critics' Circle nomination for British Actor of the Year. Hardy is Co-Artistic Director (with Brett C. Leonard and Kelly Marcel) of the newly formed Bad Dog Theatre Company in London.
