Pierce Brosnan and Helen Mirren Say They Were “Blindsided” by Tom Hardy Reports: “Without Tom, We Don’t Have ‘MobLand'”

Pierce Brosnan and Helen Mirren are pushing back on previous reports of tension surrounding their MobLand co-star Tom Hardy.

Following speculation earlier this summer that Hardy’s future on the Paramount+ crime drama was unclear after alleged clashes with producers during production on its second season, Brosnan and Mirren spoke with The Hollywood Reporter on Tuesday and defended the actor.

Brosnan says he first learned of the reports from one of his sons, who sent him a text while the actor was away on vacation.

“I think we’re all blindsided by it, really. It was my son who sent me the text one morning. I was away on vacation, and I couldn’t believe it. I reached out to Tom, saying, ‘I love you, mate. I love you.’ And he and I, you know, we communicate. He’s a painter. I’m a painter. Both actors. But anyway, just to say, ‘I’m there. We’re there. We love you.’ So for me, it was kind of a storm in a teacup,” he tells THR.

The MobLand controversy stemmed from reports in several outlets that claimed Hardy could be fired over alleged unprofessional behavior on the set of the show’s second season, including claims that he made cast and crew members wait for hours while he remained in his trailer. The Hollywood Reporter did not report that Hardy was being fired, but a source close to the situation previously described on-set behavior complaints and that his future on the series was in limbo.

“He refused to come out of his trailer for hours at a time,” the source told THR about Hardy’s alleged on-set behavior during season two, adding that the actor “kept the cast waiting” and characterizing it as “a power play.”

Days after reports of the alleged tension broke in May, Mirren came to Hardy’s defense on Instagram, posting a photo of the actor and writing, “Love you now and always.”

Speaking with THR ahead of the show’s return, Mirren further defended the Venom star, explaining why she felt compelled to speak out.

“We live in the world of being talked about and interviewed in newspapers and so on and so forth. Pierce and I have both had many years of this and experience of it,” Mirren says. “False rumors just should be knocked on the head, ASAP, which is why I did my post about Tom, not for Tom, but my absolutely genuine love of Tom.”

She adds: “You know, it’s par for the course, and it’s important, especially in a show like this where we are all so mutually supportive of each other. Very often the actors get blamed for this sort of thing, and if there is a rumor, the immediate sort of blame can fall on actors. That’s usually completely unfair.”

Created by Guy Ritchie, MobLand follows the conflict between two rival London crime families: the Harrigans, led by Irish patriarch Conrad (Brosnan) and his strategic wife, Maeve (Mirren), and the Stevensons, led by Richie Stevenson (Geoff Bell). Hardy plays Harry Da Souza, the Harrigan family’s loyal fixer, who faces an increasingly dangerous situation in season two as the Harrigans struggle to maintain a united front while rising rivals threaten their criminal empire.

The series also stars Paddy Considine, Joanne Froggatt, Lara Pulver, Anson Boon, Mandeep Dhillon, Jasmine Jobson, Teddie Allen, Emmett J. Scanlan, Johnny Flynn, Ophelia Lovibond, Janet McTeer and Toby Jones.

Earlier this month, Paramount+ announced that MobLand was renewed for a third season, with Hardy set to return. And even the possibility of Hardy not returning was never something she considered: “We’re not even contemplating that. That’s not a part of any sort of contemplation whatsoever.

“He is the anchor of this mad whirlwind happening around that character,” Mirren continues.

“Tom is MobLand. Without Tom, we don’t have MobLand,” Brosnan adds. “He is the center. He allows us to play these crazy characters.”

New episodes of the 10-episode second season of MobLand premiere Sept. 18 on Paramount+ and will stream weekly on Fridays, leading up to the season finale on Nov. 20. Check out all of THR’s coverage here.