Charlotte Riley praises husband Tom Hardy for pursuing passion for jiu-jitsu

Charlotte Riley has praised her actor husband Tom Hardy for “taking time out from the industry” and pursuing his passion for jiu-jitsu.

The 40-year-old British actress has been married since 2014 to Hardy, who is a blue belt in the Brazilian martial art.

Speaking at the British Film Institute (BFI) Luminous fundraising gala, Riley told the PA news agency: “In our industry your one passion can completely consume you.

“I think it’s really important for young people who are coming into this, it’s really important that your job is your job, at the end of the day.

“Yes, it’s art, but it’s also a job. It’s really important to keep your sanity, to not be consumed by the world of making stories.

“So having something that’s a completely different outlet, like jiu-jitsu, like photography, whatever it is – it’s really important to leading and actually pursuing completely different things, taking time out from the industry.”

Hardy, 45, who is known for often playing tough roles on screen such as Alfie Solomons in Peaky Blinders and Bane in The Dark Knight Rises, developed his jiu-jitsu skills while filming for 2011 movie Warrior.

In the film Hardy played Tommy, a former marine and the son of an alcoholic ex-boxer who gets his father to train him for competition in a mixed martial arts tournament.

Riley told PA: “Whatever age you are or wherever you are in your career, it’s really important because you bring back what you learn in life into your storytelling, whether that’s as an actor, a writer, a director, whatever it might be.

“And so I think life experiences for people in the industry and going and doing other things is really important and, yeah, good on him!”

Hardy competed in an open jiu-jitsu tournament in Wolverhampton last month, and last week won a gold medal in the Milton Keynes Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Open after winning both his fights.

He is also a trustee for charity Reorg, which organised the Wolverhampton tournament and promotes the therapeutic benefits of jiu-jitsu to those who have serious, life-altering injuries, or who are suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder and depression.

In a recent Instagram post about his connection with Reorg, Hardy wrote: “Simple training, for me (as a hobby and a private love ) has been fundamentally key to further develop a deeper sense of inner resilience, calm and well being.

“I can’t stress the importance it has had and the impact on my life and my fellow teammates.”