Tom Hardy is one of the most successful actors of his generation. He’s also one of the most enigmatic. While he’s happy to talk about his work, he often shies away from discussing his personal life. Here are 15 things you might not know about Tom Hardy:

1. He was born Edward Thomas Hardy in Hammersmith, London, on September 15, 1977. His mother, Elizabeth Anne (née Bartlett), is a former teacher and social worker, and his father, Chips Hardy, is a novelist and comedy writer.

2. Hardy has two older siblings: Catherine (born c. 1970), who works as a producer, and Alexander “Max” (born 1974), who is a restaurateur.

3. Hardy’s parents divorced when he was 10 and he subsequently lived with his mother and spent time with his father. His mother remarried in 1984 and Hardy took his stepfather’s surname, Chesworth.

4. Hardy was expelled from Reeds School in Surrey for bad behaviour at the age of 15. He then studied painting at Hammersmith and West London College before being accepted into the Drama Centre London.

5. Hardy has said that he “chose acting because it was the only thing I could do that I didn’t hate.” He has also said that he would have been a painter if he hadn’t become an actor.

6. Hardy made his screen debut in the 1998 war film Black Hawk Down. He has since appeared in a number of films, including Star Trek: Nemesis (2002), RocknRolla (2008), Bronson (2008), Inception (2010), Warrior (2011), Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy (2011), Lawless (2012), Locke (2013), The Drop (2014), and Mad Max: Fury Road (2015).

7. Hardy has been married twice. His first marriage, to English actress Sarah Ward, ended in divorce after four years. He married Charlotte Riley in 2014, and the couple have one child together.

8. Hardy is a fan of mixed martial arts and Brazilian jiu-jitsu. He trained with UFC fighter Dan Hardy for his role in Warrior.

9. Hardy is known for his intense and committed approach to his roles. For the film Bronson, he gained two stone (28 pounds) of muscle and spent hours in the gym every day. For the film Locke, he lost two stone (28 pounds) and spent hours in a car on a diet of nothing but tea and cigarettes.

10. Hardy has said that he “doesn’t really do social media” because he doesn’t like the idea of people having access to his personal life. He has also said that he doesn’t like to talk about himself because he finds it “self-indulgent.”

11. Hardy has been nominated for several awards, including an Academy Award, a BAFTA Award, and a Golden Globe Award. He won the Best Actor in a Supporting Role BAFTA Award for his performance in Inception.

12. Hardy is an animal lover and has two dogs, Woody and Max, who often accompany him to red carpet events. He also has a cat named Arthur.

13. Hardy is a supporter of the Labour Party and has said that he would like to see Jeremy Corbyn as Prime Minister.

14. Hardy is a fan of the TV series Game of Thrones and has said that he would like to appear in the show. He has also expressed interest in appearing in the stage adaptation of George RR Martin’s A Song of Ice and Fire books, which Game of Thrones is based on.

15. Hardy has a tattoo of a bluebird on his right shoulder. He has said that the tattoo is a reminder to “be happy.”