Watch Tom Hardy's Audition For Bane STARK TREK: NEMESIS

Before he became one of the most sought after actors in Hollywood (with roles in the likes of Bronson, Inception and This Means War), Tom Hardy played Praetor Shinzon, the villainous clone of Jean-Luc Picard (Patrick Stewart) in Star Trek: Nemesis. The following audition tape which has recently surfaced online, shows that his audition for the 2002 film was a little different to the final version. However, it should definitely seem at least a little familiar to those of you who have seen his fantastic performance as Bane in The Dark Knight Rises. In Christopher Nolan's final Batman film, the British actor had to rely on his eyes and voice to portray the masked villain, and if you watch closely, you can definitely see and hear early signs of his take on the classic comic book baddie who broke the Bat. Check it out below and sound off with your thoughts in the usual place.

Warner Bros. Pictures’ and Legendary Pictures’ "The Dark Knight Rises" is the epic conclusion to filmmaker Christopher Nolan’s Batman trilogy. The screenplay is written by Christopher Nolan and Jonathan Nolan, story by Christopher Nolan & David S. Goyer. The film is produced by Emma Thomas, Christopher Nolan and Charles Roven, who previously teamed on “Batman Begins” and the record-breaking blockbuster "The Dark Knight." The executive producers are Benjamin Melniker, Michael E. Uslan, Kevin De La Noy and Thomas Tull, with Jordan Goldberg serving as co-producer. The film is based upon characters appearing in comic books published by DC Comics. Batman was created by Bob Kane.