Tom Hardy didn't just play a gangster in 2015. He played two. Most people remember Legend for the gimmick—Hardy starring opposite himself as the infamous Kray twins—but looking back at the cast of Legend 2015, you realize the film was actually a massive ensemble effort that somehow managed to survive the weight of its own lead actor's ego. It’s a weird movie. Honestly, it’s half-biopic, half-cartoon, and entirely obsessed with the London of the 1960s.
When Brian Helgeland sat down to direct this, he wasn't just looking for a guy who could look tough in a suit. He needed a whole ecosystem of actors who could react to Tom Hardy talking to a tennis ball on a stick, which is basically how they filmed the scenes where Ronnie and Reggie Kray interact.
The Tom Hardy Double Act
You can’t talk about the cast of Legend 2015 without acknowledging that Hardy takes up about 80% of the oxygen in every room. He plays Reggie Kray as the suave, almost-reasonable businessman who just happens to enjoy breaking legs. Then there’s Ronnie. Ronnie is a different beast entirely. Hardy played him with a prosthetic nose and a voice that sounds like he’s gargling gravel and expensive gin. It’s a polarizing performance. Some critics at the time, like those over at The Guardian, thought it was a bit much, while others felt it captured the genuine psychosis of the real-life Ronald Kray.
The technical wizardry required to make this work was insane. This wasn't some high-budget Marvel flick with infinite CGI. They used split screens, body doubles, and precise timing. It’s the kind of performance that makes you forget you're watching the same man. One minute he’s charming Emily Browning, and the next, he’s a terrifying, paranoid schizophrenic holding a Luger.
Emily Browning as Frances Shea
Frances is the heart of the movie, and Emily Browning had the impossible task of being the "normal" person in a world of monsters. Her character, Frances Shea, provides the narration, which is a choice that still bugs some historians. Why have the dead girl tell the story? It’s a bit morbid. But Browning brings a fragile, wide-eyed clarity to the cast of Legend 2015. She wasn’t just the "gangster's moll." She was the victim of a family dynamic so toxic it basically guaranteed her tragic end.
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The chemistry between her and Hardy’s Reggie is genuine, which makes the eventual descent into domestic abuse and despair much harder to watch. It’s not a fun romance. It’s a slow-motion car crash.
The Supporting Players Who Kept It Grounded
If the movie was just Hardy talking to himself, it would have been unwatchable. The strength of the cast of Legend 2015 lies in the British heavyweights who filled out the background.
Take David Thewlis. He plays Leslie Payne, the "business manager" for the Krays. Thewlis is brilliant here. He’s the only person in the film who seems to realize how dangerous and stupid the twins actually are. He plays Payne with a sort of weary, intellectual disgust. He’s the guy trying to keep the books balanced while the bosses are busy stabbing people in crowded pubs.
Then you have Christopher Eccleston. He’s Nipper Read, the copper obsessed with bringing the Krays down. Eccleston doesn't get a lot of screen time, but he uses every second to project a sense of righteous, albeit frustrated, authority. He represents the changing tide of London—the end of the "Wild West" East End.
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- Taron Egerton as Mad Teddy Smith: Before he was Rocketman, Egerton played Ronnie’s rumored lover. It’s a flashy, slightly unhinged role that showed early on he had the range to do more than just Kingsman.
- Paul Bettany as Charlie Richardson: A brief but terrifying appearance. The Richardsons were the Krays' actual rivals, the "Torture Gang" from South London.
- Chazz Palminteri as Angelo Bruno: Bringing a bit of American Mafia flavor to the mix. It served as a reminder that the Krays weren't just local thugs; they had international aspirations.
Why the Casting Choices Mattered for Realism
Despite the flashy acting, the film tries to stay somewhat tethered to the reality of 1960s London. The real Krays were celebrities. They hung out with Frank Sinatra and Judy Garland. They were photographed by David Bailey. The cast of Legend 2015 had to reflect that weird mix of working-class grit and high-society glamour.
Taron Egerton’s portrayal of Teddy Smith is particularly interesting because it touches on Ronnie’s open bisexuality, which was a huge deal in the hyper-masculine underworld of the time. The film doesn't shy away from it, largely thanks to Hardy’s fearless (and occasionally bizarre) portrayal of Ronnie’s preferences.
Reggie was always the "movie star" of the family. He wanted the clubs, the fame, and the beautiful wife. Ronnie just wanted the violence and the loyalty. The actors around them, like Colin Morgan as Frankie Shea (Frances's brother), had to navigate these two vastly different personalities. Morgan, in particular, captures the fear of being "in" with the Krays—knowing you’re protected but also knowing you’re one bad mood away from a beating.
A Note on the Script and Direction
Brian Helgeland wrote L.A. Confidential, so he knows his way around a crime story. With the cast of Legend 2015, he leaned into the theatricality. Some people hate the "Funny Kray" scenes, especially the pub fight where Ronnie complains about the lack of a "proper shootout." It feels like a Guy Ritchie movie for a second, which clashes with the later, much darker scenes of Frances’s suicide.
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But that tonal shift is exactly what the Krays were. They were absurd. They were violent. They were legends in their own minds long before the movie came out.
The Legacy of the 2015 Cast
Looking back, the cast of Legend 2015 was a launching pad for several careers and a victory lap for others. For Hardy, it cemented his status as the premier character actor hiding in a leading man’s body. He’s never been afraid to look ugly or sound weird for a role.
For the audience, the film serves as a definitive, if slightly stylized, look at a period of British history that still fascinates people today. You can visit the Blind Beggar pub in Whitechapel even now and people will still talk about the night Ronnie Kray walked in and shot George Cornell.
The movie works because it doesn't try to make them heroes. It shows them as the fractured, deeply broken individuals they were. Reggie’s desperation to be "normal" and Ronnie’s total embrace of his own darkness are the two poles the rest of the cast had to orbit.
Actionable Insights for Fans and Filmmakers
If you're diving back into this film or researching the era, here is how to get the most out of it:
- Watch the background: Pay attention to David Thewlis and Christopher Eccleston. Their subtle performances provide the necessary friction against Hardy's loud ones.
- Research the real Frances Shea: The movie takes liberties with her story. Reading her actual history provides a much grimmer, more realistic look at what it was like to be married to Reggie Kray.
- Compare to "The Krays" (1990): If you want to see a different take, watch the version starring Gary and Martin Kemp. It’s less "Hollywood" and focuses more on the mother-son dynamic with Violet Kray.
- Look for the cameos: Keep an eye out for singer Duffy, who plays Timi Yuro in the nightclub scenes. It adds a layer of 60s authenticity to the soundtrack and atmosphere.
The cast of Legend 2015 managed to turn a well-worn true crime story into something that feels like a fever dream. It’s not a perfect history lesson, but as a showcase for acting talent, it’s hard to beat. You go for the "Hardy vs. Hardy" gimmick, but you stay for the tragic, messy world the supporting actors help build around him.