A Stockport barbershop has gone viral after a social media post claimed Hollywood star Tom Hardy had popped in for a trim. However, eagle-eyed viewers quickly realized the man was just a very convincing lookalike.
The Viral Post
The post, shared on Facebook by Full Time Favourites, showed a man inside Royal Barber shop on Princes Street in Stockport town centre. The caption read: “Tom Hardy in Stockport. What the hell.” It added: “Tom Hardy was in the barbers today whilst filming for Venom 4. What a lad he was. So happy to speak to us.”
But the ruse was soon rumbled. Commenters quickly pointed out the resemblance was uncanny but not the real deal. One joked: “Temu Tom.” Another said: “Dom Tardy.” Others chimed in with “Tom Softy” and “Tom Hardly.” Many refused to be fooled, noting that Venom 4 isn’t even in production and Hardy is currently in Rome.
The Man Behind the Look
Jon Carroll, who runs Full Time Favourites with his wife Sarah, filmed the video. He explained that he was in the barbers when he noticed the customer, named Declan, bore a striking resemblance to the actor. With Declan’s permission, Jon filmed the clip as a fun way to promote the local business.
“I go in there all the time,” Jon said. “I got speaking to this guy and I just told him how much he looked like Tom Hardy and he laughed and said he gets it all the time. It was all very tongue-in-cheek, it was just a bit of fun and nothing serious.”
Viral Success
Since sharing the video on June 10, the clip has been viewed over 330,000 times by Thursday morning. Jon said they woke up to an influx of notifications and jokes. “It’s gone a bit insane, definitely,” he laughed. “I actually ended up having a chat about TikTok with the guy so I’ve shared it with him and he’s loving the fame already. He said he’s been loving the comments - he hasn’t taken them to heart.”
Jon emphasized they weren’t trying to deceive anyone. “Some people have actually been believing it - but we’re not really trying to dupe anyone. Venom 4 isn’t even being made, Tom Hardy’s in Rome! I just saw it as the ideal opportunity to spread some love for the businesses in Stockport.”
Supporting Stockport
Jon and Sarah run their page to champion Stockport. “Everything we do tries to support the area, we love Stockport but we do like to have a laugh. People have believed us before when we told them they were filming Finding Nemo 2 in the Mersey.”
He praised the barbershop: “The barbers are actually great, I go there every week for a face massage - it’s the best thing ever. I think Stockport is the best town on earth, the people here are real salt of the earth.”
Jon added: “Like the football club, Stockport feels like it was on the down for a while but it’s really on the up - there’s so many great things happening here and it’s all being done up. We absolutely love championing Stockport - even if it’s through sharing videos of a man who looks just a little bit like Tom Hardy!”
