Tom Hardy made his mark playing dark and dangerous characters, from Bane and Venom to real-life gangster Al Capone. But the 42-year old actor is anything but a meanie in real life, as he proved by taking part in the children's show Cbeebies to record himself at his home in South West, London reading a bedtime story to kids called Hug Me by Simone Ciralo about a cactus called Felipe who wanted a cuddle. Showing himself unafraid of being emotionally vulnerable, Hardy also spoke to his young audience about his personal need to be hugged sometimes.

"Sometimes on a day like this I feel strong and I feel happy, but other days I just want someone to give me a hug. It's not always possible to be able to hug those that we love, but you must always remember that they are always with us in our heart. So it's time for bed, off you go and I look forward to seeing you again for another bedtime story."

This is the second time Hardy has appeared on the program, with his previous appearance on Cbeebies proving to be one of their most popular episodes yet, not just with children, but their mothers as well. This time also, social media was flooded by messages from moms who loved listening to Hardy's deep-voiced reading of the story, even after their children had already fallen asleep.

For those who have been following Tom Hardy's career, it is common knowledge that the actor has no interest in trying to maintain the image of a tough guy offscreen. The father of three has always been very protective of his wife and children and has posted many zany photos and videos of himself on social media in the past, including one where he dressed up as Spider-Man and another where he lip-synched a version of Simon and Garfunkel's The Sound of Silence.

Despite his polite and low-key appearance during public events, the actor has no problem switching on the menace when it comes to movies. He shot to fame playing the role of the most violent criminal in the history of Britain in Bronson, and was handpicked by Chris Nolan to portray the role of Batman's most overpowering enemy Bane.

Cbeebies has had a number of celebs join their program over the years to provide readthroughs of popular children's stories, with the videos also featuring art and videos illustrating the stories according to the narration. These recordings are available on the BBC's iPlayer streaming service, with clips from earlier recordings floating around on Youtube as well.

Fans who were left wanting more of Hardy's bedtime stories have five other readings to look forward to. Meanwhile, those who want to see the actor play the kind of badass roles he portrays so well will have to wait for the release of his biopic on Al Capone, named Capone, in which Hardy plays an aging version of the notorious gangster.