Tom Hardy Pens Emotional Letter to Late Best Friend, His Dog

Actor Tom Hardy has written a tearful letter to his dog, Woodstock, who passed away recently after five years with the mixed-breed canine.

Read: Could Tom Hardy Be the Next James Bond? Actor Says He'd Consider the Role

“I don’t normally speak out about family and friends but this is an unusual circumstance,” he wrote in his letter. “Woody affected so many people in his own right so with great respect to his autonomy and as a familiar friendly face to many of you, it is with great great sadness a heavy heart that I inform you that after a very hard and short 6 month battle with an aggressive polymyostisis (sic) Woody passed away, two days ago.”

Hardy met Woodstock, who he called Woody for short, in 2012, on the Georgia set of the prohibition-era film Lawless, when the dog was homeless.

The Dark Knight Rises actor took the dog in and they had been inseparable since. Hardy has even taken Woodstock to red carpet film premieres.

“Woody was the bestest of journey companions we ever could dream of having,” Hardy wrote in his letter. “Our souls intertwined forever. A friend told me, He was special bro, a shining example of man’s best friend. He burnt very very bright and, those that burn very bright sometimes burn half as long.”

Read: A Dog's Purpose: Pit Bull Keeps 2-Week Vigil Over Dead Poodle Friend

The 39-year-old actor called the dog “an angel” and added, “He was my best friend. We went through so much together.”

Hardy also said that the dog accompanied him on many sets, photo shoots, and was named the No. 73 most influential animal in Time magazine.

Watch: Dying Dog Gets 'Married' in Bucket List Adventure: 'We're Trying to Make Every Day Count'