Robert Hardy
Known For
Acting
Born
1925-10-29 in Cheltenham, Gloucestershire, England, UK
Died
2017-08-03
Biography
One of England's most successful and enduring character actors, with a prolific screen career on television and in films, Robert Hardy was acclaimed for his versatility and the depth of his performances. Born in Cheltenham in 1925, he studied at Oxford University and, in 1949, he joined the Shakespeare Memorial Theatre at Stratford-upon-Avon. Television viewers most fondly remember him as the overbearing Siegfried Farnon in All Creatures Great and Small (1978) but his most critically acclaimed performance was as the title character of Winston Churchill: The Wilderness Years (1981). His portrayal of Britain's wartime leader was so accurately observed that, in the following years, he was called on to reprise the role in such productions as The Woman He Loved (1988) and War and Remembrance (1988). Unlike some British character actors, Hardy was not a Hollywood name and his work in films was therefore restricted to appearances in predominantly British-based productions such as The Spy Who Came In from the Cold (1965), Mary Shelley's Frankenstein (1994) and Sense and Sensibility (1995). However, in the 21st century, Hardy came to the attention of a whole new generation for his performances in the hugely successful Harry Potter films, while also continuing to make regular appearances in British television series. His co-star from All Creatures Great and Small (1978), Peter Davison, quite simply described Hardy as an "extraordinary" actor who would "never do the same thing twice" when he was acting with him. He was awarded the CBE for services to acting. He died in August 2017.
Most Known For
Midsomer Murders
as Robert Cavendish
Great Performances
as Self
Agatha Christie's Marple
as Winston Churchill
Foyle's War
as Henry Beaumont
The Saint
as Walter Faber
Sherlock Holmes
as Charles Augustus Milverton
Spooks
as Sir John Barry
Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire
as Cornelius Fudge
Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets
as Cornelius Fudge
Lewis
as Sir Arnold Raeburn
Inspector Morse
as Andrew Baydon
Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix
as Cornelius Fudge
Buck Rogers in the 25th Century
as Clayton
Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban
as Cornelius Fudge
All Creatures Great and Small
as Siegfried Farnon
Natural World
as Narrator
The Alan Titchmarsh Show
as Self
Playhouse
as John Fothergill
Playhouse
as Sir Malcolm Campbell
