Robert Hardy
Born
October 29, 1925
Died
August 3, 2017 (91 years old)
Known For
Acting
Place of Birth
Cheltenham, Gloucestershire, England, UK
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.
Known For
Snapshot Wedding
Donald
2017
Joseph's Reel
Old Joseph
2015
Churchill: 100 Days That Saved Britain
Winston Churchill
2015
Narnia's Lost Poet: The Secret Lives and Loves of C.S. Lewis
Self - Interviewee
2013
Ghosts in the Machine
Narrator
2009
Margaret
Willie Whitelaw
2009
Elementary My Dear Viewer
Self
2007
The Alan Titchmarsh Show
Self · (1 episode)
2007
Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix
Cornelius Fudge
2007
Lewis
Sir Arnold Raeburn · (1 episode)
2007
Goodbye Mr Snuggles
Mr. Stiles
2006
Le Grand Charles
Franklin D. Roosevelt · (2 episodes)
2006
Lassie
Judge Murray
2005
Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire
Cornelius Fudge
2005
Agatha Christie's Marple
Winston Churchill · (1 episode)
2004
Making Waves
Father Parry
2004
Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban
Cornelius Fudge
2004
Death in Holy Orders
Father Martin · (2 episodes)
2003
Lucky Jim
Professor Neddy Welch
2003
The Gathering
Bishop
2003
Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets
Cornelius Fudge
2002
Foyle's War
Henry Beaumont · (1 episode)
2002
Bertie and Elizabeth
President Roosevelt
2002
Thunderpants
Doctor
2002
Spooks
Sir John Barry · (1 episode)
2002
The Falklands Play
Sir Anthony Parsons
2002
Shackleton
Sir James Caird · (1 episode)
2002
The Lost World
Prof. Illingworth
2001
The Lost World
Professor Illingworth · (2 episodes)
2001
The 10th Kingdom
Chancellor Griswold · (5 episodes)
2000
An Ideal Husband
Lord Caversham
1999
Nancherrow
(2 episodes)
1999
Nancherrow
Viscount Berryan
1999
The Barber of Siberia
Forsten
1998
The Tichborne Claimant
Lord Rivers
1998
Castle Ghosts of Wales
Self
1997
Mrs. Dalloway
Sir William Bradshaw
1997
Midsomer Murders
Robert Cavendish · (1 episode)
1997
Testament: The Bible in Animation
Abraham (voice) · (1 episode)
1996
Castle Ghosts of Ireland
Self
1996
Gulliver's Travels
Dr. Parnell · (2 episodes)
1996
Sense and Sensibility
Sir John Middleton
1995
Castle Ghosts of England
Self
1995
Look at the State We're In!
Judge Sutcliffe · (6 episodes)
1995
Bramwell
Sir Herbert Hamilton · (1 episode)
1995
Bramwell
Sir Herbert Hamilton · (1 episode)
1995
Mary Shelley's Frankenstein
Prof. Krempe
1994
A Feast at Midnight
Headmaster
1994
Middlemarch
Arthur Brooke · (6 episodes)
1994
The Master Blackmailer
Charles Augustus Milverton
1992
Bomber Harris
Winston Churchill
1989
Paris by Night
Adam Gillvray
1989
Marcus Welby, M.D.: A Holiday Affair
Dr. Price
1988
War and Remembrance
Winston Churchill · (12 episodes)
1988
In from the Cold? A Portrait of Richard Burton
Self
1988
The Woman He Loved
Winston Churchill
1988
The Death of the Heart
Major Brutt
1987
Northanger Abbey
General Tilney
1987
Inspector Morse
Andrew Baydon · (1 episode)
1987
Make and Break
John Garrard
1987
Paying Guests (Part 2)
Colonel Chase
1986
Paying Guests (Part 1)
Colonel Chase
1986
The Demon Lover
William Drover
1986
Hot Metal
(13 episodes)
1986
Jenny's War
Klein
1985
Jenny's War
Klein · (4 episodes)
1985
The Shooting Party
Bob, Lord Lilburn
1985
Screen Two
General Tilney · (1 episode)
1985
The Zany Adventures of Robin Hood
King Richard
1984
Sherlock Holmes
Charles Augustus Milverton · (1 episode)
1984
The Far Pavilions
The Commandant · (3 episodes)
1984
James Mason: The Star They Loved to Hate
Lord Bob Lilburn (archive footage) (uncredited)
1984
Natural World
Narrator · (1 episode)
1983
The Cleopatras
Julius Caesar · (8 episodes)
1983
Countdown
(5 episodes)
1982
Winston Churchill: The Wilderness Years
Winston Churchill · (8 episodes)
1981
Fothergill
John Fothergill
1981
The Pied Piper of Hamelin
Narrator (voice)
1980
Twelfth Night
Sir Toby Belch
1980
Speed King
Dorothy Campbell
1979
Buck Rogers in the 25th Century
Clayton · (1 episode)
1979
The BBC Television Shakespeare
Sir Toby Belch · (1 episode)
1978
All Creatures Great and Small
Siegfried Farnon · (87 episodes)
1978
Supernatural
(1 episode)
1977
Raffles
(1 episode)
1977
The Duchess of Duke Street
(1 episode)
1976
Victorian Scandals
(1 episode)
1976
Bill Brand
Mr. Marples · (1 episode)
1976
The Secret Agent
1975
Caesar and Claretta
Benito Mussolini
1975
Edward the Seventh
(13 episodes)
1975
The Gathering Storm
Joachim von Ribbentrop
1974
The Slap
Robert Dickinson
1974
Shoulder to Shoulder
Asquith · (6 episodes)
1974
Playhouse
John Fothergill · (1 episode)
1974
Playhouse
Sir Malcolm Campbell · (1 episode)
1974
Yellow Dog
Alexander
1973
Gawain and the Green Knight
Sir Bertilak
1973
Dark Places
Edward Foster / Andrew Marr
1973
Psychomania
Chief Inspector Hesseltine
1973
The Silent One
Assistant
1973
Demons of the Mind
Zorn
1972
The Incredible Robert Baldick: Never Come Night
Doctor Sir Robert Baldick
1972
Young Winston
Prep School Headmaster
1972
The Stalls of Barchester
Archdeacon Haynes
1971
A Ghost Story for Christmas
Archdeacon Haynes · (1 episode)
1971
Upstairs, Downstairs
Sir Guy Paynter · (1 episode)
1971
Elizabeth R
Robert Dudley · (3 episodes)
1971
10 Rillington Place
Malcolm Morris
1971
Great Performances
Self · (1 episode)
1971
Warm Feet, Warm Heart
Albert Purvis
1970
Marie Stopes: Sexual Revolutionary
Narrator
1970
Manhunt
Abwehr Sergeant Gratz · (10 episodes)
1970
Strange Report
Doctor Michael Sanders · (1 episode)
1969
Son of Man
Pontius Pilate
1969
Berserk!
Detective Superintendent Brooks
1967
How I Won the War
British General
1967
Mystery and Imagination
(1 episode)
1966
The Spy Who Came In from the Cold
Dick Carlton
1965
Thirty-Minute Theatre
The Official · (1 episode)
1965
The Troubleshooters
Alec Stewart · (91 episodes)
1965
Old Man's Fancy
Jason
1965
The Wednesday Play
Nick Prockter · (1 episode)
1964
The Wednesday Play
Pontius Pilate · (1 episode)
1964
The Spread of the Eagle
Caius Martius Coriolanus · (3 episodes)
1963
The Saint
Walter Faber · (1 episode)
1962
The Dark Island
(6 episodes)
1962
An Age of Kings
Henry, Prince of Wales · (4 episodes)
1960
An Age of Kings
Henry V · (2 episodes)
1960
Torpedo Run
Lt. Redley
1958
The Veil
(1 episode)
1958
The Buccaneers
Lord Hinch · (1 episode)
1956
The Adventures of Sir Lancelot
Sir Rupert · (1 episode)
1956
Armchair Theatre
Albert Purvis · (1 episode)
1956
Othello
Cassio
1955
General Electric Theater
(1 episode)
1953
Hallmark Hall of Fame
Joachim von Ribbentrop · (1 episode)
1951
Sunday Night Theatre
Orsino · (1 episode)
1950
Sunday Night Theatre
Admetus · (1 episode)
1950
Sunday Night Theatre
William Herndon · (1 episode)
1950
Black Legend
Mad Thomas
1949