Site Revisions Underway Some Features May Not Work
Photo of Robert Hardy

Robert Hardy

Acting 91 (deceased) years old Cheltenham, Gloucestershire, England, UK ★ 1.1
Born: October 29, 1925
Died: August 3, 2017

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.

External Links

🎬 IMDb

Known For

Agatha Christie's Marple
Agatha Christie's Marple Winston Churchill 2004
Spooks
Spooks Sir John Barry 2002
The Saint
The Saint Walter Faber 1962
Foyle's War
Foyle's War Henry Beaumont 2002
Theatre 625
Theatre 625 1964

Filmography

Acting Credits (150)

Snapshot Wedding
Snapshot Wedding Donald 2017
Joseph's Reel
Joseph's Reel Old Joseph 2015
Churchill: 100 Days That Saved Britain
Churchill: 100 Days That Saved Britain Winston Churchill 2015
Narnia's Lost Poet: The Secret Lives and Loves of C.S. Lewis
Narnia's Lost Poet: The Secret Lives and Loves of C.S. Lewis Self - Interviewee 2013
Ghosts in the Machine
Ghosts in the Machine Narrator 2009
Margaret
Margaret Willie Whitelaw 2009
Centenary: The BP Story
Centenary: The BP Story George Reynolds (voice) 2009
Elementary My Dear Viewer
Elementary My Dear Viewer Self 2007
The Alan Titchmarsh Show
The Alan Titchmarsh Show Self 2007
Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix
Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix Cornelius Fudge 2007
Lewis
Lewis Sir Arnold Raeburn 2007
Goodbye Mr Snuggles
Goodbye Mr Snuggles Mr. Stiles 2006
Le Grand Charles
Le Grand Charles Franklin D. Roosevelt 2006
Lassie
Lassie Judge Murray 2005
Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire
Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire Cornelius Fudge 2005
Agatha Christie's Marple
Agatha Christie's Marple Winston Churchill 2004
Making Waves
Making Waves Father Parry 2004
Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban
Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban Cornelius Fudge 2004
Death in Holy Orders
Death in Holy Orders Father Martin Petrie 2003
Lucky Jim
Lucky Jim Professor Neddy Welch 2003
The Gathering
The Gathering Bishop 2003
Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets
Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets Cornelius Fudge 2002
Foyle's War
Foyle's War Henry Beaumont 2002
Bertie and Elizabeth
Bertie and Elizabeth President Roosevelt 2002
Thunderpants
Thunderpants Doctor 2002
Spooks
Spooks Sir John Barry 2002
The Falklands Play
The Falklands Play Sir Anthony Parsons 2002
Shackleton
Shackleton Sir James Caird 2002
The Lost World
The Lost World Prof. Illingworth 2001
The Lost World
The Lost World Professor Illingworth 2001
The 10th Kingdom
The 10th Kingdom Chancellor Griswold 2000
The Tichborne Claimant
The Tichborne Claimant Lord Rivers 1999
An Ideal Husband
An Ideal Husband Lord Caversham 1999
Nancherrow
Nancherrow 1999
Nancherrow
Nancherrow Viscount Berryan 1999
The Barber of Siberia
The Barber of Siberia Forsten 1998
Castle Ghosts of Wales
Castle Ghosts of Wales Self 1997
Mrs. Dalloway
Mrs. Dalloway Sir William Bradshaw 1997
Midsomer Murders
Midsomer Murders Robert Cavendish 1997
Testament: The Bible in Animation
Testament: The Bible in Animation Abraham (voice) 1996
Castle Ghosts of Ireland
Castle Ghosts of Ireland Self 1996
Gulliver's Travels
Gulliver's Travels Dr. Parnell 1996
Sense and Sensibility
Sense and Sensibility Sir John Middleton 1995
Castle Ghosts of England
Castle Ghosts of England Self 1995
Look at the State We're In!
Look at the State We're In! Judge Sutcliffe 1995
Bramwell
Bramwell Sir Herbert Hamilton 1995
Bramwell
Bramwell Sir Herbert Hamilton 1995
Mary Shelley's Frankenstein
Mary Shelley's Frankenstein Prof. Krempe 1994
A Feast at Midnight
A Feast at Midnight Headmaster 1994
Middlemarch
Middlemarch Arthur Brooke 1994
The Master Blackmailer
The Master Blackmailer Charles Augustus Milverton 1992
Bomber Harris
Bomber Harris Winston Churchill 1989
Paris by Night
Paris by Night Adam Gillvray 1989
Marcus Welby, M.D.: A Holiday Affair
Marcus Welby, M.D.: A Holiday Affair Dr. Price 1988
War and Remembrance
War and Remembrance Winston Churchill 1988
In from the Cold? A Portrait of Richard Burton
In from the Cold? A Portrait of Richard Burton Self 1988
The Woman He Loved
The Woman He Loved Winston Churchill 1988
Blat
Blat Sidney Tolland 1987
The Death of the Heart
The Death of the Heart Major Brutt 1987
Northanger Abbey
Northanger Abbey General Tilney 1987
Inspector Morse
Inspector Morse Andrew Baydon 1987
Make and Break
Make and Break John Garrard 1987
Paying Guests (Part 2)
Paying Guests (Part 2) Colonel Chase 1986
Paying Guests (Part 1)
Paying Guests (Part 1) Colonel Chase 1986
The Demon Lover
The Demon Lover William Drover 1986
Hot Metal
Hot Metal 1986
Jenny's War
Jenny's War Klein 1985
Jenny's War
Jenny's War Klein 1985
The Shooting Party
The Shooting Party Bob, Lord Lilburn 1985
Screen Two
Screen Two General Tilney 1985
The Zany Adventures of Robin Hood
The Zany Adventures of Robin Hood King Richard 1984
Sherlock Holmes
Sherlock Holmes Charles Augustus Milverton 1984
The Far Pavilions
The Far Pavilions The Commandant 1984
James Mason: The Star They Loved to Hate
James Mason: The Star They Loved to Hate Lord Bob Lilburn (archive footage) (uncredited) 1984
Natural World
Natural World Narrator 1983
The Cleopatras
The Cleopatras Julius Caesar 1983
Countdown
Countdown 1982
Winston Churchill: The Wilderness Years
Winston Churchill: The Wilderness Years Winston Churchill 1981
Fothergill
Fothergill John Fothergill 1981
The Pied Piper of Hamelin
The Pied Piper of Hamelin Narrator (voice) 1980
Twelfth Night
Twelfth Night Sir Toby Belch 1980
Speed King
Speed King Dorothy Campbell 1979
Buck Rogers in the 25th Century
Buck Rogers in the 25th Century Clayton 1979
All Creatures Great and Small
All Creatures Great and Small Siegfried Farnon 1978
Supernatural
Supernatural Adrian Gall 1977
Raffles
Raffles 1977
The Duchess of Duke Street
The Duchess of Duke Street George Duggan 1976
Victorian Scandals
Victorian Scandals Arthur Munby 1976
Bill Brand
Bill Brand Mr. Marples 1976
The Secret Agent
The Secret Agent The Assistant Commissioner 1975
Caesar and Claretta
Caesar and Claretta Benito Mussolini 1975
Edward the Seventh
Edward the Seventh Prince Albert 1975
Churchill's People
Churchill's People King Oswy 1974
The Gathering Storm
The Gathering Storm Joachim von Ribbentrop 1974
The Slap
The Slap Robert Dickinson 1974
Shoulder to Shoulder
Shoulder to Shoulder Asquith 1974
Playhouse
Playhouse John Fothergill 1974
Playhouse
Playhouse Sir Malcolm Campbell 1974
Yellow Dog
Yellow Dog Alexander 1973
European Heritage
European Heritage Narrator (voice) 1973
Gawain and the Green Knight
Gawain and the Green Knight Sir Bertilak 1973
Dark Places
Dark Places Edward Foster / Andrew Marr 1973
Psychomania
Psychomania Chief Inspector Hesseltine 1973
The Silent One
The Silent One Assistant 1973
Demons of the Mind
Demons of the Mind Zorn 1972
The Incredible Robert Baldick: Never Come Night
The Incredible Robert Baldick: Never Come Night Doctor Sir Robert Baldick 1972
Young Winston
Young Winston Prep School Headmaster 1972
The Stalls of Barchester
The Stalls of Barchester Archdeacon Haynes 1971
A Ghost Story for Christmas
A Ghost Story for Christmas Archdeacon Haynes 1971
Getting In
Getting In Official 1971
Upstairs, Downstairs
Upstairs, Downstairs Sir Guy Paynter 1971
Elizabeth R
Elizabeth R Robert Dudley 1971
10 Rillington Place
10 Rillington Place Malcolm Morris 1971
Great Performances
Great Performances Self 1971
Warm Feet, Warm Heart
Warm Feet, Warm Heart Albert Purvis 1970
Marie Stopes: Sexual Revolutionary
Marie Stopes: Sexual Revolutionary Narrator 1970
Manhunt
Manhunt Abwehr Sergeant Gratz 1970
Strange Report
Strange Report Doctor Michael Sanders 1969
Son of Man
Son of Man Pontius Pilate 1969
Berserk!
Berserk! Detective Superintendent Brooks 1967
How I Won the War
How I Won the War British General 1967
ITV Playhouse
ITV Playhouse Ray Malcolm 1967
Mystery and Imagination
Mystery and Imagination William Oke 1966
The Spy Who Came In from the Cold
The Spy Who Came In from the Cold Dick Carlton 1965
Thirty-Minute Theatre
Thirty-Minute Theatre The Official 1965
The Troubleshooters
The Troubleshooters Alec Stewart 1965
Old Man's Fancy
Old Man's Fancy Jason 1965
The Wednesday Play
The Wednesday Play Nick Prockter 1964
The Wednesday Play
The Wednesday Play Pontius Pilate 1964
Theatre 625
Theatre 625 1964
Theatre 625
Theatre 625 Adriano 1964
The Spread of the Eagle
The Spread of the Eagle Caius Martius Coriolanus 1963
The Saint
The Saint Walter Faber 1962
The Dark Island
The Dark Island 1962
Drama 61-67
Drama 61-67 Adam Irwin 1961
Drama 61-67
Drama 61-67 Philip Weathers 1961
An Age of Kings
An Age of Kings Henry, Prince of Wales 1960
An Age of Kings
An Age of Kings Henry V 1960
Torpedo Run
Torpedo Run Lt. Redley 1958
The Veil
The Veil 1958
The Buccaneers
The Buccaneers Lord Hinch 1956
The Adventures of Sir Lancelot
The Adventures of Sir Lancelot Sir Rupert 1956
Armchair Theatre
Armchair Theatre Albert Purvis 1956
Othello
Othello Cassio 1955
General Electric Theater
General Electric Theater 1953
Hallmark Hall of Fame
Hallmark Hall of Fame Joachim von Ribbentrop 1951
Sunday Night Theatre
Sunday Night Theatre Orsino 1950
Sunday Night Theatre
Sunday Night Theatre Admetus 1950
Sunday Night Theatre
Sunday Night Theatre William Herndon 1950
Black Legend
Black Legend Mad Thomas 1949

Powered by

TMDB
× Person photo
❮ Back to Person Search