Jonathan Hardy (20 September 1940 – 30 July 2012) was a New Zealand-Australian film and television actor, writer and director.

Early career

Hardy was born in

Wellington Wellington is the capital city of New Zealand. It is located at the south-western tip of the North Island, between Cook Strait and the Remutaka Range. Wellington is the third-largest city in New Zealand (second largest in the North Island ...

and began his training at the New Zealand Players' Drama School. He traveled to Britain, where he studied at the

London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art The London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art (LAMDA) is a drama school located in Hammersmith, London. Founded in 1861, it is the oldest specialist drama school in the British Isles and a founding member of the Federation of Drama Schools. In ...

and was a gold medal student. This brought interest from the

Royal Shakespeare Company The Royal Shakespeare Company (RSC) is a major British theatre company, based in Stratford-upon-Avon, Warwickshire, England. The company employs over 1,000 staff and opens around 20 productions a year. The RSC plays regularly in London, Stratf ...

and the

Royal National Theatre The National Theatre (NT), officially the Royal National Theatre and sometimes referred to in international contexts as the National Theatre of Great Britain, is a performing arts venue and associated theatre company located in London, England, ...

where he secured contracts. He returned to his home of New Zealand in a touring production of ''

The Comedy of Errors ''The Comedy of Errors'' is one of William Shakespeare's early plays. It is his shortest and one of his most farcical comedies, with a major part of the humour coming from slapstick and mistaken identity, in addition to puns and word play ...

'' with the Royal Shakespeare Company (1966) and remained to help expand the country's theatre industry. He immigrated to Australia in 1972.

Career

Hardy had a career for over 40 years (1972 –2012). He appeared in over 20 films, guested in over 26 television series, and acted in many television movies and mini-series. His preference was to work on stage and had long engagements with major theatre companies in both

Melbourne Melbourne ( , ; Boonwurrung language, Boonwurrung/ or ) is the List of Australian capital cities, capital and List of cities in Australia by population, most populous city of the States and territories of Australia, Australian state of Victori ...

and

Sydney Sydney is the capital city of the States and territories of Australia, state of New South Wales and the List of cities in Australia by population, most populous city in Australia. Located on Australia's east coast, the metropolis surrounds Syd ...

. His roles ranged from a Christmas pantomime of ''Cinderella'', ''Shakespeare,'' topical plays such as ''And in the End: The Life and Death of John Lennon'' and roles in operas. Throughout his career, he worked across these media at the same time.

Theatre

Hardy was part of the cast in the first public performance of Kenneth G. Ross's Australian play ''

Breaker Morant Harry Harbord "Breaker" Morant (born Edwin Henry Murrant, 9 December 1864 – 27 February 1902) was an English horseman, bush balladist, military officer, and war criminal who was convicted and executed for murdering nine prisoners-of-war ...

'', presented by the

Melbourne Theatre Company The Melbourne Theatre Company is a theatre company based in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. Founded in 1953 as the Union Theatre Repertory Company at the Union Theatre at the University of Melbourne, it is the oldest professional theatre com ...

at the Athenaeum theatre, in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, on Thursday, 2 February 1978. In his obituary, he is quoted by Mark Juddery as saying, "The actor is in control in the theatre... so the theatre is much more an actor's medium." and "Television is not anything but an actor's image... If my image happens to fit, then I do the job. Whereas on stage you can create an illusion, on television … it's pretty cliched."

Film

Hardy's film work included '' The Devil's Playground'' (1976) which he was nominated for an

Australian Film Institute The Australian Film Institute (AFI) was founded in 1958 as a non-profit organisation devoted to developing an active film culture in Australia and fostering engagement between the general public and the Cinema of Australia, Australian film indu ...

award, ''

Mad Max ''Mad Max'' is an Australian media franchise created by George Miller and Byron Kennedy. It centres on a series of post-apocalyptic and dystopian action films. The franchise began in 1979 with '' Mad Max'', and was followed by three sequels: ...

'', '' Mr. Reliable'' and ''

Moulin Rouge! ''Moulin Rouge!'' (, ) is a 2001 jukebox musical romantic drama film directed, produced, and co-written by Baz Luhrmann. It follows an English poet, Christian, who falls in love with the star of the Moulin Rouge, cabaret actress and courtesan ...

''. Along with David Stevens and

Bruce Beresford Bruce Beresford (; born 16 August 1940) is an Australian film director, opera director, screenwriter, and producer. He began his career during the Australian New Wave, and has made more than 30 feature films over a 50-year career, both locally ...

he co-wrote the screenplay for the film ''

'': for which he received an Australian Film Institute award (1980), and was nominated for an

Academy Award The Academy Awards, commonly known as the Oscars, are awards for artistic and technical merit in film. They are presented annually by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS) in the United States in recognition of excellence ...

(1981). At , he was the co-winner of Best Artistic Contribution for ''

Scarecrow A scarecrow is a decoy or mannequin that is often in the shape of a human. Humanoid scarecrows are usually dressed in old clothes and placed in open fields to discourage birds from disturbing and feeding on recently cast seed and growing crops. ...

'' (1982). He also won a New Zealand Film and TV Award in 2001 for Best Short Film Performance for ''Camping with Camus''. Hardy directed and wrote the movie ''

Backstage Backstage may refer to: * Backstage (theatre), the areas of a theatre that are not part of the house or stage Film and television * ''Back Stage'' (1917 film), a silent film starring Oliver Hardy * ''Back Stage'' (1919 film), a silent film starri ...

'' starring the Grammy nominated pop vocalist

Laura Branigan Laura Ann Branigan (July 3, 1952 – August 26, 2004) was an American singer. Her signature song, the platinum-certified 1982 single " Gloria", stayed on the U.S. ''Billboard'' Hot 100 for 36 weeks, then a record for a female artist, peaking a ...

. He is best known to international audiences for providing the voice of

Dominar Rygel XVI The television series ''Farscape'' features an extensive cast of characters created by Rockne S. O'Bannon. The series is set aboard a living spacecraft named Moya of the Leviathan race. The physical, racial and species-specific cultural chara ...

in the science fiction series ''

Farscape ''Farscape'' is an Australian-American Science fiction on television, science fiction television series conceived by Rockne S. O'Bannon and produced by The Jim Henson Company and Hallmark Entertainment, originally for the Nine Network. It prem ...

''. ''Farscape'' was filmed in Australia but was a United States production and although it was unsuccessful in Australia, Hardy developed a cult following.

Awards

1993 Matilda Award Winner for performance - Romeo and Juliet, The Shaughraun

Personal life and death

Hardy's partner for over 40 years was actor-director David Letch. They worked on many projects together. Hardy had a successful heart transplant. Hardy died, aged 71, at his home in the town of Hill Top, in the Southern Highlands of New South Wales on 30 July 2012.

Selected filmography

Film

Source: * ''Moving On'' (1947) - Anne's Boyfriend * ''

The Adventures of Barry McKenzie ''The Adventures of Barry McKenzie'' is a 1972 Australian comedy film directed by Bruce Beresford (in his feature film directorial debut) and starring Barry Crocker and Barry Humphries. It tells the story of an Australian yobbo on his travel ...

'' (1972) - Groove Courtenay * '' The Devil's Playground'' (1976) - Brother Arnold * '' The Mango Tree'' (1977) - Joe Speight * '' The Trial of Ned Kelly'' (TV movie) * ''

'' (1979) - Labatouche * '' The John Sullivan Story'' (1979) TV movie * '' Klynham Summer'' aka ''The Scarecrow'' (1982) - Charlie Dabney * '' Lonely Hearts'' (1982) - Bruce * ''Nearly No Christmas'' (1983) TV movie * ''

Constance Constance may refer to: Places * Constance, Kentucky, United States, an unincorporated community * Constance, Minnesota, United States, an unincorporated community * Mount Constance, Washington State, United States * Lake Constance (disambiguat ...

'' (1984) - Randolf Grieve * '' Death Warmed Up'' (1984) - Ranji Gandhi * '' Wills & Burke'' (1985) - John Macadam * ''

My Letter to George ''Mesmerized'' (also known as ''Shocked'' and ''My Letter to George'') is a 1985 drama film directed by Michael Laughlin and starring Jodie Foster, John Lithgow and Michael Murphy.Ed. Scott Murray, ''Australia on the Small Screen 1970–1995'', ...

'' (aka ''Mesmerized'') (1985) - Burley * ''Lie of the Land'' (1985) - Doctor Max Steiner * '' The Delinquents'' (1989) - Magistrate * '' Bloodmoon'' (1989) - Mayor * ''

Terrain Terrain (), alternatively relief or topographical relief, is the dimension and shape of a given surface of land. In physical geography, terrain is the lay of the land. This is usually expressed in terms of the elevation, slope, and orientati ...

'' (1994) * ''

Tunnel Vision Tunnel vision is the loss of peripheral vision with retention of central vision, resulting in a constricted circular tunnel-like field of vision. Causes Tunnel vision can be caused by: Eyeglass users Eyeglass users experience tunnel vision ...

'' (1995) - Henry Adams * '' The Thorn Birds: The Missing Years'' (TV movie) * '' Mr. Reliable'' (1996) - Reverend McIntyre * ''Terrain'' (1997, TV movie) * ''

Ned Kelly Edward Kelly (December 185411 November 1880) was an Australian bushranger, outlaw, gang leader, bank robber and convicted police-murderer. One of the last bushrangers, he is known for wearing armour of the Kelly gang, a suit of bulletproof ...

'' (2003) - The Great Orlando * ''Wishbone'' (2006) - Homeless Man * ''

'' (2001) - Man In The Moon * ''Severance'' (2015) - Therapy Group

Television

Source: * '' Mandog'' (1972, TV series) 5 episodes * '' Rush'' (1974, TV series) 1 episode * '' Andra'' (1976, TV series) 8 episodes * ''

Power Without Glory ''Power Without Glory'' is a 1950 historical novel written by Australian author Frank Hardy, following the life and ambitions of John West, a politician born into a working-class family who rises to prominence in Australian federal politics. ...

'' (1976, TV series) 3 episodes * '' Bluey'' (1977, TV series) 1 episode * '' Young Ramsay'' (1977, TV series) 1 episode * '' The Truckies'' (1978, TV series) 1 episode * '' Against the Wind'' (1978, TV miniseries) * '' Prisoner: Cell Block H'' (1980-81 TV series) 3 episodes * '' Under the Mountain'' (1981, TV series) 1 episode * ''Heroes'' (1984, TV series) 2 episodes * '' Butterfly Island'' (1985, TV series) * '' Mission: Impossible'' (1989, TV series) 1 episode * ''

The Flying Doctors ''The Flying Doctors'' is an Australian drama TV series produced by Crawford Productions that revolves around the everyday lifesaving efforts of the Royal Flying Doctor Service, starring Andrew McFarlane as the newly arrived Dr. Tom Callaghan. ...

'' (1990, TV series) 1 episode * ''

A Country Practice ''A Country Practice'' is an Australian television soap opera/serial which was broadcast on the Seven Network from 18 November 1981 until 22 November 1993, and subsequently on Network Ten from 13 April 1994 to 5 November 1994. Altogether, 14 ...

'' (TV series) 1 episode * '' The Adventures of Skippy'' (1991, TV series) 2 episodes * '' G.P.'' (1995, TV series) 1 episode * '' Mission Top Secret'' (1995, TV series) 1 episode * ''Twisted'' (1996, TV series) 1 episode * '' Snowy River: The McGregor Saga'' (TV series) 1 episode * '' Medivac'' (TV series) 1 episode * '' All Saints'' (1988, TV series) 1 episode * '' State Coroner'' (TV series) 1 episode * '' Above the Law'' (2000, TV series) 1 episode * ''

'' (1999–03, TV series) - Voice of Dominar Rygel XVI - 86 episodes * ''

The Secret Life of Us ''The Secret Life of Us'' is an Australian television drama series set in the beachside neighbourhood of St Kilda, a suburb of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. It is primarily a drama with some comedic moments. The series was produced by South ...

'' (2003, TV series) 1 episode * '' Stingers'' (TV series) 1 episode * '' MDA'' (TV series) 2 episodes * '' Farscape: The Peacekeeper Wars'' (2004, TV miniseries) - Voice of Dominar Rygel XVI * ''Magical Tales'' (2012, TV series) 1 episode (final television appearance)

Stage performances (selected)

Source: 1966 ''

'' (

) 1972 ''Flash Jim Vaux'' ( Nimrod Theatre Company); ''The Last Supper Show'' ( Nimrod Theatre Company) 1973 ''

Jumpers Jumper or Jumpers may refer to: Clothing *Jumper (sweater), is a long-sleeve article of clothing; also called a top, pullover, or sweater **A waist-length top garment of dense wool, part of the Royal Navy uniform and the Uniforms of the United St ...

'' (

); ''The Prisoner of Second Avenue'' (

); ''

The Plough and the Stars ''The Plough and the Stars'' is a four-act play by the Irish writer Seán O'Casey that was first performed on 8 February 1926 at the Abbey Theatre. It is set in Dublin and addresses the 1916 Easter Rising. The play's title references the Sta ...

'' (

); ''Batman's Beach-Head'' (

); ''Paying the Piper'' (

); ''The Last of the Knucklemen'' (

); ''Flash Jim Vaux'' (

) 1974 ''The Last of the Knucklemen'' touring production (

); ''Coralie Lansdowne Says No'' (

) 1977 ''

The Merchant of Venice ''The Merchant of Venice'' is a play by William Shakespeare, believed to have been written between 1596 and 1598. A merchant in Venice named Antonio defaults on a large loan taken out on behalf of his dear friend, Bassanio, and provided by a ...

'' (

); ''Cop Out'' (

) 1978 ''

'' (

); ''

Richard III Richard III (2 October 1452 – 22 August 1485) was King of England from 26 June 1483 until his death in 1485. He was the last king of the Plantagenet dynasty and its cadet branch the House of York. His defeat and death at the Battle of Boswor ...

'' (

)''; The Beaux' Stratagem'' (

)''; Fools' Shoe Hotel'' (

Australian Performing Group The Australian Performing Group (APG) was a Melbourne-based experimental theatre repertory ensemble formed in an official capacity in 1970 from the La Mama Theatre (Melbourne), La Mama theatre group. Created to address a dissatisfaction with Austr ...

) 1979 ''

The Immoralist ''The Immoralist'' () is a novel by André Gide, published in France in 1902. Plot ''The Immoralist'' is a recollection of events that Michel narrates to his three visiting friends. One of those friends solicits job search assistance for Miche ...

'' (Hoopla Theatre Foundation); '' The Alchemist'' (

); ''

Hamlet ''The Tragedy of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark'', often shortened to ''Hamlet'' (), is a Shakespearean tragedy, tragedy written by William Shakespeare sometime between 1599 and 1601. It is Shakespeare's longest play. Set in Denmark, the play (the ...

'' (

); ''

Cinderella "Cinderella", or "The Little Glass Slipper", is a Folklore, folk tale with thousands of variants that are told throughout the world.Dundes, Alan. Cinderella, a Casebook. Madison, Wis: University of Wisconsin Press, 1988. The protagonist is a you ...

'' (

) 1980 ''

Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead ''Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead'' is an absurdist, existential tragicomedy by Tom Stoppard, first staged at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe in 1966. The play expands upon the exploits of two minor characters from Shakespeare's ''Hamle ...

'' (

); ''

'' (

); ''

Comedians A comedian (feminine comedienne) or comic is a person who seeks to entertain an audience by making them laugh. This might be through jokes or amusing situations, or acting foolishly (as in slapstick), or employing prop comedy. A comedian who ...

'' ( Mercury Theatre, Auckland) 1991 ''

The Crucible ''The Crucible'' is a 1953 play by the American playwright Arthur Miller. It is a dramatized and partially fictionalized story of the Salem witch trials that took place in the Province of Massachusetts Bay from 1692 to 1693. Miller wrote ...

'' ( Royal Queensland Theatre Company) 1992 ''Shadow and Splendour'' ( Royal Queensland Theatre Company); ''

Twelfth Night ''Twelfth Night, or What You Will'' is a romantic comedy by William Shakespeare, believed to have been written around 1601–1602 as a Twelfth Night entertainment for the close of the Christmas season. The play centres on the twins Viola an ...

''; ''Hotel Sorrento'' ( Royal Queensland Theatre Company) 1993 '' The Beaux Stratagem'' ( Royal Queensland Theatre Company); ''

Romeo and Juliet ''The Tragedy of Romeo and Juliet'', often shortened to ''Romeo and Juliet'', is a Shakespearean tragedy, tragedy written by William Shakespeare about the romance between two young Italians from feuding families. It was among Shakespeare's ...

'' ( Queensland Theatre Company); '' The Shaughraun or The Loveable Rascal'' ( Queensland Theatre Company); ''

A Christmas Carol ''A Christmas Carol. In Prose. Being a Ghost Story of Christmas'', commonly known as ''A Christmas Carol'', is a novella by Charles Dickens, first published in London by Chapman & Hall in 1843 and illustrated by John Leech. It recounts the ...

'' (Oxford Productions International); '' And a Nightingale Sang'' ( Queensland Theatre Company) 1994 ''Hysteria, or Fragments of an Analysis of an Obsessional Mind'' (

); '' The Shaughraun (The Lovable Rascal)'' (

) 1995 ''

'' (Pork Chop Productions); '' The Shaughraun (The Lovable Rascal)'' (

) 1996 ''The Surgical Table'' (Renegade Theatre); '' Simpatico'' (

Sydney Theatre Company Sydney Theatre Company (STC) is an Australian theatre company based in Sydney, New South Wales. The company performs in the Wharf Theatre at Dawes Point in The Rocks area of Sydney as well as the Roslyn Packer Theatre (formerly Sydney Theatre ...

); ''

Life of Galileo ''Life of Galileo'' (), also known as ''Galileo'', is a Play (theatre), play by the 20th century Germany, German dramatist Bertolt Brecht and collaborator Margarete Steffin with incidental music by Hanns Eisler. The play was written in 1938 and re ...

'' (

); ''

Coriolanus ''Coriolanus'' ( or ) is a tragedy by William Shakespeare, believed to have been written between 1605 and 1608. The play is based on the life of the legendary Roman leader Gnaeus Marcius Coriolanus. Shakespeare worked on it during the same ...

'' touring production ( Bell Shakespeare Company) 1997 '' Pygmalion'' (

); ''QTC Oz Shorts 1'' ( Queensland Theatre Company) 2002 ''

Great Expectations ''Great Expectations'' is the thirteenth novel by English author Charles Dickens and his penultimate completed novel. The novel is a bildungsroman and depicts the education of an orphan nicknamed Pip. It is Dickens' second novel, after ''Dav ...

''(

) 2003 ''A Tree, Falling'' (

Chapel off Chapel Chapel Off Chapel is a theatre venue in Prahran, Melbourne. Located near Chapel Street and opened in 1995, the venue consists of the 255-seat Chapel Theatre, the 150-seat Chapel Loft and a visual arts gallery. Chapel Off Chapel is particularl ...

) 2004 ''

'' touring production ( Bell Shakespeare Company); ''

One Flea Spare ''One Flea Spare'', by Naomi Wallace, is a play set in plague-ravaged 17th Century London. Synopsis A wealthy couple is preparing to flee their home when a mysterious sailor and a young girl appear sneaking into their boarded up house. Now, q ...

'' (Queensize Productions) 2005 ''

Treemonisha ''Treemonisha'' (1911) is an opera by American ragtime composer Scott Joplin. It is sometimes referred to as a "ragtime opera", though Joplin did not refer to it as such and it encompasses a wide range of musical styles. The music of ''Treemoni ...

'' narrator (The Queensland Choir); ''The Department Store'' (Parnassus' Den) 2006 ''And in the End: The Death and Life of John Lennon'' (The Walrius Group); ''Renaissance'' (Parnassus' Den) 2007 ''Paul'' ( Company B Belvoir)

Singing performances (selected)

Source: 1975 ''The Double Dealer'' (

) 1976 ''

Don Pasquale ''Don Pasquale'' () is a Gaetano Donizetti opera buffa, or comic opera, in three acts, with an Italian libretto completed largely by Giovanni Ruffini as well as the composer. It was based on a libretto by Angelo Anelli for Stefano Pavesi's oper ...

'' ( Victorian Opera Company) 1998 '' Tannhauser'' (

Opera Australia Opera Australia is the principal opera company in Australia. Based in Sydney, New South Wales, its performance season at the Sydney Opera House accompanied by the Opera Australia Orchestra runs for approximately eight months of the year, with t ...

)

Director/producer (selected)

Source: 1974 ''

The Importance of Being Earnest ''The Importance of Being Earnest, a Trivial Comedy for Serious People'' is a play by Oscar Wilde, the last of his four drawing-room plays, following ''Lady Windermere's Fan'' (1892), ''A Woman of No Importance'' (1893) and ''An Ideal Husban ...

'' (

) - Director 1976 '' The Italian Girl in Algiers'' ( Victoria State Opera) - Director 1979 ''

The Marriage of Figaro ''The Marriage of Figaro'' (, ), K. 492, is a ''commedia per musica'' (opera buffa) in four acts composed in 1786 by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, with an Italian libretto written by Lorenzo Da Ponte. It premiered at the Burgtheater in Vienn ...

'' (Canberra Opera Society) - Producer 1980 ''Nine Little Australians! Season Two'' (

) - Director

Playwright/adaptor (selected)

Source: 1976 '' The Diary of a Madman'' (

) - Adaptor (also appeared as actor) 1997 ''Jungfrau'' (

Playbox Theatre Company Playbox Theatre Company is a theatre company for children and young people based in Warwick, England. Playbox provide training for children and young people aged 3–25 in various different areas, including theatre training, musical theatre, cir ...

) - Writer

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Hardy, Jonathan 1940 births 2012 deaths Australian male television actors Australian male film actors Heart transplant recipients New Zealand male television actors New Zealand male film actors New Zealand emigrants to Australia