Robert Hardy
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Timothy Sydney Robert Hardy (29 October 1925 – 3 August 2017) was an English actor who had a long career in theatre, film and television. He began his career as a classical actor and later earned widespread recognition for roles such as Siegfried Farnon in the
BBC The British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) is a British public service broadcaster headquartered at Broadcasting House in London, England. Originally established in 1922 as the British Broadcasting Company, it evolved into its current sta ...
television series '' All Creatures Great and Small'', Cornelius Fudge in the ''
Harry Potter ''Harry Potter'' is a series of seven Fantasy literature, fantasy novels written by British author J. K. Rowling. The novels chronicle the lives of a young Magician (fantasy), wizard, Harry Potter (character), Harry Potter, and his friends ...
'' film series, and
Winston Churchill Sir Winston Leonard Spencer Churchill (30 November 1874 – 24 January 1965) was a British statesman, military officer, and writer who was Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1940 to 1945 (Winston Churchill in the Second World War, ...
in several productions, beginning with the Southern Television series '' Winston Churchill: The Wilderness Years''. He was nominated for the
BAFTA The British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA, ) is an independent trade association and charity that supports, develops, and promotes the arts of film, television and video games in the United Kingdom. In addition to its annual awa ...
for Best Actor for ''All Creatures Great and Small'' in 1980 and ''Winston Churchill: The Wilderness Years'' in 1982. Aside from acting, Hardy was an acknowledged expert on the medieval English longbow and wrote two books on the subject.


Early life

Hardy was born in
Cheltenham Cheltenham () is a historic spa town and borough adjacent to the Cotswolds in Gloucestershire, England. Cheltenham became known as a health and holiday spa town resort following the discovery of mineral springs in 1716, and claims to be the mo ...
on 29 October 1925 to Henry Harrison Hardy, MBE, of Old Farm, Bishop's Cleeve, Tewkesbury,
Gloucestershire Gloucestershire ( , ; abbreviated Glos.) is a Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county in South West England. It is bordered by Herefordshire to the north-west, Worcestershire to the north, Warwickshire to the north-east, Oxfordshire ...
, and Edith Jocelyn, daughter of Rev. Sydney Dugdale, rector of Whitchurch, Shropshire, a member of a landed gentry family of Wroxall Abbey, Wroxall, Warwickshire. Henry Hardy was the headmaster of Cheltenham College and later of Shrewsbury School, and a Major in the Rifle Brigade. Hardy was educated at Rugby School and
Magdalen College, Oxford Magdalen College ( ) is a Colleges of the University of Oxford, constituent college of the University of Oxford. It was founded in 1458 by Bishop of Winchester William of Waynflete. It is one of the wealthiest Oxford colleges, as of 2022, and ...
, where his studies were interrupted by service in the
Royal Air Force The Royal Air Force (RAF) is the Air force, air and space force of the United Kingdom, British Overseas Territories and Crown Dependencies. It was formed towards the end of the World War I, First World War on 1 April 1918, on the merger of t ...
during
World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...
. He trained as a pilot, receiving part of his instruction in the British Flying Training School Program in Terrell, Texas. Although he visited
Los Angeles Los Angeles, often referred to by its initials L.A., is the List of municipalities in California, most populous city in the U.S. state of California, and the commercial, Financial District, Los Angeles, financial, and Culture of Los Angeles, ...
when on leave from flight training at Terrell, his later acting career never gained a foothold in Hollywood. After service in the RAF, he returned to gain a BA (Hons) in English. On
BBC Radio 4 BBC Radio 4 is a British national radio station owned and operated by the BBC. The station replaced the BBC Home Service on 30 September 1967 and broadcasts a wide variety of spoken-word programmes from the BBC's headquarters at Broadcasti ...
's '' Desert Island Discs'', he described the degree he obtained as "shabby", although he treasured the time spent studying under
C. S. Lewis Clive Staples Lewis (29 November 1898 â€“ 22 November 1963) was a British writer, literary scholar and Anglican lay theologian. He held academic positions in English literature at both Magdalen College, Oxford (1925–1954), and Magdalen ...
and
J. R. R. Tolkien John Ronald Reuel Tolkien (, 3 January 1892 – 2 September 1973) was an English writer and philologist. He was the author of the high fantasy works ''The Hobbit'' and ''The Lord of the Rings''. From 1925 to 1945, Tolkien was the Rawlinson ...
.


Career

Hardy began his career as a classical actor, and made an early Hollywood film appearance in a minor role opposite Glenn Ford in the 1958 war film '' Torpedo Run''. In 1959, he appeared as The King of France in '' All's Well That Ends Well'' in April 1959, directed by Tyrone Guthrie at
Stratford-upon-Avon Stratford-upon-Avon ( ), commonly known as Stratford, is a market town and civil parish in the Stratford-on-Avon (district), Stratford-on-Avon district, in the county of Warwickshire, in the West Midlands (region), West Midlands region of Engl ...
, with Vanessa Redgrave and
Diana Rigg Dame Enid Diana Elizabeth Rigg (20 July 1938 – 10 September 2020) was an English actress of stage and screen. Her roles include Emma Peel in the TV series ''The Avengers (TV series), The Avengers'' (1965–1968); Countess Tracy Bond, Teresa di ...
indicated as supporting extras. He subsequently appeared as Sicinius opposite
Laurence Olivier Laurence Kerr Olivier, Baron Olivier ( ; 22 May 1907 – 11 July 1989) was an English actor and director. He and his contemporaries Ralph Richardson and John Gielgud made up a trio of male actors who dominated the British stage of the m ...
in '' Coriolanus'' at
Stratford-upon-Avon Stratford-upon-Avon ( ), commonly known as Stratford, is a market town and civil parish in the Stratford-on-Avon (district), Stratford-on-Avon district, in the county of Warwickshire, in the West Midlands (region), West Midlands region of Engl ...
, directed by Peter Hall. In this production,
Ian Holm Sir Ian Holm Cuthbert (12 September 1931 – 19 June 2020) was an English actor. After graduating from RADA (Royal Academy of Dramatic Art) and beginning his career on the British stage as a member of the Royal Shakespeare Company, he became a ...
featured as a "Third Aufidious Servant", Vanessa Redgrave as Valeria, and Diana Rigg as a "Roman Citizen". Albert Finney featured as a "First Roman Citizen". Hardy then appeared in
Shakespeare William Shakespeare ( 23 April 1564 – 23 April 1616) was an English playwright, poet and actor. He is widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language and the world's pre-eminent dramatist. He is often called England's natio ...
's '' Henry V'' on stage and in television's '' An Age of Kings'' (1960), and subsequently played Coriolanus in '' The Spread of the Eagle'' (BBC, 1963) and Sir Toby Belch for the
BBC Television Shakespeare The ''BBC Television Shakespeare'' is a series of British television adaptations of Shakespeare's plays, the plays of William Shakespeare, created by Cedric Messina and broadcast by BBC Television. Transmitted in the UK from 3 December 1978 to ...
production of '' Twelfth Night'' in 1980. Over the years, Hardy played a range of parts on television and film. His first continuing role in a TV series was as businessman Alec Stewart in the award-winning oil company drama '' The Troubleshooters'' for the BBC, which he played from 1966 to 1970. He won further acclaim for his portrayal of the mentally-unhinged
Abwehr The (German language, German for ''resistance'' or ''defence'', though the word usually means ''counterintelligence'' in a military context) ) was the German military intelligence , military-intelligence service for the ''Reichswehr'' and the ...
Sgt. Gratz in LWT's 1969 war drama '' Manhunt''. In 1975, Hardy portrayed Albert, Prince Consort in the award-winning 13-hour serial '' Edward the Seventh'' (known as ''Edward the King'' to the American audience), which he regarded as one of his best performances. "I thought I'd done a good job there, although I believe the Royal Family didn't like it all. There are always people who don't like what one does."''All Memories Great & Small'', Oliver Crocker (2016; MIWK) Hardy was seen as the irascible senior veterinary surgeon Siegfried Farnon in the long-running '' All Creatures Great and Small'' (1978–90), an adaptation of James Herriot's semi-autobiographical books. Hardy also made an appearance in the 1986–88 ITV comedy series '' Hot Metal'', in which he played the dual roles of newspaper proprietor Twiggy Rathbone (who bore more than a passing resemblance to
Rupert Murdoch Keith Rupert Murdoch ( ; born 11 March 1931) is an Australian - American retired business magnate, investor, and media mogul. Through his company News Corp, he is the owner of hundreds of List of assets owned by News Corp, local, national, a ...
) and his editor, Russell Spam. In 1993 Hardy appeared in an episode of ''
Inspector Morse Endeavour Morse, GM, is the namesake character of the series of "Morse" detective novels by British author Colin Dexter, a Detective Chief Inspector in the Thames Valley Police in Oxford, England. On television he was portrayed by John ...
'', playing Andrew Baydon in " Twilight of the Gods". In 1994, he played Arthur Brooke in the BBC production of '' Middlemarch''. In 2002, he played the role of pompous and eccentric Professor Neddy Welch in a WTTV/WGBH Boston co-production of ''
Lucky Jim ''Lucky Jim'' is a novel by Kingsley Amis, first published in 1954 by Victor Gollancz Ltd, Victor Gollancz. It was Amis's first novel and won the 1955 Somerset Maugham Award for fiction. The novel follows the academic and romantic tribulations ...
'', adapted from the novel by
Kingsley Amis Sir Kingsley William Amis (16 April 1922 – 22 October 1995) was an English novelist, poet, critic and teacher. He wrote more than 20 novels, six volumes of poetry, a memoir, short stories, radio and television scripts, and works of social crit ...
. It aired originally as part of the ''
Masterpiece A masterpiece, , or ; ; ) is a creation that has been given much critical praise, especially one that is considered the greatest work of a person's career or a work of outstanding creativity, skill, profundity, or workmanship. Historically, ...
'' series on PBS in the U.S. and starred
Stephen Tompkinson Stephen Phillip Tompkinson (born 15 October 1965) is an English actor, known for his television roles as Marcus in '' Chancer '' (1990), Damien Day in '' Drop the Dead Donkey'' (1990–1998), Father Peter Clifford in '' Ballykissangel'' (1996†...
in the title role of Jim Dixon, a luckless lecturer at a provincial British university. Hardy played both
Winston Churchill Sir Winston Leonard Spencer Churchill (30 November 1874 – 24 January 1965) was a British statesman, military officer, and writer who was Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1940 to 1945 (Winston Churchill in the Second World War, ...
and
Franklin D. Roosevelt Franklin Delano Roosevelt (January 30, 1882April 12, 1945), also known as FDR, was the 32nd president of the United States, serving from 1933 until his death in 1945. He is the longest-serving U.S. president, and the only one to have served ...
, each on more than one occasion. He played Churchill most notably in '' Winston Churchill: The Wilderness Years'' (1981), for which he was nominated for a
BAFTA The British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA, ) is an independent trade association and charity that supports, develops, and promotes the arts of film, television and video games in the United Kingdom. In addition to its annual awa ...
award, but also in '' The Sittaford Mystery'', '' Bomber Harris'' and '' War and Remembrance''. On 20 August 2010, he read Churchill's famous wartime address " Never was so much owed by so many to so few" at a ceremony to mark the 70th anniversary of the speech. He played Roosevelt in the
BBC The British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) is a British public service broadcaster headquartered at Broadcasting House in London, England. Originally established in 1922 as the British Broadcasting Company, it evolved into its current sta ...
serial, '' Bertie and Elizabeth'', and in the French TV mini-series, '' Le Grand Charles'', about the life of
Charles de Gaulle Charles André Joseph Marie de Gaulle (22 November 18909 November 1970) was a French general and statesman who led the Free France, Free French Forces against Nazi Germany in World War II and chaired the Provisional Government of the French Re ...
. He also played Robert Dudley, Earl of Leicester, in '' Elizabeth R'' and took the role of Sir John Middleton in the 1995 film version of ''
Sense and Sensibility ''Sense and Sensibility'' ( working title; ''Elinor and Marianne'') is the first novel by the English author Jane Austen, published in 1811. It was published anonymously: ''By A Lady'' appears on the title page where the author's name might h ...
''. Hardy's big screen roles included Professor Krempe in '' Mary Shelley's Frankenstein'' and Minister for Magic Cornelius Fudge in the ''
Harry Potter ''Harry Potter'' is a series of seven Fantasy literature, fantasy novels written by British author J. K. Rowling. The novels chronicle the lives of a young Magician (fantasy), wizard, Harry Potter (character), Harry Potter, and his friends ...
'' films. Hardy's voice performance as
Robin Hood Robin Hood is a legendary noble outlaw, heroic outlaw originally depicted in English folklore and subsequently featured in literature, theatre, and cinema. According to legend, he was a highly skilled archer and swordsman. In some versions o ...
in '' Tale Spinners For Children'', an LP from the 1960s, is considered one of the best Robin Hood renditions. His voice was also the voice of D'Artagnan in ''The Three Musketeers'' and of
Frédéric Chopin Frédéric François Chopin (born Fryderyk Franciszek Chopin; 1 March 181017 October 1849) was a Polish composer and virtuoso pianist of the Romantic period who wrote primarily for Piano solo, solo piano. He has maintained worldwide renown ...
, in ''The Story of Chopin''.


Awards

Hardy was appointed a
Commander of the Order of the British Empire The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is a British order of chivalry, rewarding valuable service in a wide range of useful activities. It comprises five classes of awards across both civil and military divisions, the most senior two o ...
(CBE) in the 1981 Birthday Honours.


Personal life

Hardy's first marriage, in 1952, was to Elizabeth Fox, the daughter of Sir Lionel Fox; they had a son, Paul. This marriage ended in 1956. In 1961 he married Sally Pearson, the daughter of the baronet Sir Neville Pearson and Dame Gladys Cooper as well as a half-sister of John Buckmaster and a sister-in-law of Robert Morley. From this marriage, which ended in 1986, Hardy had two other children, one of whom is Justine Hardy, a journalist, activist and psychotherapist who founded Healing Kashmir. Hardy was a close friend of actor
Richard Burton Richard Burton (; born Richard Walter Jenkins Jr.; 10 November 1925 – 5 August 1984) was a Welsh actor. Noted for his mellifluous baritone voice, Burton established himself as a formidable Shakespearean actor in the 1950s and gave a memor ...
, whom he met at
Oxford University The University of Oxford is a collegiate research university in Oxford, England. There is evidence of teaching as early as 1096, making it the oldest university in the English-speaking world and the second-oldest continuously operating u ...
. He shared some memories of their wartime friendship and read extracts from Burton's newly published diaries at the Cheltenham Literature Festival in 2012. While playing Henry V, Hardy developed an interest in medieval warfare, and in 1963 he wrote and presented an acclaimed television documentary on the subject of the
Battle of Agincourt The Battle of Agincourt ( ; ) was an English victory in the Hundred Years' War. It took place on 25 October 1415 (Saint Crispin's Day) near Azincourt, in northern France. The unexpected victory of the vastly outnumbered English troops agains ...
. He also wrote two books on the subject of the longbow, ''Longbow: A Social and Military History'' and ''The Great Warbow: From Hastings to the Mary Rose'' with Matthew Strickland. He was one of the experts consulted by the
archaeologist Archaeology or archeology is the study of human activity through the recovery and analysis of material culture. The archaeological record consists of Artifact (archaeology), artifacts, architecture, biofact (archaeology), biofacts or ecofacts, ...
responsible for raising the ''
Mary Rose The ''Mary Rose'' was a carrack in the English Tudor navy of Henry VIII of England, King Henry VIII. She was launched in 1511 and served for 34 years in several wars against France, Scotland, and Brittany. After being substantially rebuilt in ...
''. He was Master of the Worshipful Company of Bowyers of the City of London from 1988 to 1990. In 1996 he was elected a Fellow of the Society of Antiquaries. In February 2013, Hardy withdrew from his scheduled performance as Winston Churchill in Peter Morgan's play, '' The Audience'', after suffering cracked ribs as the result of a fall. Hardy died on 3 August 2017, aged 91, at Denville Hall, a home for retired actors.


TV and filmography


Films


Television

*''
David Copperfield ''David Copperfield''Dickens invented over 14 variations of the title for this work; see is a novel by English author Charles Dickens, narrated by the eponymous David Copperfield, detailing his adventures in his journey from infancy to matur ...
'' (1956) ...
David Copperfield ''David Copperfield''Dickens invented over 14 variations of the title for this work; see is a novel by English author Charles Dickens, narrated by the eponymous David Copperfield, detailing his adventures in his journey from infancy to matur ...
*''
The Buccaneers ''The Buccaneers'' is the last novel written by Edith Wharton. The story is set in the 1870s, around the time Wharton was a young girl. It was unfinished work, unfinished at the time of her death in 1937 and published in that form in 1938. Whar ...
'' (1957 TV serial) *'' An Age of Kings'' (1960) *''The Spread of the Eagle'' (1963) .... Coriolanus *'' The Troubleshooters'' (1966–1970) *'' The Baron'' (1966), episode "A Memory of Evil" *'' The Saint'' (1968), series 6, episode 4, "The Desperate Diplomat" .... Walter Faber *'' Manhunt'' (1969) .... Abwehr Sgt. Graz *'' Elizabeth R'' (1971) .... Robert Dudley *'' The Stalls of Barchester'' (1971)... Dr. Haynes *'' The Incredible Robert Baldick'' (1972) .... Sir Robert Baldick *'' The Gathering Storm'' (1974) ....
Joachim von Ribbentrop Ulrich Friedrich-Wilhelm Joachim von Ribbentrop (; 30 April 1893 – 16 October 1946) was a German Nazi politician and diplomat who served as Minister for Foreign Affairs (Germany), Minister of Foreign Affairs of Nazi Germany from 1938 to 1945. ...
*'' Edward the Seventh'' (1975) .... Albert, Prince Consort *'' Upstairs, Downstairs'' (1975), series 5, episode 8, " Such A Lovely Man" *'' The Duchess of Duke Street'' (1976) Episode: "A Lady of Virtue" ... George Duggan *'' All Creatures Great and Small'' (1978–1980 and 1988–1990; entire series) .... Siegfried Farnon *'' Play for Today'' (1979) Sir Malcolm Campbell *'' Twelfth Night'' (1980) *'' The Pied Piper of Hamelin'' (1981), narrator of BAFTA winning animation by Cosgrove Hall Films *'' Winston Churchill: The Wilderness Years'' (1981), Winston Churchill *'' The Zany Adventures of Robin Hood'' (1984) .... King Richard *'' Jenny's War'' (1985) .... Klein *'' Hot Metal'' (1986–1988) .... Terence "Twiggy" Rathbone *''
Northanger Abbey ''Northanger Abbey'' ( ) is a coming-of-age novel and a satire of Gothic fiction, Gothic novels written by the English author Jane Austen. Although the title page is dated 1818 and the novel was published posthumously in 1817 with ''Persuasio ...
'' (1987) .... General Tilney *'' War and Remembrance'' (1988) ....
Winston Churchill Sir Winston Leonard Spencer Churchill (30 November 1874 – 24 January 1965) was a British statesman, military officer, and writer who was Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1940 to 1945 (Winston Churchill in the Second World War, ...
*'' Bomber Harris'' (1989) ....
Winston Churchill Sir Winston Leonard Spencer Churchill (30 November 1874 – 24 January 1965) was a British statesman, military officer, and writer who was Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1940 to 1945 (Winston Churchill in the Second World War, ...
*'' The Case-Book of Sherlock Holmes'', episode "The Master Blackmailer" (1992) .... Charles Augustus Milverton *'' Middlemarch'' (1994) .... Mr. Brooke *''
Gulliver's Travels ''Gulliver's Travels'', originally titled ''Travels into Several Remote Nations of the World. In Four Parts. By Lemuel Gulliver, First a Surgeon, and then a Captain of Several Ships'', is a 1726 prose satire by the Anglo-Irish writer and clerg ...
'' (1996) ....TV Mini-Series, Dr. Parnell *''Castle Ghosts of England, Scotland, Wales, and Ireland'' (1997) .... Host *''
Inspector Morse Endeavour Morse, GM, is the namesake character of the series of "Morse" detective novels by British author Colin Dexter, a Detective Chief Inspector in the Thames Valley Police in Oxford, England. On television he was portrayed by John ...
'' (1993), series 7, episode 3, " Twilight of the Gods" *''
Midsomer Murders ''Midsomer Murders'' is a British Mystery fiction, mystery television series, adapted by Anthony Horowitz and Douglas Watkinson from the novels in the ''Chief Inspector Barnaby'' book series created by Caroline Graham (writer), Caroline Graham. ...
'' (1999), series 2, episode 3, "Dead Man's Eleven" - Robert Cavendish *'' The 10th Kingdom'' (2000) .... Chancellor Griswold *'' The Lost World'' (2001) .... Professor Illingworth *'' Foyle's War'', "The German Woman" (2002) Series 1, Episode 1 * '' The Falklands Play'' (2002) .... Anthony Parsons (HM Ambassador to the UN) * ''
Lucky Jim ''Lucky Jim'' is a novel by Kingsley Amis, first published in 1954 by Victor Gollancz Ltd, Victor Gollancz. It was Amis's first novel and won the 1955 Somerset Maugham Award for fiction. The novel follows the academic and romantic tribulations ...
'' (2003) .... Professor Neddy Welch *'' Spooks'' (2003), second series, episode 4, "Blood and Money" .... Governor of the Bank of England *'' Making Waves'' (2004) *'' Agatha Christie's Marple'', series 2, episode 4, "The Sittaford Mystery" (2006) .... Winston Churchill *'' Little Dorrit'' (2008) .... Tite Barnacle *''
Margaret Margaret is a feminine given name, which means "pearl". It is of Latin origin, via Ancient Greek and ultimately from Iranian languages, Old Iranian. It has been an English language, English name since the 11th century, and remained popular thro ...
'' (2009) .... Willie Whitelaw *'' Lewis'', series 4, episode 2, "Dark Matter" (2010) *''Churchill: 100 Days That Saved Britain'' (2015) .... Winston Churchill


References


External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Hardy, Robert 1925 births 2017 deaths 20th-century English male actors 21st-century English male actors Alumni of Magdalen College, Oxford Commanders of the Order of the British Empire English male film actors English male stage actors English male television actors Fellows of the Society of Antiquaries of London People educated at Rugby School Male actors from Cheltenham English military historians Royal Air Force pilots of World War II