Robert Hardy
- Known for
- Acting
- Born
- October 29, 1925
- Died
- August 3, 2017
- Birthplace
- 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.
Filmography
- Snapshot Wedding
Snapshot Wedding 2017
as Donald
Joseph's Reel 2015
as Old Joseph
Churchill: 100 Days That Saved Britain 2015
as Winston Churchill
Narnia's Lost Poet: The Secret Lives and Loves of C.S. Lewis 2013
as Self - Interviewee
- Ghosts in the Machine
Ghosts in the Machine 2009
as Narrator
Margaret 2009
as Willie Whitelaw
Centenary: The BP Story 2009
as George Reynolds (voice)
- Elementary My Dear Viewer
Elementary My Dear Viewer 2007
as Self
Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix 2007
as Cornelius Fudge
Goodbye Mr Snuggles 2006
as Mr. Stiles
Lassie 2005
as Judge Murray
Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire 2005
as Cornelius Fudge
Making Waves 2004
as Father Parry
Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban 2004
as Cornelius Fudge
Lucky Jim 2003
as Professor Neddy Welch
The Gathering 2003
as Bishop
Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets 2002
as Cornelius Fudge
Bertie and Elizabeth 2002
as President Roosevelt
Thunderpants 2002
as Doctor
The Falklands Play 2002
as Sir Anthony Parsons
The Lost World 2001
as Prof. Illingworth
- Justice in Wonderland
Justice in Wonderland 2000
as Mr. Justice Morland
The Tichborne Claimant 1999
as Lord Rivers
An Ideal Husband 1999
as Lord Caversham
Nancherrow 1999
as Viscount Berryan
The Barber of Siberia 1998
as Forsten
Castle Ghosts of Wales 1997
as Self
Mrs. Dalloway 1997
as Sir William Bradshaw
Castle Ghosts of Ireland 1996
as Self
Sense and Sensibility 1995
as Sir John Middleton
Castle Ghosts of England 1995
as Self
Mary Shelley's Frankenstein 1994
as Prof. Krempe
A Feast at Midnight 1994
as Headmaster
The Master Blackmailer 1992
as Charles Augustus Milverton
Bomber Harris 1989
as Winston Churchill
Paris by Night 1989
as Adam Gillvray
Marcus Welby, M.D.: A Holiday Affair 1988
as Dr. Price
In from the Cold? A Portrait of Richard Burton 1988
as Self
The Woman He Loved 1988
as Winston Churchill
Blat 1987
as Sidney Tolland
The Death of the Heart 1987
as Major Brutt
Northanger Abbey 1987
as General Tilney
Make and Break 1987
as John Garrard
Paying Guests (Part 2) 1986
as Colonel Chase
Paying Guests (Part 1) 1986
as Colonel Chase
The Demon Lover 1986
as William Drover
Jenny's War 1985
as Klein
The Shooting Party 1985
as Bob, Lord Lilburn
The Zany Adventures of Robin Hood 1984
as King Richard
James Mason: The Star They Loved to Hate 1984
as Lord Bob Lilburn (archive footage) (uncredited)
Fothergill 1981
as John Fothergill
The Pied Piper of Hamelin 1980
as Narrator (voice)
Twelfth Night 1980
as Sir Toby Belch
- Speed King
Speed King 1979
as Dorothy Campbell
- The Secret Agent
The Secret Agent 1975
as The Assistant Commissioner
Caesar and Claretta 1975
as Benito Mussolini
The Gathering Storm 1974
as Joachim von Ribbentrop
The Slap 1974
as Robert Dickinson
Yellow Dog 1973
as Alexander
Gawain and the Green Knight 1973
as Sir Bertilak
Dark Places 1973
as Edward Foster / Andrew Marr
Psychomania 1973
as Chief Inspector Hesseltine
The Silent One 1973
as Assistant
Demons of the Mind 1972
as Zorn
The Incredible Robert Baldick: Never Come Night 1972
as Doctor Sir Robert Baldick
Young Winston 1972
as Prep School Headmaster
The Stalls of Barchester 1971
as Archdeacon Haynes
- Getting In
Getting In 1971
as Official
10 Rillington Place 1971
as Malcolm Morris
- Warm Feet, Warm Heart
Warm Feet, Warm Heart 1970
as Albert Purvis
Marie Stopes: Sexual Revolutionary 1970
as Narrator
Son of Man 1969
as Pontius Pilate
Berserk! 1967
as Detective Superintendent Brooks
How I Won the War 1967
as British General
The Spy Who Came In from the Cold 1965
as Dick Carlton
- Old Man's Fancy
Old Man's Fancy 1965
as Jason
Torpedo Run 1958
as Lt. Redley
Othello 1955
as Cassio
Black Legend 1949
as Mad Thomas
Credits from TMDB.