1925-10-29 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.
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Snapshot Wedding | Donald | 2017-01-01 |
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Churchill: 100 Days That Saved Britain | Winston Churchill | 2015-01-25 |
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Joseph's Reel | Old Joseph | 2015-06-18 |
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Narnia's Lost Poet: The Secret Lives and Loves of C.S. Lewis | Self - Interviewee | 2013-11-27 |
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Ghosts in the Machine | Narrator | 2009-10-27 |
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Centenary: The BP Story | George Reynolds (voice) | 2009-02-01 |
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Margaret | Willie Whitelaw | 2009-03-26 |
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Elementary My Dear Viewer | Self | 2007-11-17 |
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Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix | Cornelius Fudge | 2007-07-08 |
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Goodbye Mr Snuggles | Mr. Stiles | 2006-08-15 |
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Lassie | Judge Murray | 2005-12-16 |
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Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire | Cornelius Fudge | 2005-11-16 |
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Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban | Cornelius Fudge | 2004-05-31 |
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Making Waves | Father Parry | 2004-07-26 |
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The Gathering | Bishop | 2003-02-23 |
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Lucky Jim | Professor Neddy Welch | 2003-04-11 |
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Bertie and Elizabeth | President Roosevelt | 2002-06-04 |
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Thunderpants | Doctor | 2002-05-24 |
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The Falklands Play | Sir Anthony Parsons | 2002-04-10 |
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Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets | Cornelius Fudge | 2002-11-13 |
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The Lost World | Prof. Illingworth | 2001-12-25 |
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Nancherrow | Viscount Berryan | 1999-01-01 |
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The Tichborne Claimant | Lord Rivers | 1999-11-12 |
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An Ideal Husband | Lord Caversham | 1999-05-18 |
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Сибирский цирюльник | Forsten | 1998-11-11 |
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Mrs. Dalloway | Sir William Bradshaw | 1997-09-01 |
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Castle Ghosts of Wales | Self | 1997-10-31 |
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Castle Ghosts of Ireland | Self | 1996-08-13 |
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Sense and Sensibility | Sir John Middleton | 1995-12-13 |
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Castle Ghosts of England | Self | 1995-07-10 |
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Mary Shelley's Frankenstein | Prof. Krempe | 1994-11-04 |
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A Feast at Midnight | Headmaster | 1994-11-01 |
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The Master Blackmailer | Charles Augustus Milverton | 1992-02-02 |
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Bomber Harris | Winston Churchill | 1989-09-03 |
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Paris by Night | Adam Gillvray | 1989-04-18 |
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Marcus Welby, M.D.: A Holiday Affair | Dr. Price | 1988-12-19 |
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In from the Cold? A Portrait of Richard Burton | Self | 1988-09-20 |
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The Woman He Loved | Winston Churchill | 1988-04-03 |
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The Death of the Heart | Major Brutt | 1987-05-03 |
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Northanger Abbey | General Tilney | 1987-02-15 |
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Blat | Sidney Tolland | 1987-09-13 |
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Make and Break | John Garrard | 1987-01-02 |
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The Demon Lover | William Drover | 1986-06-21 |
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Paying Guests (Part 1) | Colonel Chase | 1986-10-01 |
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Paying Guests (Part 2) | Colonel Chase | 1986-10-02 |
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The Shooting Party | Bob, Lord Lilburn | 1985-02-01 |
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Jenny's War | Klein | 1985-10-25 |
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The Zany Adventures of Robin Hood | King Richard | 1984-05-22 |
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James Mason: The Star They Loved to Hate | Lord Bob Lilburn (archive footage) (uncredited) | 1984-01-01 |
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Fothergill | John Fothergill | 1981-01-08 |
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The Pied Piper of Hamelin | Narrator (voice) | 1980-03-12 |
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Twelfth Night | Sir Toby Belch | 1980-01-06 |
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Speed King | Dorothy Campbell | 1979-12-19 |
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Caesar and Claretta | Benito Mussolini | 1975-05-08 |
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The Secret Agent | The Assistant Commissioner | 1975-10-01 |
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La Gifle | Robert Dickinson | 1974-10-23 |
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The Gathering Storm | Joachim von Ribbentrop | 1974-11-29 |
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Dark Places | Edward Foster / Andrew Marr | 1973-05-01 |
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Le Silencieux | Assistant | 1973-02-10 |
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Yellow Dog | Alexander | 1973-08-11 |
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Gawain and the Green Knight | Sir Bertilak | 1973-06-01 |
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Psychomania | Chief Inspector Hesseltine | 1973-03-01 |
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Young Winston | Prep School Headmaster | 1972-07-20 |
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Demons of the Mind | Zorn | 1972-11-05 |
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The Incredible Robert Baldick: Never Come Night | Doctor Sir Robert Baldick | 1972-10-06 |
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10 Rillington Place | Malcolm Morris | 1971-02-10 |
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The Stalls of Barchester | Archdeacon Haynes | 1971-12-24 |
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Getting In | Official | 1971-10-25 |
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Marie Stopes: Sexual Revolutionary | Narrator | 1970-06-25 |
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Warm Feet, Warm Heart | Albert Purvis | 1970-09-22 |
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Son of Man | Pontius Pilate | 1969-04-16 |
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How I Won the War | British General | 1967-10-18 |
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Berserk! | Detective Superintendent Brooks | 1967-11-01 |
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The Spy Who Came In from the Cold | Dick Carlton | 1965-12-16 |
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Old Man's Fancy | Jason | 1965-01-01 |
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Torpedo Run | Lt. Redley | 1958-10-24 |
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Othello | Cassio | 1955-12-15 |
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Black Legend | Mad Thomas | 1949-01-10 |
