Robert Hardy
- Known for
- Acting
- Born
- 29 October 1925 · Cheltenham, Gloucestershire, England, UK
- Died
- 3 August 2017
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.
Known for
Acting 79
- 2017Snapshot Wedding as Donald
- 2015Joseph's Reel as Old Joseph
- 2015Churchill: 100 Days That Saved Britain as Winston Churchill
- 2013Narnia's Lost Poet: The Secret Lives and Loves of C.S. Lewis as Self - Interviewee
- 2009Ghosts in the Machine as Narrator
- 2009Margaret as Willie Whitelaw
- 2009Centenary: The BP Story as George Reynolds (voice)
- 2007Elementary My Dear Viewer as Self
- 2007Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix as Cornelius Fudge
- 2006Goodbye Mr Snuggles as Mr. Stiles
- 2005Lassie as Judge Murray
- 2005Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire as Cornelius Fudge
- 2004Making Waves as Father Parry
- 2004Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban as Cornelius Fudge
- 2003Lucky Jim as Professor Neddy Welch
- 2003The Gathering as Bishop
- 2002Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets as Cornelius Fudge
- 2002Bertie and Elizabeth as President Roosevelt
- 2002Thunderpants as Doctor
- 2002The Falklands Play as Sir Anthony Parsons
- 2001The Lost World as Prof. Illingworth
- 2000Justice in Wonderland as Mr. Justice Morland
- 1999The Tichborne Claimant as Lord Rivers
- 1999An Ideal Husband as Lord Caversham
- 1999Nancherrow as Viscount Berryan
- 1998The Barber of Siberia as Forsten
- 1997Castle Ghosts of Wales as Self
- 1997Mrs. Dalloway as Sir William Bradshaw
- 1996Castle Ghosts of Ireland as Self
- 1995Sense and Sensibility as Sir John Middleton
- 1995Castle Ghosts of England as Self
- 1994Mary Shelley's Frankenstein as Prof. Krempe
- 1994A Feast at Midnight as Headmaster
- 1992The Master Blackmailer as Charles Augustus Milverton
- 1989Bomber Harris as Winston Churchill
- 1989Paris by Night as Adam Gillvray
- 1988Marcus Welby, M.D.: A Holiday Affair as Dr. Price
- 1988In from the Cold? A Portrait of Richard Burton as Self
- 1988The Woman He Loved as Winston Churchill
- 1987Blat as Sidney Tolland
- 1987The Death of the Heart as Major Brutt
- 1987Northanger Abbey as General Tilney
- 1987Make and Break as John Garrard
- 1986Paying Guests (Part 2) as Colonel Chase
- 1986Paying Guests (Part 1) as Colonel Chase
- 1986The Demon Lover as William Drover
- 1985Jenny's War as Klein
- 1985The Shooting Party as Bob, Lord Lilburn
- 1984The Zany Adventures of Robin Hood as King Richard
- 1984James Mason: The Star They Loved to Hate as Lord Bob Lilburn (archive footage) (uncredited)
- 1981Fothergill as John Fothergill
- 1980The Pied Piper of Hamelin as Narrator (voice)
- 1980Twelfth Night as Sir Toby Belch
- 1979Speed King as Dorothy Campbell
- 1975The Secret Agent as The Assistant Commissioner
- 1975Caesar and Claretta as Benito Mussolini
- 1974The Gathering Storm as Joachim von Ribbentrop
- 1974The Slap as Robert Dickinson
- 1973Yellow Dog as Alexander
- 1973Gawain and the Green Knight as Sir Bertilak
- 1973Dark Places as Edward Foster / Andrew Marr
- 1973Psychomania as Chief Inspector Hesseltine
- 1973The Silent One as Assistant
- 1972Demons of the Mind as Zorn
- 1972The Incredible Robert Baldick: Never Come Night as Doctor Sir Robert Baldick
- 1972Young Winston as Prep School Headmaster
- 1971The Stalls of Barchester as Archdeacon Haynes
- 1971Getting In as Official
- 197110 Rillington Place as Malcolm Morris
- 1970Warm Feet, Warm Heart as Albert Purvis
- 1970Marie Stopes: Sexual Revolutionary as Narrator
- 1969Son of Man as Pontius Pilate
- 1967Berserk! as Detective Superintendent Brooks
- 1967How I Won the War as British General
- 1965The Spy Who Came In from the Cold as Dick Carlton
- 1965Old Man's Fancy as Jason
- 1958Torpedo Run as Lt. Redley
- 1955Othello as Cassio
- 1949Black Legend as Mad Thomas