
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.

Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban
2004 · as Cornelius Fudge

Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix
2007 · as Cornelius Fudge

Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets
2002 · as Cornelius Fudge

Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire
2005 · as Cornelius Fudge

Sense and Sensibility
1995 · as Sir John Middleton

Mary Shelley's Frankenstein
1994 · as Prof. Krempe

Thunderpants
2002 · as Doctor

Lassie
2005 · as Judge Murray

The Spy Who Came In from the Cold
1965 · as Dick Carlton

Paris by Night
1989 · as Adam Gillvray

The Gathering
2003 · as Bishop

Young Winston
1972 · as Prep School Headmaster

The Barber of Siberia
1998 · as Forsten

Mrs. Dalloway
1997 · as Sir William Bradshaw

The Lost World
2001 · as Prof. Illingworth

How I Won the War
1967 · as British General

Dark Places
1973 · as Edward Foster / Andrew Marr

The Woman He Loved
1988 · as Winston Churchill