Robert Hardy, a Frequent Churchill and a ‘Potter’ Wizard, Dies at 91
Robert Hardy, the veteran British character actor whose roles included Cornelius Fudge in four Harry Potter
movies, an eccentric veterinary surgeon in “All Creatures Great and
Small” and numerous incarnations of Winston Churchill, died on Thursday
in London. He was 91.
His family confirmed his death in a statement.
Mr. Hardy first achieved fame when he played the outspoken and irascible Siegfried Farnon in the long-running British series “All Creatures Great and Small” (1978-90), based on James Herriot’s books.
He became a familiar face to a new generation of fans when he was cast, in his late 70s, as Fudge,
the imperfect minister for magic (he once unwisely posted the flying
fiends known as Dementors around Hogwarts), in “Harry Potter and the
Chamber of Secrets” (2002) and three of its sequels.
But
it was his portrayals of Churchill, Britain’s crusty and indomitable
wartime prime minister, that defined him for many British audiences.
He
first took on the role in “Winston Churchill: The Wilderness Years,” a
1981 British mini-series, for which he won a Bafta, Britain’s most
prestigious film and television award. (He said he had prepared for the
role by listening to Churchill’s audio recordings for months.)
American
viewers saw him reprise the role in the acclaimed mini-series “War and
Remembrance” (1988-89), but he also played Churchill in two 1980s
television movies, “The Woman He Loved” and “Bomber Harris”; a London
stage production, “Winnie” (which The Guardian pronounced a “feeble
musical”); and a French play, “Celui Qui a Dit Non” (1999). And his last
screen appearance, other than a role in a film short, was as the star
of “Churchill: 100 Days That Saved Britain,” a 2015 British television
movie.
Mr.
Hardy had a prolific screen career over seven decades. He was hailed
for his portrayal of Henry V in the 1960 British mini-series “An Age of
Kings,” and of Robert Dudley, Earl of Leicester, in “Elizabeth R,” the
mini-series starring Glenda Jackson, which was shown in the United
States in 1972.
He
had memorable roles in films like “Sense and Sensibility” (1995), “Mrs.
Dalloway” (1997) and “Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein” (1994).
And
he appeared in “The Shooting Party” (1985), a British drama about
thoughtless pre-World War I aristocrats. The movie almost wasn’t made
after Mr. Hardy, Edward Fox and the film’s star, Paul Scofield, were
injured while filming a scene. As Reuters described it, “a runaway
horseless carriage overturned,” leaving Scofield with a broken leg and
the others with cuts and bruises. Scofield had to be replaced, by James
Mason, but Mr. Fox and Mr. Hardy carried on.
Timothy
Sydney Robert Hardy was born in Cheltenham, England, in the Cotswolds,
on Oct. 29, 1925. He was the youngest child of Henry Harrison Hardy,
headmaster of Cheltenham College, and the former Edith Dugdale. He
attended Oxford University and served in the Royal Air Force before
beginning his acting career in Stratford-upon-Avon with the troupe that
later became the Royal Shakespeare Company.
Although
he was best known for his screen work, he had a notable stage career.
His London debut was as Claudio in John Gielgud’s production of “Much
Ado About Nothing” (1952). Working with the Old Vic theater company in
the early 1950s, he appeared in a variety of roles, including that of
Laertes to Richard Burton’s Hamlet. He also appeared on Broadway twice,
although both productions — “Someone Waiting” (1956) and “Four Winds”
(1957) – had extremely brief runs.
Mr.
Hardy was an author, too. Inspired by an early Shakespearean role, he
became fascinated by archery, particularly one ancient British weapon,
and wrote “Longbow: A Social and Military History” (first published in 1976). It is now considered a classic reference work on the subject.
He
was married twice, to Elizabeth Fox (1952-56) and to Sally Pearson
(1961-86). His survivors include a son, Paul, and two daughters, Justine
and Emma Hardy. He was made a Commander of the British Empire in 1981.
Mr. Hardy’s acting ambitions began in early childhood, he once told the BBC, when he served as a page at a wedding.
“I
walked down the aisle with my head held high, and as I went every eye
was turned towards me,” he recalled. “And something inside me said:
‘That’s it. Get every eye on you.’”
