United Kingdom

sandensea

(22,850 posts) Thu Aug 3, 2017, 06:58 PM Aug 2017

Robert Hardy: Harry Potter and All Creatures Great and Small star dies

The actor Robert Hardy, star of TV series All Creatures Great and Small, has died aged 91, his family has said.

Hardy, they said, had a "tremendous life" and "a giant career in theatre, television and film spanning more than 70 years".

He was also known for numerous portrayals of Winston Churchill. In more recent years, he appeared as Cornelius Fudge, the Minister for Magic, in four of the Harry Potter films.

Hardy, from Cheltenham, Gloucestershire, started his acting career at the age of 24 with the Shakespeare Memorial Company in Stratford, later the Royal Shakespeare Company

With his instantly recognisable voice and British bulldog manner, Robert Hardy enjoyed a distinguished acting career which spanned seven decades.

By the time he endeared himself to television audiences in the BBC's All Creatures Great and Small in 1978, he had already carved out a reputation as one of Britain's most versatile actors.

At: http://www.bbc.com/news/entertainment-arts-40818839

Robert Hardy, 1925-2017

6 replies

= new reply since forum marked as read

Highlight:

Robert Hardy: Harry Potter and All Creatures Great and Small star dies (Original Post) sandensea Aug 2017 OP

Awe, I loved All Creatures Great and Small Phoenix61 Aug 2017 #1

Rest in peace shenmue Aug 2017 #2

RIP LeftishBrit Aug 2017 #3

I remember him from way, way back Matilda Aug 2017 #4

He's probably the only actor who ever played both Churchill and FDR Ken Burch Aug 2017 #5

Growing up we loved that show The King of Prussia Aug 2017 #6

Phoenix61

(17,641 posts)

1. Awe, I loved All Creatures Great and Small

Reply to sandensea (Original post)

Thu Aug 3, 2017, 07:00 PM

Aug 2017

Sounds like he had a long, wonderful life.

shenmue

(38,537 posts)

2. Rest in peace

Reply to sandensea (Original post)

Thu Aug 3, 2017, 07:13 PM

Aug 2017

LeftishBrit

(41,303 posts)

3. RIP

Reply to sandensea (Original post)

Fri Aug 4, 2017, 09:02 AM

Aug 2017

Matilda

(6,384 posts)

4. I remember him from way, way back

Reply to sandensea (Original post)

Tue Aug 8, 2017, 08:51 PM

Aug 2017

in a marvellous BBC production of the Shakespeare Wars of the Roses plays.

He was a very good Henry V to my teenage eyes, and I recall that his Katherine was a very young Judi Dench. And Hotspur was played by Sean Connery, who had just also done his first James Bond. He was really superb. I can't recall anyone else from the series; those were for me the most memorable performances.

I loved Robert Hardy from then on, and one thing I noticed over the years was that he never did rubbish. If he had even a smallish role in something, you knew it would be good, because he didn't waste his time on anything that was poor-quality.

Ken Burch

(50,254 posts)

5. He's probably the only actor who ever played both Churchill and FDR

Reply to sandensea (Original post)

Fri Aug 11, 2017, 01:50 AM

Aug 2017

And at Oxford, he studied under C.S. Lewis and J.R.R. Tolkien.

In some respects he was the real-life "Most Interesting Man In The World".

The King of Prussia

(744 posts)

6. Growing up we loved that show

Reply to sandensea (Original post)

Fri Aug 11, 2017, 06:04 AM

Aug 2017

He was a wonderful actor. The outside scenes for "Darrowby" were filmed in Askrigg, which is beautiful. We actually stayed in "Skeldale House" which is now a lovely B&B - the interior is nothing like the TV show of course.

Reply to this discussion