TRIBUTES TO TV LEGEND ROBERT HARDY WHO HAS DIED AGED 91
THE family of Robert Hardy yesterday announced that the star of stage and screen has died at the age of 91.
He shot to household fame as Siegfried Farnon in the BBC series All Creatures Great And Small.
He went on to star in the Harry Potter film franchise as Minister for Magic Cornelius Fudge.
Chris Rankin, who played Percy Weasley in the Harry Potter films, said he was “terribly sad” to hear the news of Hardy’s death.
“He was a very kind man who told wonderful stories,” he said.
Hardy’s children Emma, Justine and Paul paid tribute saying: “Dad is also remembered as a meticulous linguist, a fine artist, a lover of music and a champion of literature, as well as a highly respected historian, and a leading specialist on the longbow. Gruff, elegant, twinkly, and always dignified, he is celebrated by all who knew him and loved him, and everyone who enjoyed his work.”
They also praised the team at Denville Hall, a London-based retirement home for actors, where Hardy spent his last days, for the “tender care they gave during his last weeks”.
Hardy, who hailed from Cheltenham, became a familiar TV face when he played senior vet Siegfried Farnon in All Creatures Great And Small from 1978 until 1990.
The programme became a smash hit, attracting audiences of around 20 million. Christopher Timothy, who played James Herriot in All Creatures, said of Hardy last night: “A fascinating man, he didn’t suffer fools I can tell you, but he was a good fellow. “May he rest in peace.” Hardy played Sir Winston Churchill six times throughout his career, most notably in 1981’s eight-part series Winston Churchill: The Wilderness Years, for which he won a Bafta. He was also appointed a CBE for his services to acting in the same year. During his time at Oxford University he studied English under JRR Tolkien and CS Lewis.
He was a close friend of the late Richard Burton and during his early career worked with stage legends such as Laurence Olivier, John Gielgud and Dame Judi Dench.
It was also announced yesterday that Hywell Bennett, star of popular ITV sitcom Shelley, has passed away at the age of 73.
The actor, from Carmarthenshire in Wales, found fame in the show which ran from 1979 to 1983. He later joined the cast of EastEnders in 2003.
He had one daughter, Emma, with his former wife, the broadcaster Cathy McGowan. It is understood that he died on July 25.