The Courier & Advertiser (Fife Edition)
Actor Robert Hardy dies aged 91
‘Gruff, elegant and twinkly’, he was best known for his roles in Harry Potter movies and All Creatures Great And Small
All Creatures Great And Small actor Christopher Timothy has paid tribute to his late co-star Robert Hardy, who has died aged 91.
Hardy was known for his role as Siegfried Farnon in the BBC series, which starred Timothy as vet James Herriot.
Timothy told the Press Association: “I was very sad to hear about Robert today, he played a big part in something that was an important phase of my life.
“He has left an unbelievable legacy of fantastic work for many generations to enjoy and appreciate.
“A fascinating man, he didn’t suffer fools I can tell you, but he was a good fellow.
“Prince Albert and of course Campbell were just two of the performances that stick in my mind.”
JK Rowling also shared her memories of working with Hardy on the film adaptations of her Harry Potter books, in which he played the Minister for Magic Cornelius Fudge.
She wrote: “So very sad to hear about Robert Hardy. He was such a talented actor and everybody who worked with him on Potter loved him.”
The family of Hardy paid tribute to the “gruff, elegant, twinkly, and always dignified” actor as they shared the news of his passing.
Hardy’s children Emma, Justine and Paul said in a statement: “It is with great sadness that the family of Robert Hardy CBE today announced his death, following a tremendous life: a giant career in theatre, television and film spanning more than 70 years.”
“From the early start, post WWII, with the Shakespeare Memorial Company in Stratford, to his later role in the Harry Potter films as Cornelius Fudge, the Minister for Magic – he will perhaps be most remembered for two iconic roles: as Siegfried Farnon in the long-running and much loved BBC series All Creatures Great And Small, and in his many and magnificently distinguished portrayals of Winston Churchill.”
They said that they will remember their father “as a meticulous linguist, a fine artist, a lover of music and a champion of literature, as well a highly respected historian, and a leading specialist on the longbow”.
“He was an essential part of the team that raised the great Tudor warship The Mary Rose.
“Gruff, elegant, twinkly, and always dignified, he is celebrated by all who knew him and loved him, and everyone who enjoyed his work.”
Hardy’s other roles included Tite Barnacle in Little Dorrit (2008) and Arthur Brooke in Middlemarch (1994).
He also took on the leading role in Churchill: 100 Days That Saved Britain (2015) and in Winston Churchill: The Wilderness Years (1981).
The Bafta-nominated star, from Cheltenham, was also awarded a CBE for his services to acting.