Terrence Hardiman

A police officer's son, Terrence E. Hardiman was born in Forest Gate, Essex (the area was later absorbed into London). He went to school in Essex, graduated in 1956 and then proceeded to study English at Cambridge University's Fitzwilliam College. He began his career on the Shakespearean stage as an amateur thespian with the Cambridge University Players and The Marlowe Society in the late 1950s. After an impressive early performance as Mephistopheles in Doctor Faustus, Hardiman joined the Royal Shakespeare Company in Stratford-Upon-Avon. A member of the ensemble from 1966 to 1970, he made regular appearances in classic plays like King Lear, Hamlet and (as Starveling the tailor) in Peter Brook's notably minimalist production of A Midsummer Night's Dream. Acting on screen from 1965, Hardiman excelled in the portrayal of autocratic, imperious or sinister characters. He reached the peak of his popularity as the piercingly green-eyed, mind control-using antagonist of The Demon Headmaster (1996), a children's sci-fi series which made the actor a much recognized figure in and around London. In real life, Hardiman was known as a "good-natured gentleman" of amiable temperament. Prior to his role as the demonic principal, Hardiman had enjoyed recurring roles in Softly Softly: Task Force (1969) (Inspector Armstrong), Secret Army (1977) (Luftwaffe chief Major Hans Dietrich Reinhardt) and Granada's Crown Court (1972) (barrister Stephen Harvesty). His impressively diverse gallery of personae in guest-starring appearances on television and in occasional forays to the big screen has included abbots and cardinals, Nazi officers, doctors, judges, police superintendents, university professors, a grand wizard (The Worst Witch (1998)) and even a Prime Minister (Ramsay McDonald in Gandhi (1982)). In addition to his work on stage and screen, Hardiman provided narration and voice-overs for numerous audio books by authors ranging from Roald Dahl and Ken Follett to Inspector Morse creator Colin Dexter and Wilkie Collins. He was married for almost six decades to the actress Rowena Cooper. Hardiman died on April 18 2023 at the age of 86.