Terrence Hardiman facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Terrence Hardiman
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Hardiman in 2009
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| Born | 6 April 1937 Forest Gate, London, England
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| Died | 8 May 2023 (aged 86) |
| Alma mater | University of Cambridge |
| Occupation | Actor |
| Years active | 1965–2023 |
| Known for | Secret Army |
| Spouse(s) |
Rowena Cooper
(m. 1964) |
| Children | 2 |
Terrence Hardiman (born April 6, 1937 – died May 8, 2023) was an English actor. He was famous for playing many different kinds of characters. He often played people in charge, like officers or important officials in TV shows such as Secret Army and Colditz.
He also played a police inspector in shows like Prime Suspect. Kids might know him best as the scary headmaster in the children's TV series The Demon Headmaster. Terrence Hardiman also played a real-life Prime Minister, Ramsay MacDonald, in the movie Gandhi.
Besides acting on screen, Hardiman read hundreds of audiobooks. He even volunteered his time to read for the Calibre Audio Library, which helps people who can't read print books easily. For his volunteer work, he received an award in 2013.
Contents
Early Life and Education
Terrence Hardiman was born on April 6, 1937. His birthplace was Forest Gate, which is now part of London. His father worked as a policeman.
Terrence went to Buckhurst Hill County High School in Essex. After high school, he studied English at Cambridge University.
Acting on Stage
While at Cambridge University, Terrence Hardiman acted a lot. He performed in plays for groups like The Marlowe Society. He acted in both funny and serious roles. Many actors he worked with there later became famous on screen, like Derek Jacobi.
After university, Hardiman toured with the Royal Shakespeare Company. This is a very famous theater group. He played important parts in many of their plays. One of his notable roles was in a famous 1970 production of A Midsummer Night's Dream.
Film and Television Roles
Early TV Work in the 1970s and 1980s
Terrence Hardiman appeared in many TV shows. From 1972 to 1983, he played a lawyer named Stephen Harvesty in the show Crown Court.
He also had a main role as Charles Pooter in a 1979 TV show called Diary of a Nobody. This role showed he could play many different types of characters.
Hardiman played Major Reinhardt in Secret Army. His character was the head of the German Air Force police. He often worked against the S.S. Chief, Kessler. Later, in 1990, he played another German officer in the show Wish Me Luck.
Famous Roles in the 1990s
One fun role Hardiman played was in the comedy show Goodnight Sweetheart. He played a character similar to Sergeant Wilson from the classic show Dad's Army. He copied the original actor's style very well.
From 1996 to 1998, Hardiman starred in The Demon Headmaster. He played the main character, an evil headmaster who could control people's minds. This show was very popular with both kids and adults. He even made a small appearance in the show's reboot in 2019.
He also appeared in four episodes of The Worst Witch. In this show, he played Grand Wizard Egbert Hellibore. Hardiman also had a role in the crime show Jonathan Creek.
Another important role was Father Abbot Radulfus in the Cadfael series. He played the boss of Brother Cadfael.
TV Appearances in the 2000s
In 2009, Terrence Hardiman appeared in the daily soap opera Doctors. He also appeared in the drama Heartbeat.
In 2010, he had a role in the popular science fiction show Doctor Who. He played a character named Hawthorne in the episode "The Beast Below".
Personal Life
Terrence Hardiman was married to an actress named Rowena Cooper. They had two children together.
Terrence Hardiman passed away on May 8, 2023, when he was 86 years old.
Selected Filmography
- Running Scared (1972) as Doctor
- Pope Joan (1972) as Cardinal Anastasius
- Loophole (1981) as David
- The Bunker (1981) as Hermann Fegelein
- Gandhi (1982) as Ramsay MacDonald
- Sahara (1983) as Browne
- Mask of Murder (1985) as Dr. Paul Crossland
- God's Outlaw (1986) as Thomas Cromwell
- Prime Suspect (1993) as Commander Chiswick
- The Demon Headmaster (1996-1998) as The Demon Headmaster
- Distant Shadow (2000) as The Svit
- Fishtales (2007) as Professor Ratcher
- Doctor Who (2010, TV Series) as Hawthorne
- Mr. Turner (2014) as Gallery Visitors
- The Demon Headmaster (2019, TV Series) as The Demon Headmaster
