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Robert Hardy, a veteran British stage and screen actor who played Minister for Magic Cornelius Fudge in the Harry Potter movies, has died at the age of 91.
According to The Independent, the family of the late actor confirmed the news by issuing a statement. The statement read, “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.”
Born in 1925, Hardy served in the Royal Air Force during World War II and studied at Oxford University, where he became friends with another aspiring actor, Richard Burton. He began his career after the war in Shakespearean roles onstage in Stratford-upon-Avon.
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Between 1978 and 1990, Hardy played the eccentric veterinarian Siegfried Farnon in “All Creatures Great and Small,” a popular TV series based on James Herriot’s books about rural life in the Yorkshire Dales.
Hardy played British Prime Minister Winston Churchill in at least half a dozen films and TV series, including the miniseries “Winston Churchill: The Wilderness Years” and “War and Remembrance.” He also played U.S. President Franklin D. Roosevelt, Churchill’s wartime ally, in both British and French TV series.
Hardy also played Cornelius Fudge, the Minister for Magic, in the Harry Potter films, first appearing in Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets.
The children of the actor, Emma, Justine and Paul said in a joint statement, “Dad is also remembered 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.”
Hardy was awarded a CBE for his services to acting.
May his soul rest in peace…
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