Terrence Edward Hardiman (6 April 1937 – 18 April 2023) was an English actor. He often portrayed authority figures such as Nazi-era personnel (Secret Army, Colditz, Wish Me Luck and Enemy at the Door) and a British officer (When the Boat Comes In).
His other roles include: a police inspector (Prime Suspect, Juliet Bravo and Softly, Softly); a doctor (Home to Roost and The Royal); a barrister (Crown Court and The Brittas Empire); a judge (The Bill and The Courtroom); a twelfth-century abbot (Cadfael); and an evil headmaster in The Demon Headmaster. He played prime minister Ramsay MacDonald in Richard Attenborough's Gandhi. He also appeared in the Inspector Morse episode "Last Bus to Woodstock".
Early life and education
Hardiman was born on 6 April 1937 in Forest Gate, Essex, now in Newham, London. His father was a policeman. Hardiman was educated at Buckhurst Hill County High School, Essex and later studied at Fitzwilliam College, Cambridge (then known as Fitzwilliam House), where he read English.
Stage career
At Cambridge, Hardiman acted extensively for The Marlowe Society and the Cambridge University Amateur Dramatic Club, in both dramatic and comedic roles, alongside many of his future screen co-stars such as Derek Jacobi.
Hardiman then toured with the Royal Shakespeare Company in several principal roles, including as Starveling in Peter Brook's landmark 1970 production of A Midsummer Night's Dream.
Film and television career
1970s and 1980s
Hardiman's television work included him playing barrister Stephen Harvesty QC in Granada Television's Crown Court from 1972 to 1983.
Hardiman portrayed Major Reinhardt, in Secret Army, the (fictional) head of the Luftwaffe (German Air force) police who often provided a foil to Clifford Rose's more brutal S.S. Chief, Kessler. In 1990, he played a German officer, General Stuckler, in the final series of London Weekend Television's Wish Me Luck.
From 1996 to 1998, Hardiman starred as the eponymous Demon Headmaster in the children's television drama series, which ran to three series and proved popular with adults as well as children. He reprised his role as a cameo in the 2019 revival.
Hardiman's other major recurring role was as Brother Cadfael's ecclesiastical superior, Father Abbot Radulfus, in the television series. Joining him throughout the series as Prior Robert was Michael Culver, who had played his predecessor Major Brandt in Secret Army.
In 2009, he appeared in a film for the BFI, Radio Mania: An Abandoned Work, directed by British artists Iain Forsyth and Jane Pollard.
Hardiman appeared as Hawthorne in the episode of Doctor Who, "The Beast Below", on 10 April 2010.
Personal life and death
Hardiman was married to Rowena Cooper and the couple had two children.
Hardiman died on 18 April 2023, aged 86.
Selected filmography
- Running Scared (1972) as Doctor
- Pope Joan (1972) as Cardinal Anastasius
- Loophole (1981) as David
- Distant Shadow (2000) as The Svit