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Terrence E. Hardiman, the son of a police officer, was born in Forest Gate, Essex, an area later incorporated into London. He attended school in Essex, graduating in 1956, before studying English at Fitzwilliam College, Cambridge University. His acting career began on the Shakespearean stage as an amateur with the Cambridge University Players and The Marlowe Society in the late 1950s. Following a standout early performance as Mephistopheles in Doctor Faustus, Hardiman joined the Royal Shakespeare Company in Stratford-Upon-Avon. Between 1966 and 1970, he was part of the ensemble, regularly appearing in classic productions such as King Lear, Hamlet, and as Starveling the tailor in Peter Brook’s minimalist A Midsummer Night’s Dream.
Starting his screen career in 1965, Hardiman specialized in roles portraying authoritarian, imperious, or sinister characters. He gained widespread recognition as the green-eyed, mind-controlling villain in the children’s sci-fi series The Demon Headmaster (1996), which made him a familiar figure in London and beyond. Offscreen, Hardiman was regarded as a good-natured gentleman with a pleasant disposition.
Before portraying the demonic headmaster, Hardiman had recurring roles including Inspector Armstrong in Softly Softly: Task Force (1969), Luftwaffe Major Hans Dietrich Reinhardt in Secret Army (1977), and barrister Stephen Harvesty in Granada’s Crown Court (1972). His varied television guest roles and occasional film appearances encompassed abbots, cardinals, Nazi officers, doctors, judges, police superintendents, university professors, a grand wizard (The Worst Witch, 1998), and even Prime Minister Ramsay MacDonald in Gandhi (1982).
Beyond stage and screen, Hardiman lent his voice to numerous audiobooks by authors such as Roald Dahl, Ken Follett, Colin Dexter (creator of Inspector Morse), and Wilkie Collins. He was married to actress Rowena Cooper for nearly sixty years. Terrence Hardiman passed away on April 18, 2023, at the age of 86.
