Robert Hardy, the British actor known for his role inAll Creatures Great and Smalland theHarry Potterfilms, has died at the age of 91.
His family confirmed the news in a statement to theBBC,adding that Hardy had a tremendous life and a giant career in theater, television, and film spanning more than 70 years.
Hardy was perhaps best known for his role as the veterinarian Siegfried Harnon on the British TV seriesAll Creatures Great and Smalland for playing Cornelius Fudge, the Minister for Magic, in multipleHarry Potterfilms.
Born in Cheltenham, England, in 1925, Hardy began acting on stage before rising to prominence in the late 1970s withAll Creatures Great and Small.He is also known for being one of the few actors to play Winston Churchill on multiple occasions, most famously in the 1981 miniseriesWinston Churchill: The Wilderness Years.
Harry Potterauthor J.K. Rowling paid tribute to Hardy on Twitter, writing that he was such a talented actor and everybody who worked with him onPotterloved him.
He is survived by his children, Emma, Justine, and Paul, who paid tribute to their father in a statement to the BBC: Gruff, elegant, twinkly, and always dignified, he is celebrated by all who knew him and loved him, and everyone who enjoyed his work.
