Hardy was a prolific British actor of both stage and screen, with many well-known and memorable roles under his belt before he joined the Potter franchise as the weak and ambitious Minister for Magic Cornelius Fudge.

Hardy got his start in Shakespeare, playing Sicinius in Coriolanus with Lawrence Olivier in 1959.  He achieved widespread fame in the UK when he played veterinarian Siegfried Farnon on the BBC series All Creatures Great and Small for 12 years.