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Edward Hardwicke

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Edward Hardwicke
Hardwicke in 2008
Born
Edward Cedric Hardwicke

(1932-08-07)7 August 1932
London,England
Died16 May 2011(2011-05-16)(aged 78)
Chichester,West Sussex,England
Burial placeChichester Crematorium
Other namesEdward Hardwick
OccupationActor
Years active1943–2011
Spouse(s)Anne Iddon (m.1957;div.19??)
Prim Cotton
​
(m.1995)​
Children2
Parent(s)Cedric Hardwicke
Helena Pickard

Edward Cedric Hardwicke(7 August 1932 – 16 May 2011)[1][2]was an English actor, who had a distinguished career on the stage and on-screen. He was best known for playing Captain Pat Grant inColditz(1972–73), andDr. WatsoninGranada Television'sSherlock Holmes(1986–94).

Early life[edit]

Hardwicke was born in London, the son of actors SirCedric HardwickeandHelena Pickard.[2][3]He began his film career inHollywoodat the age of 10, inVictor Fleming's filmA Guy Named Joewhich starredSpencer Tracy.[2]He returned to England, attendedStowe School,and fulfilled hisnational serviceas apilot officerin theRoyal Air Force.[2]He attended theRoyal Academy of Dramatic Art(RADA) and trained as an actor.[2][4]

Career[edit]

Hardwicke played at theBristol Old Vic,theOxford Playhouseand theNottingham Playhousebefore in 1964 joiningLaurence Olivier'sNational Theatre.[5]He performed regularly there for seven years. He appeared with Olivier inWilliam Shakespeare'sOthelloandIbsen'sThe Master Builder.He also appeared inPeter Shaffer'sThe Royal Hunt of the Sun(withRobert Stephens),Charley's Aunt,Tom Stoppard'sRosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead,Congreve'sThe Way of the World,Georges Feydeau'sA Flea in Her Ear(directed byJacques Charonof theComédie Française),The Crucible,Luigi Pirandello'sThe Rules of the Game,Fyodor Dostoevsky'sThe IdiotandGeorge Bernard Shaw'sMrs. Warren's Profession.[6]He returned to the National in 1977 for a production of Feydeau'sThe Lady from Maxim's.[7]

In 1973 he played Dr Astrov inAnton Chekhov'sUncle Vanyaopposite Peter O'Toole at theBristol Old Vic,and had an uncredited role as Charles Calthrop in the filmThe Day of the Jackal.[2]In 1975 he appeared inFrederick Lonsdale'sOn Approvalat theHaymarket Theatre,and in 1976 he played Sir Robert Chiltern inOscar Wilde'sAn Ideal Husbandat theYvonne Arnaud Theatre,a production with which he touredCanada.

In 1993 he played the role ofC. S Lewis's brotherWarnieoppositeAnthony HopkinsinShadowlands,directed byRichard Attenborough.

In 1995 he appeared inIan McKellen's updatedfilmofRichard III.His father, SirCedric Hardwicke,had appeared in theLaurence Olivier1955film version.

In 2001 he played Arthur Winslow inThe Winslow Boyat theChichester Festival Theatre,a role played by his father in the 1948film.[2]

TV andSherlock Holmes[edit]

Hardwicke had a small role in "The Greek Interpreter"episode of the 1968 seriesSir Arthur Conan Doyle's Sherlock HolmesfeaturingPeter CushingasSherlock Holmes.[8]

Hardwicke playedJudas Iscariotin theDennis PotterTV playSon of Man(1969). He became familiar to television audiences in the 1970s drama seriesColditz,in which he played Pat Grant, a character based on the real-life war heroPat Reid.[2][7]He then played Arthur in the sitcomMy Old Man.In 1978 he appeared as Bellcourt in the last filmed episode ofThe Sweeney,"Hearts and Minds".

In 1990 he was a contestant onCluedo,facing off againstNanette Newman.

David Burkesuggested Hardwicke as his successor in the role ofDoctor Watsonin theGranada Televisionadaptations of theSherlock Holmes storiesinThe Return of Sherlock Holmesseries, alongsideJeremy Brettas Holmes. Hardwicke played the role for eight years from 1986 to 1994, his first episode being "The Empty House" and his last "The Cardboard Box". He portrayed a very calm and attentive Watson,[9]somewhat intolerant of Holmes's more outlandish moods, and became permanently associated with it, also playing it on theWest Endstage with Brett inThe Secret of Sherlock Holmesin 1989.[7]That same year, he also directedGoing OnbyCharles Dennisat the Edinburgh Fringe Festival.

Edward Hardwicke as Leonard inThe Goodbye Plane(2003)

His other television appearances were numerous, and includedHolocaust(1978),Oppenheimer(1980),Strangers and Brothers(1984),Lovejoy(1992),Dangerfield(1996),The Ruth Rendell Mysteries(1997),Heartbeat(1999),David Copperfield(2000),The Goodbye Plane(2003),Agatha Christie's Poirot(2004),Fanny Hill(2007),Holby City,Shameless(2010) as aWorld War IIveteran, andSome Mothers Do 'Ave 'Em(1978).

Filmography[edit]

Hardwicke also provided narration for several films. He voiced Major Swift in theXbox 360gameFable III.

Personal life[edit]

Hardwicke had two daughters, Kate and Emma, by his first marriage to Anne Iddon (died 2000), which ended in divorce.[7]He was married to Prim Cotton from 1994 until his death.[2]

Hardwicke lived inChichester.[2]On 16 May 2011, he died of cancer at a hospice in the city, with his remains handled at the Chichester Crematorium.[10][11][12]

At the time of his death, Hardwicke was a member of the Illustrious Clients of Indianapolis.

References[edit]

  1. ^Baker, Richard Anthony (17 May 2011)."Sherlock Holmes actor Hardwicke dies".The Stage.Retrieved18 December2015.
  2. ^abcdefghijCoveney, Michael(18 May 2011)."Edward Hardwicke obituary".The Guardian.Retrieved18 May2011.
  3. ^Sandra Brennan (2011)."Edward Hardwicke - Biography".Movies & TV Dept.The New York Times.Archived fromthe originalon 11 April 2011.Retrieved22 December2015.
  4. ^"Colditz actor Edward Hardwicke dies aged 78".BBC News.18 May 2011.Retrieved18 May2011.
  5. ^Barnes, Mike (17 May 2011)."'Sherlock Holmes' Actor Edward Hardwicke dies at 78 ".The Hollywood Reporter.Retrieved18 May2011.
  6. ^Hayward, Anthony."Edward Hardwicke: Actor best known as Doctor Watson and as the 'Colditz' escape officer".The Independent.Retrieved22 December2015.
  7. ^abcd"Edward Hardwicke: Obituary".The Daily Telegraph.17 May 2011.Retrieved18 December2015.
  8. ^Redmond, Christopher (2009).Sherlock Holmes Handbook: Second Edition.Dundurn Press.p. 244.ISBN9781459718982.
  9. ^Peter Haining(1994).The Television Sherlock Holmes.Virgin Books. p. 175.ISBN0863697933.
  10. ^Wilson, Scott (19 August 2016).Resting Places: The Burial Sites of More Than 14,000 Famous Persons, 3d ed.ISBN9781476625997.
  11. ^d'Souza, Sav (19 May 2011)."Sherlock Holmes actor Edward Hardwicke dies aged 78".Metro.Retrieved22 December2015.
  12. ^"Edward Hardwicke, Dr. Watson on TV Series, Is Dead at 78".The New York Times.Associated Press. 18 May 2011.Retrieved22 December2015.

External links[edit]

Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Edward_Hardwicke&oldid=1217631976"