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At least one person cast in the new Harry Potter television show is already thinking about its future, and how he might not be part of it. Bertie Carvel will be playing Cornelius Fudge, the manipulative Minister of Magic played by Robert Hardy in the films. However, in a recent interview, Carvel said he might not return after the show's first season if fans don't like it. His comments might be alarming to Harry Potter fans who understand the importance of Fudge's role in some of the later novels, particularly book five, Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix.

Actually, I'm surprised they cast Fudge already because the show is meant to be a more faithful adaptation of J.K. Rowling's book series, beginning with the first novel, Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone. Well, Fudge doesn't actually appear until the second book, Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets,...

Bertie Carvel, the actor cast as Cornelius Fudge in the Harry Potterremake is already weighing in on whether he'll come back for season 2 of the HBO Max series. Though he's primarily known as a stage actor, Carvel has appeared in several TV series, including The Crown. However, portraying the 32nd Minister for Magic is shaping up to be Carvel's biggest small-screen project.

Speaking to The Times, Carvel revealed that he was very impressed by the scripts, and that he had only read the Harry Potter books after being cast as Fudge. He still recognizes the devout fandom for the wizarding world franchise, with Carvel insisting that his return for season 2 is entirely dependent on what the fans think of his character. Read his full comment below:

I don’t know how it’s going to fit into my life. I’ve read one script, which I loved, and I’ve read the books.

It looks like Harry Potter's Minister for Magic might not be running the wizarding world for long. Bertie Carvel, who’s stepping into the role of Cornelius Fudge for HBO’s Harry Potter reboot, has admitted he’s not certain he’ll stick around beyond Season 1 — and the decision, he says, may rest with the fans. In a new interview with The Times, the Doctor Foster and The Crownactor revealed that while he’s enjoyed diving into J.K. Rowling’s magical universe, his future on the show isn’t guaranteed. “I am coming at it with a really open mind,” he said. “Whether I come back [after the first series] probably depends on what the fans think. I mean, I’ll be furious if it’s not an amazing part.”

Carvel is taking over the character originally played by Robert Hardy, a performance still fondly remembered by many fans of the original film series.

Nearly 15 years after the conclusion of the "Harry Potter" film franchise, and almost 20 years since the release of J.K. Rowling's final novel, "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows," Warner Bros. is teaming up with HBO to produce an all-new TV series based on the beloved books. We've already met many members of the cast, and while details remain scarce, it's safe to assume the show will stick more closely to the source material, perhaps even expanding on moments the films had to omit.

Yes, the movies are genuine classics -- well, most of them, anyway -- and the various directors and writers did their best to adapt Rowling's massive texts into feature-length films suitable for general audiences. But that meant many important characters and plot threads were either glossed over or cut entirely.

With 8–10 hours at their disposal per season, the "Harry Potter" TV series showrunners should have more...

Someone has cast Engorgio on the cast list for HBO's Harry Potter reboot, as the show recently added even more actors to its already sizeable troupe. Fans already knew who would be playing key roles, like Albus Dumbledore, Severus Snape, and Harry Potter himself. But the latest round of casting revealed that Johnny Flynn will be the new Lucius Malfoy, the ill-tempered, bitter, and well-conditioned patriarch of the Malfoy family. Jason Isaacs originally played the role in Warner Bros.' film franchise, and the actor has given Flynn the perfect piece of advice for playing the racist wizard in HBO's upcoming reboot.

Following the casting announcement, Jason Isaacs took to X to praise the new additions to the Harry Potter family. As well as complimenting the choice of actors, Isaacs had some kind words to say about Johnny Flynn, the new Lucius Malfoy, as well as some very practical and on-brand advice.

Hold up folks, the Wizarding World just got a major Ministry upgrade!

HBO’s upcoming Harry Potter series has officially cast the one and only Bertie Carvel as Cornelius Fudge—and if that name sounds familiar, you’re not alone. This isn’t Carvel’s first trip through a magical kingdom. He has also entered the realm of the Game of Thrones universe in the upcoming A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms.

Not just that, Bertie Carvel has also dabbled in royal drama with The Crown. Basically, he’s been out there collecting powerful roles like Horcruxes. So if you’re wondering where you may have seen him before, then get ready to Accio your memories, because Bertie’s been everywhere lately!

HBO’s Harry Potter reboot found its Cornelius Fudge in Bertie Carvel

Now that Hogwarts is officially under the new management of HBO, the studio has confirmed its...

The Harry Potter remake has cast another key character for the TV adaptation, but their appearance suggests a change compared to the books and movies. The upcoming Harry Potter TV show has already cast several key characters from the books, including Harry (Dominic McLaughlin), Ron (Alastair Stout) and Hermione (Arabella Stanton). Adult characters cast as of writing include Snape (Paapa Essiedu), Dumbledore (John Lithgow), Professor McGonagall (Janet McTeer), and Hagrid (Nick Frost). All of these characters are vital to the story of the first book, Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone, each having a role in the narrative.

Now, Deadlinereports that Bertie Carvel has been cast as Minister of Magic Cornelius Fudge in the Harry Potter TV series. He will have a recurring role in the TV series, despite originally making his debut in Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets in both the books and movie adaptations. This means...

HBO's Harry Potterreboot has reportedly cast another key character after recently locking in the actors for Harry Potter, Ron Weasley, and Hermione Granger. Olivier Award-winner Bertie Carvel, best known for his roles in The Crown and Dalgliesh, has been tapped for a recurring role as the Minster for Magic Cornelius Fudge in the high-profile TV adaptation. He would be taking the mantle from the late Robert Hardy, who fulfilled the role in the originalfilm series for four consecutive installments, starting with 2002's Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets.

The report, which comes courtesy of Deadline, has yet to be officially confirmed by HBO. The network shared with the outlet that casting details will only be announced when deals are finalized, indicating that Carvel's prospective role as Cornelius Fudge is still being negotiated at this time. The acclaimed actor is the only name that has surfaced in relation to the character,...

Bertie Carvel is the latest addition to the cast of the upcoming Harry Potter television series!

The 47-year-old The Crown actor has been reportedly cast in HBO series in the role of Cornelius Fudge, according to Deadline.

Keep reading to find out more…

Bertie is said to have a recurring role as Cornelius, who is the Minister of Magic. He is first mentioned in the first book, but doesn’t appear until the second.

The character was portrayed in the films by the late Robert Hardy, starting with the second, Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, through the fifth, Order of the Phoenix.

Bertie joins a growing list of actors who have been cast in the upcoming TV adaptation of the hit book series. If you missed it, find out six other adult actors who have been cast!

At the end of May, HBO announced the young actors who...

More casting news has been revealed for HBO's upcoming TV series based on Harry Potter. After many major character castings were previously announced, the latest addition has divulged who will be portraying the new Cornelius Fudge.

Per Deadline, acclaimed actor Bertie Carvel has been tapped to play Minster of Magic Cornelius Fudge in the Harry Potter reboot. It is expected that Cornelius Fudge will appear in a recurring role in the show's first season. The role was previously played by Robert Hardy in the original Harry Potter movie series, with the actor appearing in four separate installments. As of now, HBO will not officially confirm the report, which could be a sign that Carvel's deal has not been completely finalized just yet.

Netflix

"We appreciate that such a high-profile series will draw a lot of rumor and speculation,” an HBO rep responded when asked for comment. “As we make our way through pre-production,...

Beloved English actor Rory Kinnear appeared in two prominent projects in 2024, but these vastly different roles mean you probably didn't even notice. Kinnear is known for his triumphant performances in movies, television, and theatre, which have earned him accolades all over the globe. He's been nominated for several prestigious awards and won multiple Laurence Olivier Awards, a Satellite Award, and a Pam Springs International Film Festival award. Through all this, Kinnear has made himself deeply memorablebut 2024 has been a year for branching out.

Kinnear is best known for his villainous roles, most notably playing Bill Tanner in the Daniel Craig James Bond filmsQuantum of Solace (2008), Skyfall (2012), Spectre (2015), and No Time to Die (2021). His other memorable performances were in the sitcom Count Arthur Strong (2013 - 2017) and Penny Dreadful (2014 - 2016). These roles required something unique of Kinnear, though he is thoroughly recognizable in each. However, those used to the actor's appearance and...

Playing the role of the most misunderstood character in the Harry Potter films—Severus Snape, Alan Rickman has been an integral part of the franchise. However, since his demise and the posthumous publication of his diary, it’s been made clear that the actor wasn’t quite fond of his association with the franchise. At least not initially.

Alan Rickman as Severus Snape | image: Warner Bros.

However, one thing that has escaped fans’ notice is how he felt about some of his older castmates. According to excerpts from his diary, Alan Rickman had blatantly mocked the iconic star Maggie Smith, alongside several other veteran actors who shared the screen with him in the Harry Potter films.

Alan Rickman’s Diary Revealed His Candid Opinions About Maggie Smith

The magical world of Harry Potter has always been fascinating for fans, who have often wondered about their favorite characters during leisure. Particularly...

The best television features characters audiences adore, allowing them to grow invested in their journeys across their respective series. This can result in some of the most powerful storylines, that play with the viewers' emotions. Shows like Game of Thrones or medical dramas like Grey's Anatomy have given fans some devastating episodes, and each sad episode in a show only seems to elevate the stakes of the series.

TV has introduced audiences to some of the saddest plots, across both factual entertainment and fictional storytelling. These sublime shows are difficult to watch, due to how the individuals involved find themselves in these deeply upsetting situations. The best pieces of television create a lasting memory for viewers, reminding them of the emotional pain they endured from watching these episodes.

Puppy Love (All Creatures Great And Small) Depicts James And Tristan On A Very Tough Work Day

All Creatures Great And Small...

Welcome to the Hammer Factory. This month we dissect Demons of the Mind (1972).

While Hammer Studios has been in business since 1934, it was between 1955 and 1979 that it towered as one of the premier sources of edgy, gothic horror. On top of ushering the famous monsters of Universal’s horror heyday back into the public eye, resurrecting the likes of Frankenstein, Dracula and the Mummy in vivid color, the studio invited performers like Christopher Lee, Peter Cushing, Ingrid Pitt and so many more to step into the genre limelight. Spanning a library housing over 300 films, Hammer Studios is a key part of horror history that until recently has been far too difficult to track down.

In late 2018, Shout Factory’s Scream Factory line began to focus on bringing Hammer’s titles to disc in the US, finally making many of the studio’s underseen gems available in packages that offered great...

On 27th February 2023, Nucleus Films will release the shocking 1970s horror film Dark Places on Blu-ray.

There’S More Than Death Waiting For You In Dark Places

Legendary British stars Christopher Lee, Joan Collins and Herbert Lom get together in a grisly tale of hidden loot in a haunted house.

Dr Ian Mandeville and his sister Sarah mean to get their hands on the £200,000 stashed in the derelict Marr’s Grove – only to find that Edward Foster, a stranger to the district, has recently inherited the place. As Edward rapidly succumbs to the influence of the mansion’s long-dead owners, madness and bloody murder ensue…

Directed by Don Sharp, this long-awaited UK Blu-ray premiere has been remastered from original vault elements and is packed with bonus features.

Also starring Jane Birkin, Robert Hardy and Jean Marsh…

Dare you enter Marr’s Grove and encounter the evil lurking within?

Special Features:...

Pamela Anderson is set to show off her plants and legumes after Food Network Canada ordered to series Pamela’s Cooking With Love.

The eight-episode series commissioned by Corus Studios will see the Pamela, a love story star and Love, Pamela author working with chefs on plant-based menus and preparing meals for her family and friends at her Canadian west coast home. The series from Fireworks Media Group follows another collaboration, Pamela’s Garden of Eden, a home renovation show, being renewed for a second season of eight episodes.

“Creating elegant and inviting spaces that inspire a compassionate, calm and healthy environment has always been important to me and comes naturally. Corus Studios and I have set mutual goals with good intentions. It’s been a learning curve — and I am confident they will be a positive partner in helping bring my true vision to life,” Anderson said in a statement on Tuesday.

Exclusive: Pamela Anderson is cooking up her latest television project.

The actor is to host Pamela’s Cooking With Love (w/t) for Food Network Canada as her home renovation series Pamela’s Garden of Eden has been renewed for a second season at HGTV Canada.

It comes as Anderson continues her book tour to promote Love, Pamela, which was released last month alongside Netflix documentary Pamela, A Love Story.

The two Canadian series, which are produced by Fireworks Media Group for Corus Studios.

Food series Pamela’s Cooking With Love is an eight-part series set to air on Food Network Canada in 2024.

She will work with a variety of influential chefs to develop plant-based menus, gather diverse ingredients, and prepare meals for her friends and family including a casual afternoon cocktail party in the garden, an intimate dinner with family, or breakfast following a night around the campfire.

Pamela’s Garden of Eden...

Bill Nighy reveals his reasons for taking a role in Harry Potter. Based on the popular young adult fantasy series by J.K. Rowling, the Harry Potter film franchise contains eight films that were released between 2001 and 2011. Nighy had an important role in Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix and beyond, as the newly appointed Minister of Magic Rufus Scrimgeour. The wartime replacement for the meek and incompetent Cornelius Fudge (Robert Hardy), Scrimgeour was the grizzled antithesis of his much softer predecessor in the novels, and Nighy's portrayal brought the character to life in the films exactly the way he was described in the books.

During an appearance in a video for Vanity Fair, Nighy explains how his role in the Harry Potter franchise came about. The actor expresses his admiration for director David Yates, with whom he'd worked three times prior to Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix,...

Collector’s box on the horizon: Severin assembles hours of video extras and text illumination for another group of films featuring favorite actor Christopher Lee. The roundup of titles bookends his career as a screen vampire, with one of Lee’s earliest vampire roles and also his last turn as Count Dracula. Looming large on the academic side of Severin’s research are experts and biographers Kat Ellinger, Barry Forshaw, Troy Howarth, Kim Newman, Nathaniel Thompson and Jonathan Rigby, who also contributes a hundred-page book.

The Eurocrypt of Christopher Lee Collection 2

Blu-ray

Uncle Was a Vampire, The Secret of the Red Orchid, Dark Places, Dracula and Son, Murder Story

Severin Films

1959-1989 / Color / 2:39 widescreen, 1:66 widescreen, 1:85 widescreen

Street Date July 26, 2022

Available from Severin Films / 134.95

Starring alphabetically: Marie Hélène Breillat, Catherine Breillat, Joan Collins, Robert Hardy, Adrian Hoven, Klaus Kinski, Sylva Koscina, Herbert Lom, Susanne Loret, Jean Marsh, Marisa Mell,...

May 31st sees the release of The Eurocrypt of Christopher Lee Collection 2 from Severin Films, bringing more cult classic Christopher Lee films to Blu-ray, including Uncle Was a Vampire and Dracula and Son! We have all the details below, along with a trailer, and a look at the box set artwork:

The Eurocrypt Of Christopher Lee Collection 2

To celebrate the centennial of the legendary actor, Eurocrypt Collection 2 presents five of the most unexpected, underrated and underseen films of the iconic actor’s European career. Immediately following Horror Of Dracula, Lee reprised the role in the quirky 1959 Italian comedy Uncle Was A Vampire. Lee speaks fluent German opposite Klaus Kinski for the crazed 1962 krimi Secret Of The Red Orchid. In the 1974 UK psycho-thriller Dark Places, Lee toplines a cast that includes Joan Collins, Herbert Lom and Jane Birkin. Lee’s final performance as The Count in the 1976 French comedy Dracula And Son...

Prolific television producer Jesse Fawcett (“Big Timber”) has launched new outfit Fireworks Media Group with several production deals.

The company is producing new original series “Pamela Anderson’s Home Reno Project” (working title) for HGTV Canada, with “Baywatch” star Pamela Anderson returning to her Canadian roots to rebuild the family home of her dreams. The series is executive produced by Brandon Lee, Fawcett and Fireworks’ president of Canada, Robert Hardy. Corus Studios will distribute the series internationally.

Fireworks Media Group has also secured an exclusive first-look scripted development deal with TikTok star Kris Collins, who has over 32 million followers and 1.4 billion likes on social media.

In addition, Fireworks is currently in production on second seasons of the real estate unscripted series “Selling the Big Easy” for HGTV in the U.S. as well as Corus Studios’ “Big Timber,” which revolves around logger and sawmill owner Kevin Wenstob and airs on...

Watching “All Creatures Great and Small” feels like gripping a warm cup of tea and settling inside a very cozy, extremely British snow globe. Based on the immensely popular novels by Alf Wight (aka James Herriot), the series follows a 1930s veterinary practice in a sleepy Yorkshire town where farmers and vets alike gather every evening over foaming pints at the local pub after a long day’s work. The impossibly green hills roll into an endless horizon, dotted with stone barns and braying livestock. There are always animals to help, challenges to meet and kind words to be found along the way. Even when life presents cruel twists, there’s never a doubt that the good doctors tending to them have only the best intentions at heart.

The first television adaptation of “All Creatures Great and Small,” which ran from 1978 to 1980 and again from 1988 to 1990, had a sly wit...

The 90th Annual Academy Awards will take place Sunday March 4th at 7pm Eastern time. Here is our overview of the major awards nominees in case you didn’t get to see them yourself.

There’s always a lot of talk leading up to the big day about who will win what awards. We try to make our predictions based on trends from the past, but we can’t help to be swayed by our own personal opinions. Some movies truly strike a chord with us, while others aren’t interesting at all. Furthermore, Oscar films are usually heavy in the drama department and therefore they aren’t always the easiest or most entertaining movies to watch.

That’s why we’re here. Here is your guide to the nominees of this year’s Academy Awards. We’ve compiled the following brief summaries, interesting facts, and critical reviews for all these films and people.

Andrew Moir Oct 26, 2017

Andrew takes a nerdy dive into the pop culture real and fictional that's made its way into the world of Red Dwarf...

Creating culture within science-fiction can be tricky. It’s potentially alienating, with the audience required to understand allusions without a reference point. Then again, if you throw in too many contemporary references, the future starts to look dated pretty quickly. Red Dwarf has walked that fine line, building its own stars and entertainment but chucking in the familiar, just to keep the world grounded. We take a look at humanity’s future culture as seen through the eyes of Lister, Rimmer, Cat, Kryten and Holly.

See related Gunpowder episode 1 review Amazon Prime UK: what’s new in October 2017? New on Netflix UK: what's added in October 2017? Music

Red Dwarf set out its fictional musical world early on with the opening scenes of the first episode...

Hollywood producer Joel Silver is being sued for wrongful death by the family of Carmel Musgrove, the producer’s former assistant, who drowned in Bora Bora in 2015 during a celebrity-packed celebration of Jennifer Aniston and Justin Theroux’s honeymoon. The lawsuit, filed on Friday, also names Silver’s company, Silver Pictures, and the company’s employee, Martin Herold, as defendants. Musgrave, who was 28 at the time of her death, had traveled with Silver and his entourage to Bora Bora and was there for several weeks performing work-related duties. Also Read: Jk Rowling Mourns 'Harry Potter' Star Robert Hardy: 'Such...

Stephen Weeks writes: In the early 1970s I was directing a film version of Sir Gawain and the Green Knight for Carlo Ponti. Robert Hardy was playing Sir Bertilak and his scenes were shot outside Cardiff in the Victorian gothic Castell Coch, of which Tim, as I knew him, was temporarily lord. Ordering the porter to let some light in as Gawain stumbles into his dark hall, Tim spoke the scripted words “open those shutters there” with such a flourish that the whole unit adopted them as its catchphrase for the following weeks.

However, a week later, luckily not at work, Tim fell off a horse and was in a wheelchair for the rest of the film. I was able to photograph Sir Bertilak standing from the back with a double, and then cut to close-ups of him while sitting in the chair. But then the editor said that the...

As confirmed by The Guardian, actor Robert Hardy—probably best known for playing Cornelius Fudge in the Harry Potter movies—has died. A cause of death has not been given, but Hardy’s family says he died at Denville Hall, a London retirement home for actors. He was 91.

Born in England in 1925, Hardy was the son of a college headmaster and attended the University Of Oxford’s constituent school Magdalen College where he briefly studied under J.R.R. Tolkien and C.S. Lewis. Trained as a classical actor, Hardy got his theatrical start at the Shakespeare Memorial Theatre in Stratford-upon-Avon but began appearing on TV shortly after. With a career that ran for 70 years, Hardy had roles in The Troubleshooters, Inspector Morse, and Hot Metal, but his biggest TV role was playing veterinarian Siegfried Farnon on the long-running British drama All Creatures Great And Small.

In ...

British actor Robert Hardy, known in recent years for playing Cornelius Fudge in the Harry Potter movies, passes away at the age of 91.

J.K. Rowling has honored “Harry Potter” actor Robert Hardy, who died on Thursday at 91. Hardy played the role of Minister of Magic Cornelius Fudge. Also Read: Robert Hardy, 'Harry Potter' Star, Dies at 91 “So very sad to hear about Robert Hardy,” Rowling said on Twitter Thursday. “He was such a talented actor and everybody who worked with him on Potter loved him.” So very sad to hear about Robert Hardy. He was such a talented actor and everybody who worked with him on Potter loved him. — J.K. Rowling (@jk_rowling) August 3, 2017 Chris Rankin, who played Percy Weasley, Ron Weasley’s brother and.

Stage, television and film actor Robert Hardy has died at the age of 91. Best known for the role of Siegfried Farnon in the BBC veterinary drama All Creatures Great and Small, he attracted a new audience in the 2000s with his performance as Minister for Magic Cornelius Fudge in the Harry Potter movies

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British actor Robert Hardy, who in recent years became known for his work in four of the Harry Potter films, has died at age 91. The death of the star, who played Cornelius Fudge, the Minister for Magic, was confirmed by his family Thursday. Hardy is survived by children Emma, Justine and Paul. "Gruff, elegant, twinkly, and always dignified, he is celebrated by all who knew him and loved him, and everyone who enjoyed his work," his family said in a statement to BBC News, adding that Hardy had a "tremendous life" and "a giant career in theatre, television and film spanning more than 70 years." "Dad is also remembered as a meticulous linguist, a...

2017-08-03T09:38:55-07:00'Harry Potter' Actor Dies at 91

Robert Hardy, a veteran British stage and screen actor who played Minister for Magic Cornelius Fudge in the Harry Potter movies, has died at 91. His family says Hardy died Thursday.

Born in 1925, Hardy began his career in Shakespearean roles onstage in Stratford-upon-Avon in the years after World War II.

He played avuncular veterinarian Siegfried Farnon in TV drama All Creatures Great and Small between 1978 and 1990, and portrayed British Prime Minister Winston Churchill onscreen half a dozen times.

Read the rest of this article at The Hollywood Reporter.

Robert Hardy starred alongside actors Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Waton and Rupert Grint.

He also starred in All Creatures Great And Small and Sense And Sensibility.

Actor Robert Hardy, best known for his roles in All Creatures Great And Small and Harry Potter, has died aged 91.

His family said Hardy had a “tremendous life” and “a giant career in theatre, television and film spanning more than 70 years”, according to the BBC.

Hardy played senior vet Siegfried Farnon in hit BBC series All Creatures Great And Small from 1978-1990.

He also found a new generation of fans when he was cast as Minister of Magic Cornelius Fudge in the Harry Potter franchise.

Hardy had roles in Little Dorrit (2008), Middlemarch (1994), Sense And Sensibility (1995) and The Spy Who Came in from the Cold (1965).

He played Winston Churchill several times, most famously in Winston Churchill: The Wilderness Years (1981), for which he won a Bafta, but also in Bomber Harris (1989) and War And Remembrance (1988) and an episode of Agatha Christie’s Marple (2006).

Robert Hardy, the actor best known for playing Cornelius Fudge in the “Harry Potter” film franchise, has died. He was 91. Among his other famous roles were that of Winston Churchill (on multiple occasions), and as senior vet Siegfried Farnon on the classic British TV series, “All Creatures Great and Small,” based on James Herriot’s beloved novels. Hardy’s death was confirmed by his children Emma, Justine and Paul, The Guardian reported Thursday. Also Read: Sam Shepard, Actor and Pulitzer Prize-Winning Playwright, Dies at 73 “Gruff, elegant, twinkly, and always dignified, he is celebrated by all who knew him and loved him,...

Known for his roles in BBC series All Creatures Great And Small, and the Harry Potter movies — as well as myriad portrayals of Winston Churchill — British actor Robert Hardy has died. His family told the BBC today that Hardy had a “tremendous life.” He was 91. Hardy’s career spanned more than 70 years, and saw him recognized for six incarnations of Churchill including in 1981’s PBS mini Winston Churchill: The Wilderness Years; 1988’s ABC miniseries War And Remembrance…...

British film and TV actor Robert Hardy died Thursday aged 91, according to BBC News.

The actor’s family said he lived “tremendous life” with “a giant career in theatre, television and film spanning more than 70 years,” according to the outlet.

Born October 29, 1925 in Gloucestershire, England, Hardy played Minister of Magic Cornelius Fudge in four Harry Potter films — 2002’s Chamber of Secrets, 2004’s Prisoner of Azkaban, 2005’s Goblet of Fire and 2007’s Order of the Phoenix.

The actor was also known for his role as veterinarian Siegfried Farnon in the long-running British TV series All Creatures Great and Small and played Winston Churchill in multiple projects.

Star’s 70-year career included roles as Cornelius Fudge, Churchill, and Siegfried Farnon in All Creatures Great and Small

Robert Hardy – a life in pictures

The Harry Potter actor Robert Hardy has died at the age of 91, his family has said.

Related: Robert Hardy obituary

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Emma Thompson both wrote and stars in this latter-day Jane Austen adaptation, blessed with fine locations and costumes, a congenial cast and attentive direction by Ang Lee. Kate Winslet consolidates her newfound stardom as a second Austen husband-seeker, lost in a maze of family intrigues and betrayals. But none are so severe as to prevent faith, hope and charity from prevailing in the end. Sense and Sensibility Blu-ray Twilight Time Limited Edition 1995 / Color / 1:85 widescreen / 136 min. / Ship Date November 10, 2015 / available through Twilight Time Movies / 29.95 Starring Emma Thompson, Kate Winslet, Gemma Jones, Tom Wilkinson, Hugh Grant, Alan Rickman, Greg Wise, Lucy Steele, Harriet Walter, Imelda Staunton, Emilie François, Robert Hardy, Hugh Laurie. Cinematography Michael Coulter Original Music Patrick Doyle Written by Emma Thompson from the book by Jane Austen Produced by Lindsay Doran Directed by Ang Lee

Reviewed by Glenn Erickson

Jane Austen is certainly back in the chips these days,...

HBO is apparently hoping the Yorkshire Dales will be the setting of the next Downton Abbey-style British hit.

The Us network is reportedly developing a new version of BBC drama All Creatures Great and Small, according to The Mirror, but it's probably worth taking this news with a pinch of salt.

The original series starred Christopher Timothy as vet James Herriot alongside the likes of Robert Hardy and future Doctor Who lead Peter Davison.

It was one of the biggest shows on UK television during its heyday, running from 1978 to 1980 and 1988 to 1990.

Based on the books by Alf Wight, the series was brought back for a three-part sequel titled Young James Herriot in 2011.

Set in the fictional Yorkshire village of Darrowby, the series also starred late actress Lynda Bellingham as Herriot's wife Helen. The role was originally played by Timothy's real-life partner Carol Drinkwater before their split.

Watch a...

'Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban' poster. With Daniel Radcliffe. Rupert Grint. Emma Watson. 'Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban' quiz question: Does state-of-the-art CGI equal movie magic? (Oscar Movie Series) Alfonso Cuarón seems like an odd choice for director of Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, the third installment in the Harry Potter movie series. That is, if one thinks only of Cuarón's pre-Harry Potter sleeper hit, the François Truffaut-esque Y tu mamá también, while ignoring two of his earlier efforts, the critically acclaimed A Little Princess and the moderately respected Great Expectations. This time around, working with a reported $130 million budget (approx. $163 million in 2015), state-of-the-art special effects, and the Harry Potter franchise, Cuarón surely could do no wrong. At the box office, that is. For although Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban is stylistically superior to Chris Columbus' previous work in the series,...

Fans of film shot on actual film - and those flummoxed as to what all the nostalgia is about - here's a little something to cast your eye on, a short film titled Joseph's Reel from director Michael Lavers and cinematographer Eben Bolter with Sightseers star Alice Lowe and veteran character actor Robert Hardy (the young generation will know him as Cornelius Fudge in the Harry Potter films) that is shot, yes, on 35mm.Before passing away, an elderly man is given the chance to relive one day of his life. A figure known only as the Projectionist (Alice Lowe) offers a cantankerous Joseph (Robert Hardy) the chance to return to his favourite memory, so long as he follows the script of the day as it...

[Read the whole post on twitchfilm.com...]...

Apparently, even the White House wasn’t enough. Hot off his acclaimed turn as dastardly politician Frank Underwood on the second season of Netflix’s hit drama House of Cards, Kevin Spacey has signed on to play former British Prime Minister Winston Churchill in a biopic titled Captain of the Gate.

The biopic, which hails from Sierra/Affinity (Oculus, the upcoming Kill the Messenger), will focus on Churchill’s rise to power as he heroically took a stand against Parliament in order to protect England from Adolf Hitler’s powerful Third Reich. The script was penned by Ben Kaplan, who recently worked on the History Channel’s documentary Reagan. Kaplan also wrote episodes of historical documentary series Vietnam in HD and WWII in HD, both also for the History Channel, but Captain of the Gate will mark his feature debut.

Churchill has understandably been the subject of countless biopics, including...

Feature Louisa Mellor 20 Jan 2014 - 07:00

An in-depth look at how His Last Vow, Sherlock’s series 3 finale, adapts the Doyle story of Charles Augustus Milverton…

Warning: contains major spoilers for Sherlock series three.

Having ticked off Moriarty, the Woman and the hell-hound in series two, Sherlock’s third run was in need of a villain. Enter Charles Augustus Magnussen, a Scandi take on Arthur Conan Doyle’s detestable master blackmailer played to grotesque perfection by The Killing’s Lars Mikkelsen.

Though perhaps the most despicable, Mikkelsen wasn’t the first on-screen version of the Doyle character. Barry Jones gave an arch, cruelly playful turn as the blackmailer in the 1965 BBC adaptation with Douglas Wilmer and Nigel Stock as Holmes and Watson. Robert Hardy, recognisable to many as Minister of Magic Cornelius Fudge in the Harry Potter series, was an odious, amused Milverton in the 1992 television film with Jeremy Brett...

Feature Gem Wheeler 5 Aug 2013 - 07:30

Gem investigates what we know so far about Sherlock's series 3 villain, Charles Augustus Magnussen, played by Lars Mikkelsen...

Contains plot details for Conan Doyle story, The Adventure Of Charles Augustus Milverton.

If Sherlock could survive a nasty fall – however he managed it – surely Moriarty could withstand a self-inflicted bullet to the head? Sadly for fans of Andrew Scott’s mesmerising performance as the consulting detective’s nemesis, it seems that the Napoleon of crime really did come to a sticky end. Though some would doubtless be happy to watch our languid hero lounge about 221B all day, we all know Sherlock doesn’t do bored. That means only one thing – there’s got to be a new adversary for a man never short of enemies among the criminal fraternity. And now, after a very, very long wait, we know who it’s going to be.

Moriarty may be dead (or is he?!), but Sherlock and Watson aren't going to be short of problems to solve in the much-anticipated third series of Sherlock.

Exec producer Sue Vertue announced the first major piece of series three casting news yesterday (July 29), revealing that Dane Lars Mikkelsen would be joining the show as dastardly villain Charles Augustus Magnussen.

But what do we know about Magnussen? And for anyone who doesn't know their Forbrydelsen from their Borgen, who is Mikkelsen? Digital Spy has all the details that every Sherlockology fanatic needs to know.

1. Lars Dittman Mikkelsen was born on May 6, 1964 in Denmark.

He graduated from the National Theatre School of Denmark in 1995 and he is married to actress Anette Støvelbæk.

2. Oh. And did we mention he has quite a famous brother called Mads?

Surely a Benedict Cumberbatch/Hugh Dancy, Sherlock/Hannibal crossover episode beckons. Sherlibal? Hannilock?

3. He is best known...

Welsh-born actor and Richard Burton's first wife, she moved to the Us after their split and co-founded a famous New York disco

Sybil Christopher, who has died aged 83, was the injured party in Hollywood's most famous on- and off-screen romance, that between Richard Burton and Elizabeth Taylor during the making of Joe Mankiewicz's blockbuster epic Cleopatra (1963). Sybil Williams, as she was born, was the girl from the Welsh valleys whom Burton had married in 1949. Theirs was a tenacious and loving relationship that survived the actor's affairs with Claire Bloom and Susan Strasberg, among many others, and his hell-raising exploits.

Having ditched her own career as an actor to follow his star – and raise their two daughters – she always remained discreetly quiet about the marriage, filing for divorce in 1963 on the grounds of "abandonment and cruel and inhumane treatment". Moving to New York, she made a new career for herself on a tide of goodwill.

Edward Fox steps in to play opposite Helen Mirren in Peter Morgan's play after Robert Hardy stands down due to injury

Bafta-winning actor Robert Hardy has pulled out of The Audience at the Gielgud theatre, London, in which he was playing Winston Churchill opposite Helen Mirren's Elizabeth II, as a result of an injury.

The 87-year-old appeared in all last week's preview performances, despite cracking his ribs in a recent fall, but has since "reluctantly decided to stand down". Churchill will now be played by Edward Fox.

Peter Morgan's play, which will be broadcast to cinemas worldwide in June, shows a series of the Queen's weekly meetings with the prime ministers who have held office during her reign.

Hardy has played Churchill on seven previous occasions, most notably in the television series Winston Churchill: The Wilderness Years, for which he won a Bafta. According to The Audience's designer Bob Crowley,...

Joining Helen Mirren as The Queen in the world premiere of The Audience are Michael Elwyn as Anthony Eden, Haydn Gwynne as Margaret Thatcher, Robert Hardy as Winston Churchill, Richard McCabe as Harold Wilson, Nathaniel Parker as Gordon Brown, Paul Ritter as John Major and Rufus Wright as David Cameron. The Equerry is Geoffrey Beevers and the role of Young Elizabeth will be played by Bebe Cave, Maya Gerber and Nell Williams.

Joining Helen Mirren as The Queen in this world premiere are Michael Elwyn as Anthony Eden, Haydn Gwynne as Margaret Thatcher, Robert Hardy as Winston Churchill, Richard McCabe as Harold Wilson, Nathaniel Parker as Gordon Brown, Paul Ritter as John Major and Rufus Wright as David Cameron. The Equerry is Geoffrey Beevers and the role of Young Elizabeth will be played by Bebe Cave, Maya Gerber and Nell Williams.

Richard Burton's diaries only sparkle occasionally, most notably when he's demolishing one of his illustrious contemporaries

Richard Burton died in August 1984 at the age of 58, shortly before the premiere of Nineteen Eighty-Four, in which he gave his best performance for more than a decade as Orwell's totalitarian apparatchik O'Brien. His diaries cover some 44 years, from his early second world war schooldays in south Wales to the spring of 1983. In May that year he appeared on Broadway in a poorly received production of Coward's Private Lives with his ex-wife Elizabeth Taylor, and on 3 July he married his fourth wife in a Las Vegas hotel. A hefty brick-sized book, it brings to mind the telegram Warner Brothers boss Jack L Warner sent to the director Mervyn LeRoy, who'd inquired whether he'd got around to reading Hervey Allen's blockbuster Anthony Adverse. "Read it?" Warner replied. "I can't even lift it."

The...