One of England's most enduringly successful character actors, Robert Hardy is noted for his versatility and depth. Born in Cheltenham in 1925, he studied at Oxford University and in 1949 he joined the Shakespeare Memorial Theatre at Stratford-upon-Avon. Television viewers most fondly remember him as the overbearing Siegfried Farnon in "All Creatures Great and Small" (1978) but his most critically acclaimed performance was as the title character of "Winston Churchill: The Wilderness Years" (1981) (mini). His portrayal of Britain's wartime leader was so accurately observed that in the following years he was called on to reprise the role in such productions as The Woman He Loved (1988) (TV) and "War and Remembrance" (1988) (mini). He has never been recognized by Hollywood much therefore most of his work has been restricted to British films. Source