Actor Terrence Hardiman, best known for playing the title role in the CBBC series The Demon Headmaster, has died at the age of 86, his agent has said. The stage and screen star also appeared in TV series such as The Crown, Wallander, Doctor Who and Prime Suspect.
The popular actor was a regular on TV for almost 40 years. He played barrister Stephen Harvesty in Granada Television's Crown Court from 1972 to 1983 and was well known for playing army officers - frequently Nazis. From 1996 to 1998, Hardiman starred as the eponymous Demon Headmaster in the children's television drama series, which ran to three series and proved popular with adults as well as children.
His death was announced “with great sadness” by Scott Marshall Partners, which said he was a “beloved client and much-loved stage and screen actor”. Hardiman terrified a generation of children with his chilling performance in The Demon Headmaster, the TV series based on the children’s books of the same name by Gillian Cross.
The drama was first broadcast between 1996 and 1998. Hardiman’s imposing figure hid his piercing green eyes behind dark glasses – only removing them to hypnotise his victims. He reprised his role for a cameo when the series was rebooted by CBBC in 2019.
On Twitter after the news broke Scott Bryan said: "Terrence Hardiman has died. He terrified an entire generation of children in The Demon Headmaster. What an icon." Nick added: "The Demon Headteacher was one of those programmes that I liked to watch, but definitely hated parts of it too."
The stage and screen star also appeared in TV series such as The Crown, Wallander, Doctor Who and Prime Suspect. He also appeared in Colditz, Secret Army, Bergerac and Minder.
Hardiman is survived by his wife Rowena and his two children. In 2020 he appeared as Hawthorne in the episode of Doctor Who, "The Beast Below".
