Jonathan Hardy (20 September 1940 – 30 July 2012) was a New Zealand-Australian film and television actor, writer and director.
Early life and education Hardy was born in Wellington, New Zealand on 20 September 1940, to cavalry officer Captain Burnby Hardy and Mary Hardy (nee Philpott). His father was killed by a sniper in Crete that same year, and his mother died when Hardy was only 19.
He began his training at the New Zealand Players' Drama School. He then traveled to Britain, where he studied at the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art (LAMDA) and was a gold medal student. He also spent time doing vocal study in Spain.
Career Hardy's acting career lasted for over 40 years, from 1966 to 2012.
Theatre Hardy preferred to work on the stage. Following his studies in the UK, he attracted interest from the Royal Shakespeare Company and the Royal National Theatre where he secured contracts, as well as the Bristol Old Vic and several regional theatres.
He returned to his home in New Zealand in a touring production of The Comedy of Errors with the Royal Shakespeare Company in 1966, and remained to help expand the country's early theatre industry.
Hardy relocated to Australia in 1972, but also returned to New Zealand regularly throughout the mid 1980s, to perform as a guest actor with Auckland Theatre Company, including playing Willy Loman in a production of Death of a Salesman. He headed the Melbourne Theatre Company’s youth wing for two years. In 1978 he appeared in the premiere stage production of Kenneth G. Ross's Australian play Breaker Morant, presented by the Melbourne Theatre Company at the Athenaeum theatre, in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, on Thursday, 2 February 1978. The play was subsequently adapted into a film, for which Hardy co-wrote the script, earning him a 1981 Academy Awards nomination for Best Adapted Screenplay.
Hardy then became Artistic Director of Auckland's Mercury Theatre, a role he undertook for five years. He also played Captain Ahab in Moby Dick—Rehearsed and appeared in Gallipoli saga Once on Chunuk Bair.
Hardy had long engagements with major theatre companies in both Melbourne and Sydney. His roles ranged from a Christmas pantomime of Cinderella, Shakespeare, opera and topical plays such as And in the End: The Life and Death of John Lennon.
In his obituary, he is quoted by Mark Juddery as saying, "The actor is in control in the theatre... so the theatre is much more an actor's medium" and "Television is not anything but an actor's image... If my image happens to fit, then I do the job. Whereas on stage you can create an illusion, on television… it's pretty cliched."
Film Hardy appeared in over 20 films, guest-starred in over 26 television series, and acted in many television movies and miniseries. His early roles included the BBC children's time travel series Mandog in 1972, and a small role in the London-set Australian comedy feature The Adventures of Barry McKenzie that same year.
His film work continued with the 1976 Fred Schepisi feature The Devil's Playground, for which he was nominated for an Australian Film Institute award. He also starred in George Miller dystopian action classic Mad Max in 1979, and appeared in The Sullivans TV movie spin-off The John Sullivan Story that same year.
At Italy's , Hardy was the co-winner of Best Artistic Contribution for his role in 1982 horror film Scarecrow. He later appeared in Mr. Reliable aka My Entire Life (1996) alongside Colin Friels and Jacqueline McKenzie, and the Baz Luhrmann musical epic Moulin Rouge! (2001), in which he played the character of the 'Man in the Moon', for whom Plácido Domingo supplied the singing voice. He won a New Zealand Film and TV Award in 2001, for his performance in 2000 short film Camping with Camus. He then appeared in the 2003 feature Ned Kelly, opposite Heath Ledger and Orlando Bloom, playing 'The Great Orlando'.
Hardy became best known to international audiences for providing the voice of diminutive alien ex-royal leader Dominar Rygel XVI in the science fiction series Farscape from 1999 to 2003, and its subsequent 2004 made-for-television film Farscape: The Peacekeeper Wars. Farscape was filmed in Sydney, Australia, but was a United States production. Although the series was unsuccessful in Australia, Hardy developed a cult following and made appearances at sci-fi conventions.
Hardy's other television roles include Josef Goldman in Twenty Good Years in 1979, and the miniseries' Power Without Glory (1976) The Mackenzie Affair (1977) and Against the Wind (1978). He made guest appearances in numerous television series including Rush, Bluey, Young Ramsay, The Truckies, The Sullivans, Prisoner, Under the Mountain, Butterfly Island, Rafferty's Rules, G.P., Mission: Impossible, E Street, The Flying Doctors, A Country Practice, The Adventures of Skippy, Snowy River: The McGregor Saga, Fire, Medivac, Twisted Tales, All Saints, State Coroner, Above the Law, The Secret Life of Us, Stingers, MDA and Magical Tales.
Along with David Stevens and Bruce Beresford, Hardy co-wrote the screenplay for the film Breaker Morant, for which he received an Australian Film Institute Award (1980), and was nominated for an Academy Award (1981). He also wrote and directed the movie Backstage, starring the Grammy nominated pop vocalist Laura Branigan. His screen directing career however, failed to take off. He was set to direct one of The Man from Snowy River sequels, when he experienced heart problems and underwent a heart transplant.
Awards Year Work Award Category Result 1976 The Devil's Playground Australian Film Institute Award Best Actor in a Supporting Role 1980 Breaker Morant Australian Film Institute Award Best Screenplay 1981 Academy Award Best Adapted Screenplay 1982 Scarecrow Best Artistic Contribution 1993 Romeo and Juliet / The Shaughraun Matilda Award Best Performance 2001 Camping with Camus New Zealand Film and TV Award Best Short Film Performance
Personal life and death Hardy's partner for over 40 years was actor-director David Letch. They worked on many projects together.
Hardy had a successful heart transplant.
Hardy died, aged 71, at his home in the town of Hill Top, in the Southern Highlands of New South Wales on 30 July 2012. He had developed sepsis after undergoing an operation on his leg to restore mobility.
Film
As actor Year Title Role Notes Ref 1972 The Adventures of Barry McKenzie Groove Courtenay 1974 Moving On Anne's Boyfriend 1976 The Devil's Playground Brother Arnold 1977 The Mango Tree Joe Speight 1979 Mad Max Labatouche 1982 Klynham Summer (aka The Scarecrow) Charlie Dabney Lonely Hearts Bruce 1984 Constance Randolf Grieve Death Warmed Up Ranji Gandhi 1985 Wills & Burke John Macadam My Letter to George (aka Mesmerized) Burley Lie of the Land Doctor Max Steiner 1989 The Delinquents Magistrate Bloodmoon Mayor 1993 The Nostradamus Kid 'General Booth Enters Heaven' Strolling Player 1995 Tunnel Vision Henry Adams 1996 Mr. Reliable (aka My Entire Life) Reverend McIntyre 1997 Dust Off the Wings Celebrant Down Rusty Down Otis Short 2001 Camping with Camus Uncle Blick Short Moulin Rouge! Man in the Moon 2003 Ned Kelly The Great Orlando 2005 Severance Therapy Group 2006 Hunt Angels Magistrate Wishbone Homeless Man 2009 Big in Japan Dr Timpleton Short
As writer/director Year Title Role Notes Ref 1980 Breaker Morant Director / Co-writer 1984 Constance Writer 1988 Backstage Co-writer Return to Snowy River Director's Associate 2006 Wishbone Writer
Television
As actor Year Title Role Notes Ref1972 Mandog Halmer 5 episodes Redheap Henry Miniseries, 3 episodes 1974 Rush Yorkshire Goldminer 1 episode 1976 Andra Shenlyn 6 episodes Power Without Glory Paddy Kelleher / Rev. Joggins Miniseries, 3 episodes 1977 Bluey Benny Allman 1 episode Young Ramsay Colonel Flynn 1 episode The Trial of Ned Kelly TV movie The Mackenzie Affair Judge Miniseries 1978 The Truckies 1 episode Against the Wind Sam Fitchett Miniseries, 1 episode The Sullivans Captain 1 episode 1979 The John Sullivan Story Vlad TV movie Twenty Good Years Josef Goldman 12 episodes 1980–1981 Prisoner: Cell Block H Waller / Mr Potter 3 episodes 1981 Under the Mountain Country Policeman 1 episode 1983 Nearly No Christmas Mr Rich TV movie 1984; 1986 Heroes Shopkeeper 2 episodes 1985 Butterfly Island Hanlon Judge 1989 Rafferty's Rules Mr Linnehan 1 episode Mission: Impossible Etienne Reynard 1 episode 1989–1993 E Street Liam Buckley 3 episodes 1990 Family and Friends Brother Ignatius The Flying Doctors Tyler Wells 1 episode More Winners Mr Bretherton A Country Practice Patrick Gardner 1 episode 1992 The Adventures of Skippy Grandad Bill 2 episodes 1995 G.P. Robert Houghton 1 episode Mission Top Secret Bombalini 1 episode Tunnel Vision Henry Adams TV movie 1996 The Thorn Birds: The Missing Years Father Emilio TV movie Snowy River: The McGregor Saga John Archer snr 1 episode Fire Sgt Steve 1 episode Medivac Rosenthal 1 episode 1997 Twisted Tales Roger Mormon 1 episode Terrain Giles Ballard TV movie 1998 All Saints Cliff Unwin 1 episode State Coroner Steve Capelli 1 episode 1999–2003 Farscape Voice of Dominar Rygel XVI 86 episodes 2000 Above the Law Stan the Fingers 1 episode 2003 The Secret Life of Us Tribunal Man 1 episode Stingers Stephen Betjeman 1 episode MDA Justice Tulloch 2 episodes 2004 Farscape: The Peacekeeper Wars Voice of Dominar Rygel XVI Miniseries, 2 episodes 2012 Magical Tales Wally 1 episode (final television appearance)
As writer/producer Year Title Role Notes Ref 1987 Porters Writer / Producer Episode 5 1992 The Adventures of Skippy Writer
Stage (selected) Source:
As performer