Main content

Robert Hardy

Actor Robert Hardy is interviewed by Kirsty Young for Desert Island Discs.

Kirsty Young's castaway is the actor Robert Hardy.

He became a household name as the vet Siegfried Farnon in the hit TV series All Creatures Great and Small and, to a younger generation, he is the Minister of Magic in the Harry Potter films. But the role he is best known for is Winston Churchill - he won a Bafta for his performance in Winston Churchill: The Wilderness Years. He believes actors are born rather than made and his own ambitions crystallised when, as a very young boy, he was a page boy at a wedding: "I walked down the aisle with my head held high and as I went, every eye was turned towards me and something inside me said, "That's it, get every eye on you".

Producer: Leanne Buckle.

Available now

45 minutes

Last on

Fri 25 Nov 2011 09:00

Music Played

  • Pearl Bailey

    What is a Friend For?

    Composer: Harold Arlen

    • House of Flowers - 1955.
    • CBS Special products.
  • Ludwig van Beethoven

    Beethoven鈥檚 7th symphony in A Major - 2nd movement

    Artist: 麻豆社 Symphony Orchestra conducted by Arturo Toscanini.

    • Toscanini: Works by Beethoven, Cherubini & Mozart.
    • 麻豆社.
  • Enya

    The Longships

    Composer: Enya/ Lyrics by Roma Ryan

    • Watermark.
    • WEA.
  • Hector Berlioz

    The Waltz from the Symphonie Fantastique

    Artist: The Paris Orchestra conducted by Semyon Bychkov

    • Berlioz: Carnaval Romain/Symphonie Fantastique.
    • Philips.
  • Francis Poulenc

    Poulenc -Suite Francaise -Pavanne

    Artist: The National Orchestra of France conducted by Charles Dutroit

    • Poulenc: Concert Champetre.Sinfonietta.
    • Decca.
  • Jean Sibelius

    Sibelius 6th Symphony in D Minor - The 4th movement Release: Sibelius: Symphonies Nos. 4 & 6

    Artist: City of Birmingham Orchestra conducted by Sir Simon Rattle

    • EMI.
  • Castaway's Favourite

    • Ludwig van Beethoven

      Beethoven - String Quartet in B flat- 2nd movement

      Artist: The Medici String Quartet

      • Beethoven: String Quartet Op.130.
      • Nimbus.
  • John Hardy

    De Profundis

    Artist: The Westminster Abbey Choir, the 麻豆社 Singers & London Brass conducted by Martin Baker

    • Archive recording 8 July 1998 of Century of Martyrs celebrations..
    • Commissioned by Westminster Abbey.
  • Book Choice

    • The Great Warbow - Robert Hardy & Matthew Strickland

  • Luxury Choice

    • Young lady in profile 1495 - De Predis

Credits

Role Contributor
Presenter Kirsty Young
Interviewed Guest Robert Hardy

Broadcasts

  • Sun 20 Nov 2011 11:15
  • Fri 25 Nov 2011 09:00

Featured in...

The Desert Island Discs podcast

The Desert Island Discs podcast

Subscribe or download individual episodes.

Listen to over 2,000 programmes

Click above to browse castaways, from 1942 to today.

Articles

Read the surprising things we've learned about some stand-out castaways.

Podcast