Terrence Hardiman who starred in CBBC show The Demon Headmaster dies aged 86

As well as the The Demon Headmaster, Hardiman enjoyed roles in Inspector Morse, Poirot, Casualty and more
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Actor Terrence Hardiman, who is best known for playing the title role in the popular CBBC series ‘The Demon Headmaster’ has died at the age of 86, with his agent sharing the news on Tuesday morning (May 9).

In a career spanning over five decades, he also appeared in The Crown, Wallander, Doctor Who, Prime Suspect and more. Hardiman made a career out of playing authority figures and villains.

Aside from an extensive acting career, Hardiman has narrated hundreds of audiobooks, including series by Colin Dexter, Anne Perry, and Ruth Rendell. His volunteer work for the non-profit Calibre Audio Library saw him receive a Silver Centurion service award in 2013.

Arguably his biggest role came in The Demon Headmaster, which ran for three seasons from 1996 - 1998, proving popular with adults as well as children. In 2019 the show had a reboot, which saw Hardiman reprise his role in a cameo appearance.

Since the turn of the century, he has enjoyed a few minor roles, including appearances on BBC One soap Doctors and in the drama from Yorkshire, Heartbeat, as John Upton in one episode.