Terrence Hardiman, best known for terrifying a generation of children as the Demon Headmaster, appeared barely recognisable in one of his last television roles before his death. The late actor played the doctor of Prime Minister Anthony Eden in the second episode of season two of The Crown in 2017.
In the Netflix series, Hardiman shunned the tinted shades of his Demon Headmaster character, instead sporting a smart suit with slicked-back, snow-white hair. The episode was released six years before his death.
A Career Spanning Five Decades
Hardiman's breakout television role was as Stephen Harvesty in the seventies courtroom drama Crown Court. He also portrayed former UK Prime Minister Ramsay MacDonald in the 1982 film Gandhi.
Alongside his appearance in The Crown, one of his final roles was reprising the Demon Headmaster in the 2019 reboot of the show, which served as a sequel. He appeared as the Headmaster in the revival's grand finale, episode 10.
Returning to the Demon Headmaster
Hardiman admitted he had been "slightly nervous" about stepping back into the role in a conversation with Radio Times. He told the publication: "I thought, well, it's 22 years since I played that part on television. Are people going to say, 'What the devil is he doing that for? Doesn't anyone else want him to do anything else?'"
So iconic was his role that in the same interview he revealed he was recognised for the character while out and about. He recalled: "I started to be recognised in the street, especially as I lived near schools around here, in North West London. And there were people – youngsters – looking at me, and shouting out at me, and making fun of me, which is very healthy."
Legacy and Tributes
Terrence died at the age of 86 in April 2023, leaving behind his wife Rowena and their two children, Laurence and Eleanor. In the wake of his passing, tributes flooded in from fans of the star.
One remarked at the time: "We've lost Terrence Hardiman. I honestly can't think of anyone who could have played the Demon Headmaster better." "To this day I struggle to think of a more terrifying figure from my childhood," another added, in reference to his Demon Headmaster role, as a third penned: "Another childhood legend gone. This was amazing, and terrifying back in the day."
