Actor Terrence Hardiman, who played The Demon Headmaster in CBBC show, dies aged 86
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 death was announced “with great sadness” by Scott Marshall Partners, which said he was a “beloved client and much-loved stage and screen actor”.
The 86-year-old, originally from Newham, East London, also had roles in The Crown, Wallander, Doctor Who and Prime Suspect.
Alongside his TV work, Mr Hardiman has narrated hundreds of audiobooks, including series by Colin Dexter, Anne Perry, and Ruth Rendell.
However, it is for his work in The Demon Headmaster, the hugely popular 90s children’s show, for which he is best known.
The show, based on a series of novels with the same name, saw Mr Hardiman play a schoolmaster who used hypnosis on his pupils to enact evil schemes and terrified a generation of schoolchildren.
Mr Hardiman reprised his role for a cameo when the show was rebooted by CBBC in 2019.
He is survived by his wife Rowena and his two children.
Fans have paid tribute to the actor on social media, with many noting how they had been “terrified” by the actor as a young child in the 90s.
