Paul Hardwick was born in Yorkshire and took a modern languages degree at Birmingham University He began acting as a prisoner of war in Germany. His first appearance on the West End stage was at the Piccadilly Theatre in 1946 as Scarus in Anthony and Cleopatra with Edith Evans and Godfrey Tearle. Since then he has acted in thirty-three plays by Shakespeare in eighteen different countries. From 1957 to 1965 he was a member of the Royal Shakespeare Company where as well as playing countless Shakespearean roles he was an original member of The Hollow Crown team in London, New York and Hollywood. His first film appearance was in The Prince and the Showgirl with Marilyn Monroe and Laurence Olivier, his last two as Capulet in Zeffirelli's film of Romeo and Juliet and Messala in Stuart Burge's film of Julius Caesar with Charlton Heston and John Gielgud. On television he played Ritchie-Hook in the highly successful Evelyn Waugh trilogy Sword of Honour. One of the latest of some fifty odd TV appearances is Rainbird due to be shown simultaneously in all European countries in the spring. Paul Hardwick played Gaunt in Prospect's previous 1968 production of Richard II. Now he plays Warwick and Matrevis in Edward II as well as Gaunt in Richard II.
[Webmaster's note: In addition to his extensive work on stage, Paul Hardwick later appeared on TV in The Avengers and in films including Octopussy. He died in 1983.]