Obituary: Edward Hardwicke, actor

Edward Hardwicke, actor, famed for his portrayal of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's Dr Watson on television.

Born: 7 August, 1932, in London.

Died: 16 May, 2011, in Chichester, West Sussex, aged 78.

EDWARD Hardwicke will be for ever be remembered as Dr Watson to Jeremy Brett's definitive interpretation of Sherlock Holmes in ITV's version of Conan Doyle's books on the sleuth of Baker Street, The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes.

However, Hardwicke had already had a distinguished career in the theatre and television and possessed the rare ability of bringing the most seemingly unrewarding role to life.

That was certainly the case with Hardwicke's performance in the BBC's Colditz in which he played the laid-back Captain Pat Grant. But Sherlock Holmes brought Hardwicke to the notice of a much wider public and he played the character with a calm and reliable nature - always remaining faithful to the original. But Hardwicke invested his characterisation with a certain edge - Watson had, after all, seen service as a military doctor - and with a sense of humour. He even allowed a certain irritation to be shown when Brett's Holmes became over pedantic: the Good Doctor would calmly raise a knowing eyebrow on such occasions.

It is significant that Brett and Hardwicke became good friends during the filming of the series and then during the stage version. "We both believed that the friendship between Holmes and Watson must be rooted in humour," Hardwicke once commented. "In reality close friendships need humour and tolerance. Watson needs a sense of humour to survive Holmes' worst excesses."

It is, perhaps also significant that both The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes and Colditz are often repeated on digital TV.

Edward Cedric Hardwicke was the son of the actors Sir Cedric Hardwicke and Helena Pickard. His film career began at the age of ten when he appeared in the Hollywood movie A Guy Named Joe with Spencer Tracy. Returning to England, he was educated at Stowe and did his national service as a pilot officer in the RAF. He then went to the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art in London.

His first jobs were in various repertory theatres and one of his first principal roles was in the Old Vic production of Schiller's Mary Stuart that came to the Edinburgh Festival in 1958. In a cast led by the redoubtable Irene Worth in the title role Hardwicke played Count Bellievre. He returned to the Festival in 1990 as the director of a performance based on the book The Double Bass by Patrick Susskind at the Royal Museum of Scotland.. Hardwicke also directed, in 1989, on the Edinburgh Fringe Going On by Charles Dennis.

In 1964 Hardwicke was asked by Laurence Olivier to join the National Theatre where he appeared with Olivier in both Othello and The Master Builder. He also appeared in productions at the NT of Charley's Aunt; Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead; The Way of the World and, with Robert Stephens, the premier of Peter Shaffer's The Royal Hunt of the Sun.

In 1972 he was played Captain Pat Grant in Colditz on BBC TV. The role was based on Captain Pat Reid whose book formed the basis of the series and who acted as technical consultant throughout the 28 episodes, some of which were filmed on location at Stirling Castle. It was quite a challenge for Hardwicke to have Reid overseeing his every move but Hardwicke presented a fine portrayal of the mild-mannered and level-headed character who acted as go-between between his fellow officers' passion and enthusiasm and the colonel who remained aloof and detached.

But it was his casting as Dr Watson that brought Hardwicke renown. In fact in the first series (1984) the role had been taken by David Burke but he decided to leave and generously suggested Hardwicke should succeed him.

Hardwick was to play the calm and self-effacing doctor in 11 hour-long and two two-hour long episodes. Hardwicke was the reassuring foil to the ever-dramatic Holmes. Hardwicke once admitted he found one of Watson's duties (to read out to Holmes large chunks of the morning paper) rather tiresome. The trouble was that Hardwicke needed spectacles to read the print and Watson did not wear glasses: so Hardwicke had to learn the entire rather tedious text by heart.

The series is considered to be amongst the best of the television or film versions of Conan Doyle's books and the standard was maintained by the actors and still maintains a definite dramatic thrust today. The success was transferred to the west end stage in 1988 in what was described as "an original mystery".

Hardwicke appeared in many other television dramas - Lovejoy, Miss Marple, Poirot and as Judas Iscariot in Dennis Potter's controversial play on Jesus Christ, Son of Man, with Colin Blakeley in the lead role. He had many cameo roles in UK films but his most notable came in 1993 when he played opposite Sir Anthony Hopkins in Shadowlands. The story, finely directed by Richard Attenborough, charted the somewhat unlikely relationship between the Oxford don CS Lewis and American Joy Davidman. Hardwicke played Lewis's brother with typical grace and charm

Edward Hardwicke was twice married. He was divorced from his first wife, Anne Iddon, who died in 2000, and is survived by his second wife, Prim Cotton, as well as by the two daughters of his first marriage.