Alan Hardy

Alan Hardy is an Australian writer and producer, who has worked extensively in television.

Early life Hardy is the son of novelist and writer Frank Hardy and stenographer Rosslyn Phyllis Couper, who married on 27 May 1940 at St Patrick's Cathedral in Melbourne. He has two sisters, Frances Hardy and Shirley Hardy-Rix, the latter a writer and the 2018 Koroit Irish Festival ambassador.

Career Hardy got his start in acting in the 1960s, with a 1962 stage production of Sandhog for Sydney's New Theatre, also attending the 1962 Youth Festival in Helsinki that year. He continued to work in theatre, with performances in The Wall and The Marriage (both 1963), The World of Sholem Aleichem and Androcles and the Lion (1964) and A Penny for a Song (1965), You've Never Had It So Good (1966), On Stage Vietnam and Pirates at the Barn (both 1967). He also acted on stage at the Wayside Chapel.

In the 1970s, Hardy went on to act on television, with series including Rush (1974), Homicide, Tandarra (1976), Bluey (1976) and Cop Shop (1977) as well as the 1976 television adaption of his father Frank Hardy's classic 1950 novel Power Without Glory. He also appeared in films including The Great MacArthy (1975), Mad Dog Morgan (1976), Blue Fire Lady (1977) and The Chant of Jimmie Blacksmith (1978).

Hardy then moved into television production, starting out as producer on Crawford’s 1983 miniseries, All the Rivers Run, followed by children's drama series The Henderson Kids (1985; 1987), both of which he also acted in. He also produced House Rules (1988). He produced a second series of All the Rivers Run in the 1990s, before joining Grundy’s to produce ABC series Embassy, winning him his first Australian Film Institute Award.

Personal life Hardy is married to fellow writer, producer and editor Galia Hardy. Their daughter is writer, producer, presenter and former actress Marieke Hardy, who they raised in the Melbourne suburbs of Hawthorn East and Richmond.

Hardy's aunt was Logie Award-winning comedian and presenter Mary Hardy.

Credits

As producer / writer Year Title Role Notes 1977 The Box Writer 5 episodes 1977–1978 The Sullivans Script editor 33 episodes 1978 Associate producer 4 episodes 1983 All the Rivers Run Producer 8 episodes 1985 The Henderson Kids Producer 24 episodes 1987 The Henderson Kids II Producer 24 episodes 1988 House Rules Producer 1990 All the Rivers Run II Story development / Producer 4 episodes Embassy Producer 1 episode 1992 I Live with Me Dad Post-production producer TV movie 1991–1993 All Together Now Story consultant / Producer 101 episodes 1992–1993 Writer 4 episodes 1994 The Bob Morrison Show Co-creator / Story consultant / Producer 26 episodes 1995 Us and Them Producer / Co-creator 13 episodes 1996–1997 The Wayne Manifesto Producer 26 episodes 1999 Witch Hunt Producer TV movie 2000 Eugenie Sandler P.I. Script editor 1 episode 2000–2002 Something in the Air Writer / Producer 318 episodes 2002 Marshall Law Producer 17 episodes Script editor 2004 Fergus McPhail Producer 26 episodes 2005–2006 HeadLand Script producer/ Story editor 47 episodes 2008–2009 Home and Away Writer 4 episodes 2009–2010 City Homicide Head of script department / Script editor 34 episodes 2010–2011 Script producer 22 episodes 2011 Knife Producer Short film 2013 Neighbours Producer 3 episodes

As actor

Film Year Title Role Notes Ref. 1975 The Great MacArthy Drive-in Attendant 1976 Mad Dog Morgan Bob 1977 Raw Deal Husband at Dance (uncredited) Blue Fire Lady Rodeo Man #2 1978 The Chant of Jimmie Blacksmith Carmichael 1982 Duet for Four Hotel Manager

Television Year Title Role Notes Ref. 1973 Division 4 Weirdo 1 episode 1973; 1974 Matlock Police Hillbilly 2 / George Parker 2 episodes 1974 Rush Hayes 1 episode 1975 Homicide Steve 1 episode 1976 Tandarra Cecil 1 episode Power Without Glory Jim Tracey Miniseries, 3 episodes Bluey Bill Owens 1 episode 1977 The Sullivans Journalist / Andy 9 episodes 1977–1981 Cop Shop Errol Simms / Des Farley / Streaker 3 episodes 1980 Young Ramsay Constable Don Barren 1 episode Lawson's Mates Jim Bentley 1 episode 1981 The Homicide Squad Murray Carter TV movie 1983 All the Rivers Run Reverend Polson Miniseries, 3 episodes 1985 The Henderson Kids Morrison 4 episodes 1999 Journey to the Center of the Earth Reverend Polson Miniseries, 2 episodes 2011 Laid Zach's Dad 1 episode City Homicide Peter Falldner 1 episode

Theatre Year Title Role Notes Ref. 1962 Sandhog Waterside Workers' Federation Hall with New Theatre, Sydney 1963 The Wall New Theatre, Sydney The Marriage New Theatre, Sydney 1964 The World of Sholem Aleichem New Theatre, Sydney Androcles and the Lion Roman patrician New Theatre, Sydney 1965 The Ballad of Angel’s Alley New Theatre, Sydney A Penny for a Song Breeze New Theatre, Sydney My Life with an Interval for Asprin Independent Theatre, Sydney 1966 You’ve Never Had It So Good New Theatre, Sydney The Sport of My Mad Mother Wayside Theatre, Sydney with The Group Theatre 1967 On Stage Vietnam New Theatre, Sydney 1967 Pirates at the Barn New Theatre, Sydney 1971–1972 The Incredible Mind-Blowing Trial of Jack Smith Presbyterian Ladies’ College, Melbourne & Traralgon with Theatre in Education 1978 Alice in Wonderland Pilgrim Puppet Theatre, Hawthorn