{{Short description|English actor (1924–2010)}} {{Use British English|date=November 2013}} {{Use dmy dates|date=April 2025}} {{Infobox person | name = Jimmy Gardner | honorific_suffix = {{postnominals|country=GBR|DFM|size=100%}} | image = Jimmy_Gardner_(actor).jpg | image_size = | alt = | caption = | birth_name = Edward Charles James Gardner | birth_date = {{Birth date|df=y|1924|8|24}} | birth_place = [[Newmarket, Suffolk]], England | death_date = {{Death date and age|df=yes|2010|5|3|1924|8|24}} | death_place = London, England | other_names = | occupation = Actor | years_active = 1954–2005 | spouse = | partner = | website = }}
'''Edward Charles James Gardner''' (24 August 1924 – 3 May 2010) was an English actor.<ref name ="Independent">{{cite news | url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/obituaries/jimmy-gardner-war-hero-and-actor-whose-roles-ranged-from-gravedigger-in-the-rscs-hamlet-to-a-bus-driver-in-harry-potter-1964258.html |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20220608/https://www.independent.co.uk/news/obituaries/jimmy-gardner-war-hero-and-actor-whose-roles-ranged-from-gravedigger-in-the-rscs-hamlet-to-a-bus-driver-in-harry-potter-1964258.html |archive-date=8 June 2022 |url-access=subscription |url-status=live | title=Jimmy Gardner: War hero and actor whose roles ranged from gravedigger in the RSC's 'Hamlet' to a bus driver in 'Harry Potter' | newspaper=The Independent | date=6 May 2010 | first=Mark | last=Rylance | access-date=6 May 2010}}</ref>
==Early life== Gardner was born in [[Newmarket, Suffolk|Newmarket]], [[Suffolk]], England, on 24 August 1924.<ref name="Jimmy Gardner obituary">{{cite web | last1=Fogg | first1=Nick | title=Jimmy Gardner obituary | work=The Guardian | date=16 June 2010 | url=https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2010/jun/16/jimmy-gardner-obituary }}</ref>
During [[World War II]], Gardner served in the [[Royal Air Force]] as an air gunner with [[No. 10 Squadron RAF|No. 10 Squadron]]. He completed 30 [[sortie]]s as a [[Handley Page Halifax|Halifax]] rear gunner and was awarded the [[Distinguished Flying Medal]].<ref name ="Independent"/>
==Career== After the war, Gardner studied at the [[Central School of Speech and Drama]], working in Rep after graduation, later working for the [[Royal Shakespeare Company]] for a decade. His first film appearance was in ''[[The Curse of the Mummy's Tomb]]'' released during 1964.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.bbfc.co.uk/releases/curse-mummys-tomb-1964 |title=The Curse of the Mummy's Tomb |website=bbfc.co.uk |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161005020416/http://www.bbfc.co.uk/releases/curse-mummys-tomb-1964 |archive-date=2016-10-05}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=UX_GCwAAQBAJ&q=%22jimmy+gardner%22+%22Curse+of+the+Mummy%27s+Tomb+%22&pg=PA150 |title = Obituaries in the Performing Arts, 2010|isbn = 9780786486496|date = 21 March 2016| publisher=McFarland, Incorporated, Publishers}}</ref> Thereafter he appeared in over 30 films and also made extensive TV and theatre appearances. Some of his best known Shakespearean roles such as Adam in ''[[As You Like It]]'', and Gravedigger in ''[[Hamlet]]'' were performed under the direction of [[Terry Hands]].<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.ahds.rhul.ac.uk/ahdscollections/docroot/shakespeare/performancedetails.do?performanceId=11100 |title=Designing Shakespeare Collection – Performance Details |access-date=11 August 2017 |archive-date=11 August 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170811183952/http://www.ahds.rhul.ac.uk/ahdscollections/docroot/shakespeare/performancedetails.do?performanceId=11100 |url-status=dead}}</ref>
Gardner played [[Magical objects in Harry Potter#Knight Bus|Knight Bus]] driver Ernie Prang in ''[[Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (film)|Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban]]'', the third film in the [[Harry Potter (film series)|''Harry Potter'' film series]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2010/jun/16/jimmy-gardner-obituary|title=Jimmy Gardner obituary|website=The Guardian|date=16 June 2010}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.thisiswiltshire.co.uk/news/8150049.Veteran_actor__brought_up_in_Marlborough___dies__85/|title = Veteran actor, brought up in Marlborough, dies, 85| date=6 May 2010 }}</ref>
==Death== Gardner died in London, on 3 May 2010, at the age of 85.<ref name="Jimmy Gardner obituary"/>
==Filmography== {{Div col|colwidth=30em}} * ''[[Doctor Who]]'': ''[[Marco Polo (Doctor Who)|Marco Polo]]'' (1964) .... Chenchu * ''[[The Curse of the Mummy's Tomb]]'' (1964) .... Fred's Mate * ''[[He Who Rides a Tiger]]'' (1965) .... Waiter * ''[[The Murder Game (1965 film)|The Murder Game]]'' (1965) .... Arthur Gillett * ''[[Arabesque (film)|Arabesque]]'' (1966) .... Hemsley (uncredited) * ''[[The Committee (film)|The Committee]]'' (1968) .... Boss * ''[[Take a Girl Like You (film)|Take a Girl Like You]]'' (1970) .... Voter * ''[[Say Hello to Yesterday]]'' (1971) .... Balloon Seller (uncredited) * ''[[10 Rillington Place]]'' (1971) .... Mr Lynch * ''[[Up the Chastity Belt]]'' (1971) .... Little Man * ''[[Frenzy]]'' (1972) .... Hotel Porter * ''[[Ooh… You Are Awful]]'' (1972) .... Waterloo Porter (uncredited) * ''[[The Unpleasantness at the Bellona Club]]'' ([[Lord Peter Wimsey (TV series)|TV mini-series]], 1973) .... Mr. Munns (ep. 4) * ''[[Take Me High]]'' (1973) .... Hulbert * ''[[11 Harrowhouse]]'' (1974) .... Man in Snack Bar (uncredited) * ''[[Percy's Progress]]'' (1974) .... Clerk of Court (uncredited) * ''[[Slade in Flame]]'' (1975) .... Charlie's Dad * ''Short Ends'' (1976) .... Alchemist * ''[[Doctor Who]]'': ''[[Underworld (Doctor Who)|Underworld]]'' (1978) .... Idmon * ''[[Tess (1979 film)|Tess]]'' (1979) .... Pedlar * ''[[The Company of Wolves]]'' (1984) .... Ancient * ''[[Mountains of the Moon (film)|Mountains of the Moon]]'' (1990) .... Jarvis * ''[[Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves]]'' (1991) .... Farmer * ''Thin Ice'' (1995) .... Old Man with gun * ''[[Gunslinger's Revenge]]'' (Italian title: ''Il mio West'') (1998) .... Sam Comet * ''[[Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (film)|Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban]]'' (2004) .... [[Ernie Prang|Ernie the Bus Driver]] * ''[[Finding Neverland (film)|Finding Neverland]]'' (2004) .... Mr. Snow * ''[[Deuce Bigalow: European Gigolo]]'' (2005) .... Kaiser (final film role) {{div col end}}
==References== {{Reflist}}
==External links== *{{IMDb name|306977|Jimmy Gardner}} *{{IMDb name|1981934|Timmy Gardner}} *[https://theatricalia.com/person/4v1/jimmy-gardner/past Jimmy Gardner] at Theatricalia
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Gardner, Jimmy}} [[Category:1924 births]] [[Category:2010 deaths]] [[Category:People from Newmarket, Suffolk]] [[Category:English male film actors]] [[Category:English male television actors]] [[Category:20th-century English male actors]] [[Category:21st-century English male actors]] [[Category:Royal Air Force airmen]] [[Category:Royal Air Force personnel of World War II]] [[Category:Recipients of the Distinguished Flying Medal]] [[Category:Male actors from Suffolk]]