जीवनी

He appeared in three different adaptations of Charles Dickens's 1843 novel "A Christmas Carol". He played Jacob Marley in both Scrooge (1951) and क्रिसमस गीत (1971) (with Alastair Sim as Ebeneezer Scrooge in both adaptations too) and Ebeneezer Scrooge in A Christmas Carol (1977).

Notable stage work for the Royal Shakespeare Company in Stratford and in London, at the Old Vic and in the West End. In addition to his many Shakespearean roles (As You Like It, Julius Caesar, Hamlet, Twelfth Night), Hordern performed in plays by Strindberg, Chekhov, Ibsen, Pinero, Pinter, Dürrenmatt, Albee, Alan Ayckbourn, David Mercer and Tom Stoppard. His King Lear is considered his most respected work, which he also played on the BBC.

On the Wogan (1982) chat show, he said he declined the offers to play the Second Doctor in Doctor Who (1963) (played by Patrick Troughton) and Maigret (1960) (played by Rupert Davies).

Terry Gilliam's first casting choice for The Adventures of Baron Munchausen (1988).

David Jason considered him one of his heroes. He claimed he could never have stood on stage with him and done Shakespeare and been competitive. When they worked together on The Wind in the Willows (1984), the cast were surprised with the energy Jason brought to Mr Toad and had to work to keep up with him. Jason believed he just about managed to hold his own.