Edward Charles James Gardner (24 August 1924 â 3 May 2010) was an English actor.
Gardner was born in Newmarket, Suffolk, England, on 24 August 1924.
During World War II, Gardner served in the Royal Air Force as an air gunner with No. 10 Squadron. He completed 30 sorties as a Halifax rear gunner and was awarded the Distinguished Flying Medal.
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. 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.
Gardner played Knight Bus driver Ernie Prang in Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, the third film in the Harry Potter film series.
Gardner died in London, on 3 May 2010, at the age of 85.