Best remembered for his numerous portrayals of military men, from the indomitable Major Warden in "The Bridge on the River Kwai" (1957) to the officer-turned-criminal-mastermind in Basil Dearden's humorous "The League of Gentlemen" (1960). Although he lost his voice after an operation for cancer of the larynx in 1966, Hawkins continued to perform, with other actors dubbing his lines. He was married to actress Jessica Tandy from 1932 to 1942.