I love animals, and when I'm in the country I'm a keen bird-watcher." One tradition says that Peter had at least one daughter but there is no confirmation of this. The two actors went on to appear in over 20 films . Like Guinness, Cushing had difficulty with some of the technical jargon in his dialogue, and claimed he did not understand all of the words he was speaking. He appeared in several horror films and was in Lawrence Olivier's Hamlet. He appeared in Corruption (1968), a film that was billed as so horrific that "no woman will be admitted alone" into theatres to see it. [73] In later years, Cushing considered his Holmes performance one of the finest accomplishments of his career. Eventually, the character is driven to commit suicide, but returns from the grave to seek revenge against his tormentors. [123] In 1989 he was made an Officer of the Order of the British Empire for his contributions to the British film industry. 2014-12-17 19:28:59. It is also difficult to visualise Cushing - at least for me - without also visualising Christopher Lee. "[7] A fan of comics and toy collectibles in his youth, Cushing earned money by staging puppet shows for family members with his glove-puppets and toys. [21] Cushing wrote the books as what he called "a form of therapy to stop me going stark, raving mad" following the loss of his wife. There was a general increase in BBC artists' fees, but Cushing's growing standing as a film actor must have given John Redway extra clout. Christopher Neame, who also starred in the film, said he was particularly impressed with Cushing's agility and fitness, considering his age. Peter and Helen Cushing with the neighborhood children Peter Vincent The Lovely Bones Peter Cushing English Gentleman Saint Peter Obe Memoirs That Way Candid More information . [68] However, Cushing was able to star in Twins of Evil (also 1971), a prequel of sorts to The Vampire Lovers, as Gustav Weil, the leader of a group of religious puritans trying to stamp out witchcraft and satanism. [36] Other successful television ventures during this time included Epitaph for a Spy, The Noble Spaniard, Beau Brummell,[35] Portrait by Peko,[37] and Anastasia, the latter of which won Cushing the Daily Mail National Television Award for Best Actor of 195354. [55] In Frankenstein and the Monster from Hell, Cushing portrayed Frankenstein as having gone completely mad, in a fitting coda to the earlier films. During the early eighties, Peter Cushing was diagnosed with prostate Cancer, and a decade later, he died aged 81 on August 11 1994 at his home in Canterbury, with his close friend Christopher Lee one of the first people to be called following his death. Prince Harry and Meghan Markle invited cameras into their family home with children Archie and Lilibet for their Netflix docuseries, Harry & Meghan, and during the series, fans caught a glimpse. O'Brien, John (20 April 2002). But he never did it with that same natural panache. Davies, the Purley County Grammar School physics teacher who produced all the school's plays, recognised some acting potential in him and encouraged him to participate in the theatre, even allowing Cushing to skip class to paint sets. [102] He appeared alongside Vincent Price in Dr. Phibes Rises Again! In 1959, he began his career in the movie The Hound of the Baskervilles by Terence Fisher with Christopher Lee as Sir Henry Baskerville. You'd be hard pressed to find someone who doesn't have a crush on Brigitte Bardot. [10] D.J. A great fan of Sherlock Holmes mysteries, Cushing played Holmes in several productions, including a British TV series of the 1960s.Peter Wilton Cushing was born in Kenley, Surrey, England, on May 26, 1913, the younger of two sons of a surveyor and a carpet merchant's daughter. Answer (1 of 4): Absolutely. Scully, Rob (11 August 1994). Cushing said he would have preferred to play Kenobi rather than Tarkin, but could not have done so because he was to be filming other movie roles when Star Wars was shooting, and Tarkin's scenes took less time to film than those of the larger Kenobi role. [3] In his infancy, Cushing twice developed pneumonia and once what was then known as "double pneumonia". Barker, Dennis and Malcolm, Dennis (12 August 1994). What movie did Peter Cushing play a vampire or has he ever played a vampire? As a result, he asked Lucas to film more close-up shots of him from the waist up and, after the director agreed, Cushing wore slippers during the scenes where his feet were not visible. As one of the most famous women on the planet throughout the 1950s and '60s the one thing that she didn't have . They both appeared in numerous Hammer films, as well as other genre films, throughout their careers. "[31] Nearing middle age and finding it increasingly harder to make a living in acting, Cushing began to consider himself a failure. Both Peter Cushing and Christopher Lee had agreed to work together one last time. [21] Cushing had previously stated Knox was one of his role models in developing his portrayal of Baron Frankenstein. The episodes aired in 1968. PETER CUSHING was one of the handful of actors. He was 81. In my macabre pictures, I have either been a monster-maker or a monster-destroyer, but never a monster. [16][17] By the end of the summer of 1936, Cushing accepted a job with the repertory theatre company Southampton Rep, working as assistant stage manager and performing in bit roles at the Grand Theatre in the Hampshire city. This article incorporates text from a free content work. With the aid of advanced CGI, a walking, talking Cushing once again reprises his role as the sneering Imperial Officer Grand Moff Tarkin from the 1977 original Star Wars: A New Hope, even though. As both actors were in their seventies, screenwriter N.J. "[46] The film critic Roger Ebert described Cushing's work in the Hammer films: "[Cushing is] the one in all those British horror films, standing between Vincent Price and Christopher Lee. Torture Garden. Yet unlike some of his spooky cousins working across the pond, such as Vincent Price and Boris Karloff, he managed to sidestep the burden of typecasting. [144] His co-stars and colleagues often spoke of his politeness, charm, old-fashioned manners and sense of humour. [73], Cushing had a variety of interests outside acting, including collecting and battling model soldiers, of which he owned over five thousand. At birth, Peter disappointed his mother, who, already having a sonPeter's older brother Davidreally wanted a daughter. [155][156], In 2008, fourteen years after his death, Cushing's image was used in a set of stamps issued by the Royal Mail honouring Hammer Studios films on the fiftieth anniversary of the release of Dracula. 4 Grand Moff Tarkin. [21] The small role involved sword-fighting and, although Cushing had no experience with fencing, he told Whale he was an excellent fencer to ensure he got the part. [20] Cushing was hired as a stand-in for scenes that featured both characters played by Louis Hayward, who had the dual lead roles of King Louis XIV and Philippe of Gascony. He looked like a schoolteacher that would struggle to hold the attention of the children. [111], Film director George Lucas approached Cushing with the hopes of casting the actor in his upcoming space fantasy film, Star Wars. [151] In 2013, Cushing was honoured by the Royal Mail as one of ten people selected for their "Great Britons" commemorative postage stamp issue.[157]. One day Peter went missing, having wandered off in his frock to paddle in some puddles. [21] The film was roughly based on the Doctor Syn novels by Russell Thorndike. [87] Cushing played the role in Dr. Who and the Daleks (1965) and Daleks' Invasion Earth 2150 A.D. [20], Only a few days after filming on The Man in the Iron Mask was completed, Cushing was in the Schwab's Drug Store, a famous Sunset Boulevard hangout spot for actors, when he learned producer Hal Roach was seeking an English actor for a comedy film starring Laurel and Hardy. [3], The Cushing family lived in Dulwich during the First World War, but moved to Purley after the war ended in 1918. It'll be a glorious death, so long as I can hear what you're saying. As a Hammer Film actor, he portrayed Baron Frankenstein, Dr. Van Helsing, and . Peter Wilton Cushing was born on May 26, 1913 in Kenley, Surrey, England, to Nellie Maria (King) and George Edward Cushing, a quantity surveyor. [citation needed] Lee recognised Cushing's health was fading and did his best to keep his friend's spirits up, but Lee later claimed he had a premonition that it would be the last time he saw Cushing alive, which proved to be true. Actor. Although Cushing's protagonist was derived from television scripts used for First Doctor serials, his portrayal of the character differed in the fact that Cushing's Dr. Who was a human being, whereas the original Doctor as portrayed on TV by William Hartnell was extraterrestrial. [18] Although the job meant Cushing received no actual screen time, he was eventually cast in a bit part as the king's messenger, which made The Man in the Iron Mask his official film debut. [39] Cushing was cast in the lead role of The Curse of Frankenstein (1957), marking the first of twenty-two films he made for Hammer. He is survived by his daughters Antonia and Sashy, as well as his five grandchildren. [79], Although best known for his Hammer performances from the 1950s to the 1970s, Cushing worked in a variety of other roles during this time, and actively sought roles outside the horror genre to diversify his work. [143], Cushing was known among his colleagues for his gentle and gentlemanly demeanour, as well as his professionalism and rigorous preparation as an actor. [127] Henry provided the on-set capture and voice work with the reference material augmented and mapped over his performance like a digital body-mask. Peter Cushing real name: Peter Wilton Cushing Height: 5'11''(in feet & inches) 1.8034(m) 180.34(cm) , Birthdate(Birthday): May 26, 1913 , Age on August 11, 1994 (Death date): 81 Years 2 Months 16 Days Profession: Movies (Actor), Features: Hair and eyes dark brown, Address: Purley, Surrey, Father: George Edward Cushing, Mother: Nellie Marie Cushing, Religion: Roman Catholic, School: Shoreham . [138] His final acting job was narrating, along with Christopher Lee, the Hammer Films documentary Flesh and Blood: The Hammer Heritage of Horror (1994), which was recorded only a few weeks before his death. They Dare Not Love. [86], Cushing took the lead role in two science fiction films by AARU Productions based on the British television series, Doctor Who. The Man in the Iron Mask (1939) Passed | 113 min | Adventure, History, Romance 7 Rate Despotic King Louis XIV discovers he has a twin brother who has grown up under the tutelage of his foster father, the patriotic musketeer D'Artagnan. However, they did share a mutual respect for one another's work. 1. [92] Although the series proved popular, Cushing felt he could not give his best performance under the hectic schedule, and he was not pleased with the final result. Actor: Star Wars: Episode IV - A New Hope. His acting career spanned over six decades and included appearances in more than 100 films, as well as many television, stage, and radio roles. The supremely talented British actor portrayed some of horror literature's best-loved heroes . He repeated the role of the man who lost family in other horror films, including Asylum (1972), The Creeping Flesh (1973), and The Ghoul (1975). Peter Wilton Cushing was born in Kenley, then a district in the English county of Surrey, on 26 May 1913 to George Edward Cushing (18811956) and Nellie Marie (ne King) Cushing (18821961). [5] With the exception of art, Cushing was a self-proclaimed poor student in most subjects and had little attention span for that which did not interest him. Cushing continued to make occasional cameos in the series over the next decade, portraying himself desperately attempting to collect a payment for his previous acting appearance on the show. Peter Cushing is one of the most highly regarded performers amongst all manner of cinephiles. [45] Produced by American writer and director Ted Newsom, his contribution was recorded in Canterbury, near his home. During that meeting, Cushing was given a walk-on part as a courier in that night's production of J.B. Priestley's Cornelius. Cushing also wrote a children's book called The Bois Saga, a story based on the history of England. "[71], Although he appeared in both television and stage productions, Cushing preferred the medium of film, which allowed his perfectionist nature to work out the best performance possible. [99][141] He was an ardent vegetarian for most of his life who served as a patron with the Vegetarian Society from 1987 until his death. His dialog usually runs along the lines of, 'But good heavens, man! Biography - A Short Wiki. [88] Production lasted from May to December,[90] and Cushing adopted a strict regimen of training, preparation and exercise. "[50] Donald F. Glut, a writer and filmmaker who wrote a book about the portrayals of Frankenstein, said the inner warmth of Cushing's off-screen personality was apparent on-screen even despite the horrific elements of Frankenstein, which helped add a layer of likability to the character. "Who wants to see me as Hamlet? [11], Cushing wanted to enter the acting profession after school, but his father opposed the idea, despite the theatrical background of several of his family members. "The star who never grew up". Cushing often appeared alongside actor Christopher Lee, who became one of his closest friends, and occasionally with the American horror star Vincent Price. In the following we list the major anecdotes which blend into an interesting story. [4][42], In an interview included on the DVD release of The Hound of the Baskervilles (1959), Lee said of his friend's death: .mw-parser-output .templatequote{overflow:hidden;margin:1em 0;padding:0 40px}.mw-parser-output .templatequote .templatequotecite{line-height:1.5em;text-align:left;padding-left:1.6em;margin-top:0}, I don't want to sound gloomy, but at some point of your lives, every one of you will notice that you have in your life one person, one friend whom you love and care for very much. [104], For Tales from the Crypt, an anthology film made up of several horror segments, Cushing was offered the part of a ruthless businessman but did not like the part and turned down the role. [10] However, Cushing was very proud of his experiences with the Hammer films, and never resented becoming known as a horror actor. Cushing appeared in several other Hammer films, including The Abominable Snowman (1957), The Mummy and The Hound of the Baskervilles (both 1959), the last of which marked the first of the several occasions he portrayed the detective Sherlock Holmes. Even though Peter Cushing was on screen for only a . [28] Picturegoer writer Margaret Hinxman, who was not complimentary of Lee's performance, praised Cushing and wrote of the film: "Although this shocker may not have created much of a monster, it may well have created something more lasting: a star! He was known for being a Movie Actor. [18] He found a modest success in a 1945 production of Sheridan's The Rivals at Westminster's Criterion Theatre, which earned him enough money to pay off some growing debts. [68], Around the same time, he portrayed the detective Sherlock Holmes in the Hammer production of The Hound of the Baskervilles (also 1959), an adaptation of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's novel of the same name. [21] He returned for The Evil of Frankenstein (1963), where the Baron has a carnival hypnotist resurrect his monster's inactive brain,[54] and Frankenstein Created Woman (1967), in which the Frankenstein's monster is a woman played by Playboy magazine centrefold model Susan Denberg. A Tale of Two Cities. [136], Cushing wrote two autobiographies, Peter Cushing: An Autobiography (1986) and Past Forgetting: Memoirs of the Hammer Years (1988). He has adorned our screens as Dr. . The effects of his wife's death proved to be as much physical as mental. Grand Moff Wilhuff Tarkin exemplified how ruthlessly cold and callous the Empire's leadership really was. [120] The close-up shots of Cushing aboard the Death Star, shown right before the battlestation is destroyed, were actually extra footage taken from previously-shot scenes with Cushing that did not make the final film. Thereafter the action jumps ahead to 1972, and Cushing plays the original character's grandson for the bulk of the movie. Find out the cause of death and more exciting information regarding the death of this famous movie actor. The move proved to be a wise one, as Cushing was hired to complement the cast of a string of major theatre successes that were being adapted to live television. He scrutinised the costumes and screenwriter Peter Bryan's script, often altering words or phrases. His acting career spanned over six decades and included appearances in more than 100 films, as well as many television, stage, and radio roles. He appeared in the episode The Hidden Master (1940) as a young Clive of India, well before the soldier established the military and political supremacy of the East India Company. Thus a grey pallor is added to his . Actors Who Have Played Sherlock Holmes. Which means Cushing's career vampire kill count is - drum roll - fifteen - five of which were the same bloody vampire over and over. [153], Several filmmakers and actors have claimed to be influenced by Peter Cushing, including actor Doug Bradley, who played Pinhead in the Hellraiser horror films,[154] and John Carpenter, who directed such films as Halloween (1978), Escape from New York (1981) and The Thing (1982). Dr Who . [129][130][131] Joyce Broughton, Cushing's former secretary, had approved recreating Cushing in the film. [2] His father, a quantity surveyor, was a reserved and uncommunicative man whom Peter said he never got to know very well. Fear in the Night. Peter Cushing is best known for the huge number of horror films he made for Hammer Studios between 1957 and 1974. [135] Also that year, a sketch Cushing drew of Sherlock Holmes was accepted as the official logo of the Northern Musgraves Sherlock Holmes Society. "[35] Parliament even considered a motion immediately after the first screening to ban the play's live repeat. This caused a great deal of pain for him during shooting, but the costume designers did not have enough time to get him another pair. He also won best actor awards from the Guild of Television Producers in 1955,[39] and from the British Academy of Film and Television Arts in 1956. Nevertheless, he worked hard to master the lines so they sounded natural and that his character appeared intelligent and confident. But millions want to see me as [Baron] Frankenstein, so that's the one I do. Cushing was known for his roles as Baron Frankenstein, Sherlock Holmes, Dr. Van Helsing, Dr. Who, and Grand Moff Tarkin. 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