Peter Copley
Acting
- Born:
- 1915-05-20
- Died:
- 2008-10-07
- Place of birth:
- Bushey, Hertfordshire, England, UK
Biography
Peter Copley (20 May 1915 – 7 October 2008) was an English television, film and stage actor. Copley was born in Bushey, Hertfordshire, son of the printmakers, John Copley and Ethel Gabain. After changing his mind about joining the Royal Navy, he studied at the Old Vic School and started out as a stage actor in 1932. He made his first film appearance in 1934, going on to play a wide variety of characters from the villainous to the meek and mild. In 1946, he appeared on stage in "Cyrano de Bergerac" at the New Theatre in London. In 1951 he appeared at the Duchess Theatre in London's West End in the comedy play The Happy Family by Michael Clayton Hutton. TV credits include: Thorndyke, Danger Man, The Saint, The Avengers, The Forsyte Saga, The Troubleshooters, The Champions, Department S, Doomwatch, Z-Cars, Fall of Eagles, Survivors, Bless Me, Father (episode "A Legend Comes to Stay"), Father Brown (episode "The Curse of the Golden Cross"), Doctor Who (in the serial "Pyramids of Mars"), Sutherland's Law, Tales of the Unexpected, Miss Marple (episode "Nemesis"), Lovejoy, The Bill, Cadfael, The Diamond Brothers: South by South East and One Foot in the Grave. Copley continued to act well into his nineties. A resident of Bristol, Copley was awarded an Honorary Degree of Master of Arts by the University of the West of England in 2001.
Known For
Filmography
The Colour of Magic
Riot at the Rite
Oliver Twist
The Last Detective
Wives and Daughters
Janice Beard 45 WPM
Jonathan Creek
Monk's Hood
The Leper of St. Giles
The Sanctuary Sparrow
One Corpse Too Many
Cadfael
A Dangerous Man: Lawrence After Arabia
One Foot in the Grave
Agatha Christie's Poirot
The Importance of Being Earnest
Empire of the Sun
Never Say Die
The Trial of Klaus Barbie
Casualty
King of the Ghetto
Artists and Models
Lovejoy
Theatre Night
The Prisoner of Zenda
The Bill
Androcles and the Lion
Witness for the Prosecution
United Kingdom
Into the Labyrinth
The Chinese Detective
Little Lord Fauntleroy
Rabbit Pie Day
Churchill and the Generals
Tales of the Unexpected
The Famous Five
The Black Panther
Anna Karenina
The Foundation
Three Piece Suite
The New Avengers
Bill Brand
Shout at the Devil
Hennessy
Doctor Who: Pyramids of Mars
Survivors
Sky
Father Brown
Fall of Eagles
The Dragon's Opponent
Beyond Our Means
Gawain and the Green Knight
Armchair 30
Arthur of the Britons
That's Your Funeral
Crown Court
The Long Chase
What Became of Jack and Jill?
Justice
You're Only Young Twice
Taste of Evil
Bless This House
Jane Eyre
Doomwatch
Manhunt
Paul Temple
Department S
Walk a Crooked Path
Mosquito Squadron
Tower of London: The Innocent
The Gold Robbers
Frankenstein Must Be Destroyed
Imperial Palace
Immortality Inc
All at Sea
The Shoes of the Fisherman
The Champions
The Expert
Quatermass and the Pit
Half Hour Story
The Investigation
Callan
The Informer
The Devil's Eggshell
Don't Utter a Note
BBC Play of the Month
Stranger in the Family
Out of the Unknown
Knock on Any Door
Help!
The Troubleshooters
The Knack... and How to Get It
The Man Who Came to Die
The July Plot
King and Country
Redcap
The Wednesday Play
Thorndyke
Theatre 625
The Third Secret
Doctor Who
The Saint
Z-Cars
Victim
The Avengers
Maigret
No Hiding Place
Mystery in the Mine
Rockets Galore
The Government Inspector
Just My Luck
The End Begins
The Man Without a Body
The Smallest Show on Earth
Time Without Pity
The Film That Never Was
Foreign Intrigue
Peril for the Guy
Sherlock Holmes
Saadia
The Clue of the Missing Ape
The Sword and the Rose
The Hour of 13
The Card
Hallmark Hall of Fame
Golden Salamander
Farewell Again
Tell Me If It Hurts