Personal Info
Known For:
Acting
Birthday:
May 20, 1915
Place of Birth:
Bushey, Hertfordshire, England, UK
Social Media
Peter Copley
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
| Year | Movie | Role |
|---|---|---|
| 2005 | Riot at the Rite | Patron |
| 2005 | Oliver Twist | Dining Hall Master |
| 1999 | Janice Beard 45 WPM | Sean's Father |
| 1992 | A Dangerous Man: Lawrence After Arabia | Maitland |
| 1988 | The Importance of Being Earnest | Gribsby |
| 1987 | The Trial of Klaus Barbie | Frossard |
| 1987 | Empire of the Sun | British Prisoner |
| 1986 | King of the Ghetto | Vicar |
| 1984 | Androcles and the Lion | Caesar |
| 1981 | United Kingdom | Commissioner |
| 1980 | Little Lord Fauntleroy | Reverend Muldaur |
| 1980 | Rabbit Pie Day | The Colonel |
| 1979 | Churchill and the Generals | Gen. Sir John Dill |
| 1977 | The Black Panther | |
| 1976 | Shout at the Devil | Admiral Howe |
| 1975 | Hennessy | Home Secretary |
| 1975 | Doctor Who: Pyramids of Mars | Dr. Warlock |
| 1973 | Beyond Our Means | Dr. Charteris |
| 1973 | Gawain and the Green Knight | Pilgrim |
| 1972 | What Became of Jack and Jill? | Dickson |
| 1972 | That's Your Funeral | 1st Funeral Director |
| 1970 | Jane Eyre | John |
| 1969 | Frankenstein Must Be Destroyed | Principal |
| 1969 | Tower of London: The Innocent | Archbishop |
| 1969 | Walk a Crooked Path | |
| 1969 | Mosquito Squadron | Mr. Scott |
| 1969 | All at Sea | Mr. Gordon |
| 1968 | The Shoes of the Fisherman | English Cardinal #1 |
| 1967 | Quatermass and the Pit | Howell |
| 1967 | The Investigation | Counsel for the Prosecution |
| 1966 | Don't Utter a Note | Vicar |
| 1966 | The Devil's Eggshell | The Home Secretary |
| 1965 | The Knack... and How to Get It | Picture Owner |
| 1965 | Stranger in the Family | Charles Wilson |
| 1965 | Help! | Jeweller |
| 1964 | The July Plot | General Friedrich Olbright |
| 1964 | King and Country | Colonel |
| 1964 | The Third Secret | Dr Leo Whitset |
| 1961 | Victim | Paul Mandrake |
| 1959 | Mystery in the Mine | |
| 1958 | Rockets Galore | Scientist |
| 1958 | The Government Inspector | School Superintendent |
| 1957 | Just My Luck | Mr. Gilbert Weaver |
| 1957 | The Smallest Show on Earth | Actor in The Mystery of Hell Valley (uncredited) |
| 1957 | The Man Without a Body | Leslie |
| 1957 | Time Without Pity | Prison Chaplain |
| 1957 | The Film That Never Was | |
| 1957 | The End Begins | Tom Jarrow |
| 1956 | Foreign Intrigue | Brown |
| 1956 | Peril for the Guy | Mr. Ritter |
| 1953 | The Sword and the Rose | Sir Edwin Caskoden |
| 1953 | Saadia | Leader Mokhazenis |
| 1953 | The Clue of the Missing Ape | His Excellency |
| 1952 | The Card | P. Shillitoe (uncredited) |
| 1952 | The Hour of 13 | Cummings |
| 1950 | Golden Salamander | Aribi |
| 1937 | Farewell Again | Minor Role |
| 1934 | Tell Me If It Hurts | Waiter |
| Year | TV Show | Role |
|---|---|---|
| 2008 | The Colour of Magic | Greyhald Spold |
| 2003 | The Last Detective | Colonel Colin Ingate |
| 1997 | Jonathan Creek | Eric |
| 1994 | Cadfael | Abbot Heribert |
| 1990 | One Foot in the Grave | |
| 1989 | Agatha Christie's Poirot | Burgoyne |
| 1987 | Never Say Die | |
| 1986 | Lovejoy | Harold Richards |
| 1986 | Casualty | Dan Woods |
| 1986 | Casualty | Hugh Phipps |
| 1985 | Theatre Night | Gribsby |
| 1984 | The Bill | |
| 1984 | The Prisoner of Zenda | Marshal Strakencz |
| 1981 | The Chinese Detective | |
| 1979 | Tales of the Unexpected | Man at Railway Station |
| 1977 | Anna Karenina | |
| 1976 | The New Avengers | Prof. Waterlow |
| 1976 | Bill Brand | Cedric Maddocks |
| 1975 | Survivors | Dr. Bronson |
| 1975 | The Venturers | |
| 1975 | Sky | |
| 1974 | Fall of Eagles | Bethmann-Hollweg |
| 1974 | Father Brown | |
| 1972 | Arthur of the Britons | |
| 1972 | The Regiment | |
| 1972 | Crown Court | Sir Peter Cutforth |
| 1972 | Crown Court | His Honour Judge Edmonds |
| 1971 | You're Only Young Twice | |
| 1971 | Justice | Wigmore |
| 1970 | Doomwatch | Admiral Sir Richard Tranton |
| 1970 | Manhunt | Martin |
| 1969 | Department S | The Auctioneer |
| 1969 | Paul Temple | |
| 1969 | The Gold Robbers | Asst. Commissioner Farr |
| 1968 | The Champions | Antrobus |
| 1968 | The Expert | Hillard |
| 1967 | Callan | |
| 1966 | Softly, Softly | |
| 1965 | BBC Play of the Month | The Home Inspector |
| 1964 | The Wednesday Play | Gen. Friedrich Olbright |
| 1964 | Redcap | |
| 1964 | Thorndyke | |
| 1963 | Doctor Who | Dr. Warlock |
| 1962 | Z-Cars | |
| 1962 | The Saint | Don Morland |
| 1961 | The Avengers | |
| 1961 | The Avengers | Sparshott |
| 1960 | Maigret | Xavier Marton |
| 1959 | No Hiding Place | |
| 1954 | Sherlock Holmes | |
| 1951 | Hallmark Hall of Fame | Dr. Harrison |