[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). Did Saint Peter have a family and children? [14][28] They fell in love and were married on 10 April 1943. [102] He appeared alongside Vincent Price in Dr. Phibes Rises Again! [51] Many felt Cushing's performance helped create the archetypal mad scientist character. [14] Also appearing in the film was Christopher Lee, who eventually became a close friend and frequent co-star with Cushing. 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. [109] Cushing appeared in the television film The Great Houdini (1976) as Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, the creator of Sherlock Holmes. The first was J.B. Priestley's Eden End, which was televised in December 1951. [121], When Star Wars was first released in 1977, most preliminary advertisements touted Cushing's Tarkin as the primary antagonist of the film, not Vader;[122] Cushing was extremely pleased with the final film, and he claimed his only disappointment was that Tarkin was killed and could not appear in the subsequent sequels. The make-up on Peter Cushing's face is patently obvious in close-ups. 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. Find out the cause of death and more exciting information regarding the death of this famous movie actor. PETER CUSHING was one of the handful of actors. He played the lead in nearly every school production during his teenage years, including the role of Sir Anthony Absolute in a 1929 staging of Richard Brinsley Sheridan's comedy of manners play, The Rivals. Cushing was known for his roles as Baron Frankenstein, Sherlock Holmes, Dr. Van Helsing, Dr. Who, and Grand Moff Tarkin. His written candor was nearly too painful to read. [67] Cushing and Lee appeared together in the Hammer horror The Mummy (1959), with Cushing as the archaeologist John Banning and Lee as the antagonist Kharis. [14][28][29][145], In 1971 Cushing's wife died of emphysema. [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. [13], One of his earliest professional stage performances was in 1935 as Captain Randall in Ian Hay's The Middle Watch at the Connaught Theatre in Worthing. Peter Cushing's wife died in the early 1970's, they never had children so when he died of cancer in 1994 he left his estate to his secretary Joyce Broughton. However, they did share a mutual respect for one another's work. Knight, Chris (1971). Many actors turned down the role as a result, but Cushing accepted,[89] and the BBC believed his Hammer Studios persona would bring what they called a sense of "lurking horror and callous savagery" to the series. "[146], In his autobiography, Cushing implies that he attempted suicide on the night of his wife's death by running up and down stairs in the vain hope that it would induce a heart attack. [72] Lee later claimed to be awestruck by Cushing's ability to incorporate many different props and actions into his performance simultaneously, whether reading, smoking a pipe, drinking whiskey, filing through papers or other things while portraying Holmes. They were the best of friends. 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). [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. Whether playing Baron Frankenstein witnessing the awful results of his brilliance or Professor Van Helsing in hot . "How Jim fixed it for horror actor Cushing" (8 May 2004). [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. 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. "[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. They Dare Not Love. Here is all you want to know, and more! Others closed after a few showings, like an ambitious five-hour stage adaptation of Leo Tolstoy's novel War and Peace that opened and closed in 1943 in London's Phoenix Theatre. The horror films were produced by Hammer Films in Britain.Peter Cushing, a British actor who chilled a generation of filmgoers as the evil Baron Frankenstein, died yesterday in a hospice in Canterbury, England. [44], During a brief quiet period following Cushing's television work, he read in trade publications about Hammer, a low-budget production company seeking to adapt Mary Shelley's horror novel Frankenstein into a new film. [10][42][68], On 10 April 1943, Cushing married Violet Hlne Beck, sister of Reginald Beck. But he never did it with that same natural panache. Shooting ran from September to November 1939,[23] and the film was released in 1940, drawing Cushing's first semblance of attention and critical praise. [15] The two had little money around this time, and Cushing had to collect from both National Assistance and the Actors' Benevolent Fund. Although not a particular fan of science fiction, Cushing accepted the part because he believed his audience would love Star Wars and enjoy seeing him in the film. Cushing had recently undergone dental surgery and he was trying not to open his mouth widely for fear of spitting. Cushing's biographer Tony Earnshaw said Cushing's performance in The Masks of Death was arguably the actor's best interpretation of the role, calling it "the culmination of a life-time as a Holmes fan, and more than a quarter of a century of preparation to play the most complex of characters". Even though Peter Cushing was on screen for only a . [86] Cushing also starred in several horror films released in 1975. Peter Wilton Cushing, OBE (26 May 1913 - 11 August 1994) was an English actor best known for his roles in the Hammer Productions horror films of the 1950s, 1960s, and 1970s, and as Grand Moff Tarkin in the 1977 film Star Wars. [21][28], He earned praise for playing the lead male role of Mr. Darcy in an early BBC Television serialisation of Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice (1952). Peter Wilton Cushing was born on May 26, 1913 in Kenley, Surrey, England, to Nellie Maria (King) and George Edward Cushing, a quantity surveyor. Though they worked together often, they were not necessarily friends. [21] One of Cushing's primary scenes involved Osric talking to Hamlet and Horatio while walking down a wide stone spiral stairway. The order of these top Peter Cushing movies is decided by how many votes they receive, so only highly rated Peter Cushing movies will be at the top of the list. [21][53] The two men continued to work together in many films for Hammer, and their names became synonymous with the company. They immediately accepted, and among the works Cushing recorded was The Return of Sherlock Holmes, a collection of thirteen one-hour stories. His old friend and co-star John Mills encouraged him to publish his memoirs as a way of overcoming the reclusive state Cushing had placed himself into following her death. [18] In the autumn of 1946, after the war ended, Cushing unsuccessfully auditioned for the part of Paul Verrall in a stage production of the play Born Yesterday that was being staged by famed actor and director Laurence Olivier. Director: James Whale | Stars: Louis Hayward, Joan Bennett, Warren William, Joseph Schildkraut Votes: 1,771 2. He played Dr. Who in Dr. Who and the Daleks (1965) and Daleks' Invasion Earth 2150 A.D. (1966) and gained the highest amount of visibility in his career with his part in the original Star Wars film. They both appeared in numerous Hammer films, as well as other genre films, throughout their careers. Cushing was about twenty years older than Baron Frankenstein as he appeared in the original novel, but that did not deter the filmmakers. Dis St Peter, who was married, have any. There is a photo in Peter's biography showing a smiling Helen and He achieved recognition in his home country for his leading performances in the Hammer Productions horror films from the 1950s to 1970s, while earning international prominence as Grand Moff Tarkin in Star Wars (1977). 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 visited the company, which was only a few days away from shooting The Man in the Iron Mask (1939), the James Whale-directed adaptation of the Alexandre Dumas tale based on the French legend of a prisoner during the reign of Louis XIV of France. See answer (1) 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. [142] He also had a great interest in ornithology and wildlife in general. Early life [ edit ] Child was born in Montclair, New Jersey , on January 15, 1902, to Bertha Cushing and Charles Tripler Child. Cushing next appeared for Hammer when he played the Sheriff of Nottingham in the adventure film Sword of Sherwood Forest (1960), which starred Richard Greene as the outlaw Robin Hood. [10] The scene in which Tarkin and Organa appear together on the Death Star, just before the destruction of the planet Alderaan, was the first scene with major dialogue that Fisher filmed for Star Wars. [3] Cushing's family consisted of several stage actors, including his paternal grandfather Henry William Cushing (who toured with Henry Irving),[4] his paternal aunt Maude Cushing (his father's sister) and his step-uncle Wilton Herriot, after whom Peter Cushing received his middle name. Both he and his wife feared Cushing would become typecast into horror roles, but he continued to take them because they guaranteed regular work. Cushing later appeared in The Vampire Lovers (1970), an erotic Hammer horror film about a lesbian vampire, adapted in part from the Sheridan Le Fanu novella Carmilla. 1. Twins of Evil. Peter Wilton Cushing was born on May 26, 1913 in Kenley, Surrey, England, to Nellie Maria (King) and George Edward Cushing, a quantity surveyor. His first job was as a surveyor's assistant in . [10], Cushing joined the cast in May 1976, and his scenes were filmed at Elstree Studios in Borehamwood. Peter Sellers CBE (born Richard Henry Sellers; 8 September 1925 - 24 July 1980) was an English actor and comedian.He first came to prominence performing in the BBC Radio comedy series The Goon Show, featured on a number of hit comic songs and became known to a worldwide audience through his many film roles, among them Chief Inspector Clouseau in The Pink Panther series. Presumably living in a famous actor's former house is a mixed blessing for its current occupants. [10], In 1947, when Laurence Olivier sought him out for his film adaptation of Shakespeare's Hamlet, Cushing's wife Helen pushed him to pursue a role. [21] During this discouraging period for Cushing, his wife encouraged him to seek roles in television, which was beginning to develop in England. Peter Wilton Cushing was born on May 26, 1913 in Kenley, Surrey, England, to Nellie Maria (King) and George Edward Cushing, a quantity surveyor. Payne, Graham (June 1958). [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. Cushing later said his unscreened scenes alongside Hayward were terrible performances, but that his experience on the film provided an excellent opportunity to learn and observe how filming on a studio set worked. 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 . 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. [10] Director John Carpenter approached him to appear in the horror film Halloween (1978) as Samuel Loomis, the psychiatrist of murderer Michael Myers, but Cushing turned down the role. [28] In 1972, he was quoted in the Radio Times as having said, "Since Helen passed on I can't find anything; the heart, quite simply, has gone out of everything. Thus a grey pallor is added to his . [21] In that film, Cushing's Van Helsing travels to the Chinese city Chungking, where Count Dracula is heading a vampire cult. And then when that person is gone, there will be nothing like that in your life ever again. Peter Cushing is one of the most highly regarded performers amongst all manner of cinephiles. [10] While working, he actively provided feedback and suggestions on other elements beyond his performance, such as dialogue and wardrobe. [115][116][117][118][119] During rehearsals, Lucas originally planned for Tarkin and Vader to use a giant screen filled with computerised architectural representations of hallways to monitor the whereabouts of Skywalker, Solo and Organa. Peter Wilton Cushing OBE (26 May 1913 - 11 August 1994) was an English actor. He and his older brother David were raised first in Dulwich Village, a south London suburb, and then later back in Surrey. [64] Cushing and Lee both reprised their respective roles in the sequel The Satanic Rites of Dracula (1974), which was known in the United States as Count Dracula and his Vampire Bride. [80] Around the same time, he appeared in the film Alexander the Great (1956) as the Athenian General Memnon of Rhodes. '"[47], Unlike Frankenstein (1931) produced by Universal, the Hammer films revolved mainly around Victor Frankenstein, rather than his monster. Their marriage seemed an idea one, each completely devoted to the other and despite never having children, they seemed a very happy couple. "Peter Cushing: The First Gentleman of Horror". He lived in the town for 35 years whilst making many of the 91 films in which he starred. [45] Produced by American writer and director Ted Newsom, his contribution was recorded in Canterbury, near his home. Terence Fisher's The Curse of Frankenstein is a movie full of cinematic firsts: Hammer's first color horror film, Peter Cushing's first leading role in a movie, and his first time acting in the same scenes as Christopher Lee.Loosely based on Mary Shelley's novel, the film tells the story of Victor Frankenstein - an unorthodox scientist who brings a creature to life, only to have it . Stevens cast Cushing in the second male lead role of Joe Shand, the husband of the Lombard character's sister. [62] For the sequel, Dracula: Prince of Darkness (1966), which marked Lee's return to the title role for the first time since 1958, Cushing granted permission for archival footage featuring him to be used in the opening scene, a reprisal of the climax from the first Dracula film. Paul Cushing Child (January 15, 1902 - May 12, 1994) was an American civil servant, diplomat, and artist known for being the husband of celebrity chef and author Julia Child. [148] He was rushed to the Kent and Canterbury Hospital when his left eye had swollen to nearly three times its normal size, a side effect of the cancer. He appeared in several horror films and was in Lawrence Olivier's Hamlet. Biography - A Short Wiki. [10] Cushing accepted the role, and Hamlet (1948) marked his British film debut. Majendie, Paul (7 August 1986). Peter Cushing was born on the 26th of May, 2013. I love animals, and when I'm in the country I'm a keen bird-watcher." [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]. "[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. Peter Cushing (and, until her untimely death in 1971, his wife Helen), lived in this one: As you can see, it is adorned by a blue plaque, and it is notably the only one in that row to have large bushes growing in its front garden. He scrutinised the costumes and screenwriter Peter Bryan's script, often altering words or phrases. [112] When Cushing smoked between shots, he wore a white glove so the make-up artists would not have to deal with nicotine stains on his fingers. Mr. Beard's first marriage, to Minnie Cushing, the daughter of a distinguished Newport, R.I., family, ended in divorce, as did his second, to Ms. Tiegs, to whom he was married in the 1980s. He was eventually noticed by a Broadway theatre talent scout,[25] and in 1941 he made his Broadway debut in the religious wartime drama The Seventh Trumpet. Witching Time/The Silent Scream. [10] He appeared alongside actor John Mills as Watson, and the two were noted by critics for their strong chemistry and camaraderie. [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. Although I didn't . Neither Carlson nor Cushing wanted to do the scene, filmed despite director Terence Fisher's objections, and the controversial sequence was edited out of the film for its American release. 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