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{{real world}}
{{real world}}
{{Infobox Person
{{Infobox Person
|image = Peter Cushing.jpg
|image     = Peter Cushing.jpg
|name = Peter Wilton Cushing
|role = [[Dr. Who (Dalek movies)|Dr. Who]]
|birth date = [[26 May (people)|26 May]] [[1913 (people)|1913]]
|birth date = [[26 May (people)|26 May]] [[1913 (people)|1913]]
|death date = [[11 August (people)|11 August]] [[1994 (people)|1994]]
|death date = [[11 August (people)|11 August]] [[1994 (people)|1994]]
|non dwu = [[Dr. Who and the Daleks]]<br />[[Daleks' Invasion Earth 2150 A.D.]]<br />[[Star Wars]]
|role      = [[Dr. Who (Dr. Who and the Daleks)|Dr. Who]]
|imdb = nm0001088
|non dwu    = ''[[Star Wars]]'', {{wi|At the Earth's Core (film)|At the Earth's Core}}, ''[[Nineteen Eighty-Four]]'', ''[[The Hound of the Baskervilles]]'', ''[[Dracula (film series)|Dracula]]'', ''[[Dr. Terror's House of Horrors]]'', ''Sherlock Holmes''
|clip = Special DVD Bonus Cushing and Castle - Doctor Who Death to the Daleks - BBC
|imdb       = 0001088
|clip       = Special DVD Bonus Cushing and Castle - Doctor Who Death to the Daleks - BBC
|name      = Peter Cushing
|aka        = Peter Wilton Cushing
|job title  = Actor
|time      = 1965-66
|story      = ''[[Dr. Who and the Daleks (theatrical film)|Dr. Who and the Daleks]]'' and ''[[Daleks' Invasion Earth 2150 A.D. (theatrical film)|Daleks' Invasion Earth 2150 A.D.]]'', ''[[Journey into Time (unreleased audio story)|Journey into Time]]''
}}
}}
'''Peter Cushing''' ([[26 May (people)|26 May]] [[1913 (people)|1913]]-[[11 August (people)|11 August]] [[1994 (people)|1994]]) played the eccentric [[Dr. Who (Dalek movies)|Dr. Who]] in two mid-1960s movies (''[[Dr. Who and the Daleks]]'' and ''[[Daleks' Invasion Earth 2150 A.D.]]'') based on the ''[[Doctor Who]]'' television series. He is perhaps best known for playing Baron Frankenstein and Professor van Helsing in Hammer films, often appearing opposite his close friend Christopher Lee.
{{you may|Peter Cushing (in-universe)|n1=his DWU counterpart}}
'''Peter Wilton Cushing''' (born in Kenley, [[Surrey]] on [[26 May (people)|26 May]] [[1913 (people)|1913]]<ref name="CushingHistory">"The Peter Cushing Scrapbook", Wayne Kinsey; Tom Johnson; Joyce Broughton, Peveril Publishing, 2013</ref>[[1913 (people)|,]] died [[11 August (people)|11 August]] [[1994 (people)|1994]]<ref>[http://www.independent.co.uk/news/people/obituary-peter-cushing-1375859.html The Independent]</ref>) played the eccentric [[Dr. Who (Dr. Who and the Daleks)|Dr. Who]] in two mid-1960s movies (''[[Dr. Who and the Daleks (theatrical film)|Dr. Who and the Daleks]]'' and ''[[Daleks' Invasion Earth 2150 A.D. (theatrical film)|Daleks' Invasion Earth 2150 A.D.]]'') based on the ''[[Doctor Who (TV series)|Doctor Who]]'' television series.


Apart from his role as the Doctor, Cushing was considered to take over from [[First Doctor]] [[William Hartnell]] or [[Third Doctor]] [[Jon Pertwee]]. In the first case, he turned down the role. In the second, he would have accepted if prior commitments had not made this impossible. He had also appeared on a list of actors who could potentially play the Frankenstein-like role of the mad surgeon [[Solon]] in the [[Fourth Doctor]] story ''[[The Brain of Morbius]]''.
Apart from his role as Dr. Who, Cushing was considered to take over from [[First Doctor]] [[William Hartnell]] or [[Third Doctor]] [[Jon Pertwee]]. In either case, he turned down the role, due to prior commitments. However, he did express doubts over whether or not he would've taken on the part if he had been free.<ref>Peter Cushing: In His Own Words, 2019, Rabbit and Snail Films (interview featured recorded by Richard Edwards in May 1986)</ref>


== Profile ==
He had also appeared on a list of actors who could potentially play the Frankenstein-like role of the mad surgeon [[Mehendri Solon]] in the [[Fourth Doctor]] serial ''[[The Brain of Morbius (TV story)|The Brain of Morbius]]'',<ref>[[DWM 541]]{{which}}</ref> and was subsequently considered for the roles of Professor [[Hayter]] in ''[[Time-Flight (TV story)|Time-Flight]]'',<ref>[[TCH 35]]{{which}}</ref> [[Azmael]] in ''[[The Twin Dilemma (TV story)|The Twin Dilemma]]''<ref>[[TCH 40]]{{which}}</ref> and Lord [[Ravensworth]] in ''[[The Mark of the Rani (TV story)|The Mark of the Rani]]''<ref>[[TCH 41]]{{which}}</ref>. Shortly before his death, he was considered for the part of [[Borusa]] in a television movie project that eventually became ''[[Doctor Who (TV story)|Doctor Who]]''.<ref>http://www.shannonsullivan.com/drwho/serials/tvm.html</ref>
Cushing was born in Kenley in Surrey on [[26 May (people)|26 May]] [[1913 (people)|1913]]. He was raised in Kenley and Dulwich, [[London|South London]]. He left his first job as a surveyor's assistant to take up a scholarship at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama. After working in repertory theatre, he left for [[Hollywood]] in 1939, but returned in 1941 after roles in several films. His first major film part was as Osric in ''[[Hamlet]]'' (1948) with Laurence Olivier.


Cushing played [[Sherlock Holmes]] many times, starting with Hammer's ''The Hound of the Baskervilles'' (1959), the first colour Holmes film. He followed this up with a performance in 16 episodes of the BBC series ''Sir [[Arthur Conan Doyle]]'s Sherlock Holmes'' (1968), of which unfortunately only six episodes survive. Finally, towards the end of his life, Cushing played the detective in old age, in ''The Masks of Death'' (1984) for Channel 4.
== Early Life and Career ==
Cushing was born in Kenley, Surrey on [[26 May (people)|26 May]] [[1913 (people)|1913]]. He was raised in Kenley and Dulwich, [[London|South London]]. His middle name of Wilton was given to him in reference of his father's stepbrother, Wilton Herriott.<ref name="CushingHistory" /> As child, he attended Shoreham Grammar School and Purley Grammar School.  


In 1977 he appeared in ''[[Star Wars]]'' as one of his (now) most recognised characters, {{iw|starwars|Grand Moff Tarkin}}.
Cushing's first acting experience came in 1929 at Purley, where he played a part in a school production. He left his first job as a surveyor's assistant to take up repertory theatre. After working in repertory theatre as both an actor and stage manager, he left for America in 1939. He travelled through New York and Los Angeles in search of acting roles, and soon found some limited success.  


In 1989 he was awarded the Order of the British Empire (OBE).
Due to previous medical issues and injuries, Cushing was exempted from serving in the second world war, but feeling homesick, he returned to England in 1941 after playing small roles in several films. He continued to perform in theatrical productions, and gained his first major film part in 1948 as Osric in ''[[Hamlet]]'' with Laurence Olivier, after Olivier had recollected Cushing's audition for a prior project of his and called for him to be screentested for the movie.<ref>"An Actor, and a Rare One", Tony Earnshaw, 2001, Scarecrow Press</ref>


He retired to Whitstable, where he had bought a seafront house in 1959. He died from [[cancer]] in [[Canterbury]] in [[1994 (people)|1994]], aged 81. He was married to the actress Helen Beck from 1943 until her death in 1971. His love for her has become one of the most warmly regarded aspects of his star persona, and he famously named a rose after her on the [[BBC]] programme ''[[Jim'll Fix It]]''.
Following the success of the movie, Cushing played parts in theatre productions of several Shakespeare plays under the hands of Olivier. In 1954, he played Winston Smith in the BBC TV live production of ''[[Nineteen Eighty-Four]]'', for which he would win an award.  


[[Justin Richards]] stated in a [[Twitter|tweet]] that the character or [[Alexander Ernhardt|Lord Ernhardt]] in his ''[[Plague of the Cybermen (novel)|Plague of the Cybermen]]'' novel was "played" by Cushing.
He is well-remembered for his many appearances in productions by Hammer Films, where he famously played the roles of Baron Frankenstein and Van Helsing, and often starred alongside his close friend, [[Christopher Lee]]. Additionally, he played [[Sherlock Holmes]] many times, starting with Hammer's ''The Hound of the Baskervilles'' (1959), the first colour Holmes film. He followed this up with a performance in the BBC series ''Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's Sherlock Holmes'' (1968), from which only six of the sixteen episodes survive. It co-starred [[Nigel Stock]] as Dr. [[John Watson|Watson]]. Cushing played the detective one final time, in old age, in ''The Masks of Death'' (1984) for Channel 4.


== In-Universe ==
Cushing's first role with [[Amicus Films]], with whom he also would have a long-standing affiliation, was in ''[[Dr. Terror's House of Horrors]]'' in 1964. This was the first of several times he worked on a project script by [[Milton Subotsky]]. During this film, he also worked alongside [[Roy Castle]] for the first time and became friends with him. He would again work with both Castle and Subotsky in the first Dalek film.
* After attending the ''[[Star Wars]]'' premiere at [[Mann's Chinese Theatre]] with [[Frobisher]] in [[May]] [[1977]], the [[Sixth Doctor]] remarked that Tarkin looked familiar and that he seemed to remember meeting his [[Susan (Dalek movies)|granddaughter]] once. ([[PROSE]]: ''[[Mission: Impractical]]'')
* Cushing subsequently starred in the [[1980]] [[science fiction]] film ''[[Prey for a Miracle]]'', which was inspired by the [[UFO]] / [[god]]s scare caused by the [[Latter-Day Pantheon]] in [[New York City]] in [[March]] and [[April]] [[1965]]. He played the lead role of "the mysterious government adviser, Doctor Who," a character loosely based on the [[First Doctor]]. However, a film critic for the magazine ''Film in Focus'' noted upon the film's release in [[November]] [[1980]] that Cushing's "endearingly eccentric professor [was] as fictional as the rest of ''Prey for a Miracle''" as what little was known about the real life "Doctor" suggested that he was "a shadowy, manipulative figure." ([[PROSE]]: ''[[Salvation (novel)|Salvation]]'')


After his work on the two Dalek films, Cushing recorded ''[[Journey into Time (audio story)|Journey into Time]]'', the pilot episode for a proposed ''Doctor Who'' radio series that was rejected by the BBC. He then continued to play roles in films created by Hammer and Amicus over the following years, as well as other horror films, though he would be somewhat troubled by the loss of his wife in 1971.
He again played the character of Van Helsing in the Hammer Films movie, ''The Legend of the 7 Golden Vampires''. Interestingly, for the last half of the movie, he wears an outfit that closely resembles the outfit that he wore as Dr. Who.
In 1976, Cushing portrayed Doctor [[Abner Perry]] in {{wi|At the Earth's Core (film)|At the Earth's Core}}, scripted by Subotsky. This part is often remarked as bearing a great similarity to Cushing's Dr. Who. Perry, specifically pointed out to resemble actor Peter Cushing, made an unnamed but obvious cameo in the [[Doctor Who universe|''Doctor Who'' universe]] in the [[2013 (releases)|2013]] novel ''[[From Wildthyme with Love (novel)|From Wildthyme with Love]]'', by [[Paul Magrs]].
In 1977, he appeared in ''[[Star Wars]]'' as one of his most recognised characters, {{iw|starwars|Grand Moff Tarkin}}, infamously recording his scenes wearing his own carpet slippers due to issues with the boots that had been made for him. He was diagnosed with prostate cancer in 1982, in-between film commitments. He played a few more smaller roles until 1986, when he [[retire]]d to Whitstable, where he had bought a seafront house in 1959. In 1989, he was awarded an OBE (Officer of the Order of the British Empire).
== Death ==
He died from [[cancer]] in [[Canterbury]] in [[1994 (people)|1994]], aged 81.
== Personal life ==
He was married to actress Helen Beck from 1943, not long after meeting her whilst performing in a production of ''Private Lives,'' until her death in 1971. His love for her has become one of the most warmly regarded aspects of his star persona, and he famously named a rose after her on the [[BBC]] programme ''[[Jim'll Fix It]]''.
== Legacy ==
[[Justin Richards]] has stated in a [[Twitter|tweet]] that the character of [[Lord Ernhardt]] in his novel ''[[Plague of the Cybermen (novel)|Plague of the Cybermen]]'' was "played" by Cushing.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://twitter.com/JJCRichards/status/345884798650302464|title=Justin Richards' Twitter page|date of source=June 15th, 2013|website=Twitter|accessdate=March 14th, 2016}}</ref>
== Footnotes ==
{{reflist}}
== External links ==
== External links ==
{{imdb name|id=0001088}}
{{imdb name|id=0001088}}
* '''{{iw|starwars|Peter Cushing}}''' at {{iw|starwars|Main Page|''Wookieepedia'', the ''Star Wars'' wiki}}
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[[Category:Actors who portrayed the Doctor]]
[[Category:Actors who portrayed the Doctor]]
[[Category:BAFTA award winners]]
[[Category:BAFTA award winners]]
[[Category:Saturn Award nominees]]
[[Category:Doctor Who actors that exist in the DWU]]
[[Category:Doctor Who actors that exist in the DWU]]
[[Category:Actors who portrayed the First Doctor]]
[[Category:Actors who have voiced for the Doctor]]

Latest revision as of 19:06, 9 February 2024

RealWorld.png

You may be looking for his DWU counterpart.

Peter Wilton Cushing (born in Kenley, Surrey on 26 May 1913[1], died 11 August 1994[2]) played the eccentric Dr. Who in two mid-1960s movies (Dr. Who and the Daleks and Daleks' Invasion Earth 2150 A.D.) based on the Doctor Who television series.

Apart from his role as Dr. Who, Cushing was considered to take over from First Doctor William Hartnell or Third Doctor Jon Pertwee. In either case, he turned down the role, due to prior commitments. However, he did express doubts over whether or not he would've taken on the part if he had been free.[3]

He had also appeared on a list of actors who could potentially play the Frankenstein-like role of the mad surgeon Mehendri Solon in the Fourth Doctor serial The Brain of Morbius,[4] and was subsequently considered for the roles of Professor Hayter in Time-Flight,[5] Azmael in The Twin Dilemma[6] and Lord Ravensworth in The Mark of the Rani[7]. Shortly before his death, he was considered for the part of Borusa in a television movie project that eventually became Doctor Who.[8]

Early Life and Career[[edit] | [edit source]]

Cushing was born in Kenley, Surrey on 26 May 1913. He was raised in Kenley and Dulwich, South London. His middle name of Wilton was given to him in reference of his father's stepbrother, Wilton Herriott.[1] As child, he attended Shoreham Grammar School and Purley Grammar School.

Cushing's first acting experience came in 1929 at Purley, where he played a part in a school production. He left his first job as a surveyor's assistant to take up repertory theatre. After working in repertory theatre as both an actor and stage manager, he left for America in 1939. He travelled through New York and Los Angeles in search of acting roles, and soon found some limited success.

Due to previous medical issues and injuries, Cushing was exempted from serving in the second world war, but feeling homesick, he returned to England in 1941 after playing small roles in several films. He continued to perform in theatrical productions, and gained his first major film part in 1948 as Osric in Hamlet with Laurence Olivier, after Olivier had recollected Cushing's audition for a prior project of his and called for him to be screentested for the movie.[9]

Following the success of the movie, Cushing played parts in theatre productions of several Shakespeare plays under the hands of Olivier. In 1954, he played Winston Smith in the BBC TV live production of Nineteen Eighty-Four, for which he would win an award.

He is well-remembered for his many appearances in productions by Hammer Films, where he famously played the roles of Baron Frankenstein and Van Helsing, and often starred alongside his close friend, Christopher Lee. Additionally, he played Sherlock Holmes many times, starting with Hammer's The Hound of the Baskervilles (1959), the first colour Holmes film. He followed this up with a performance in the BBC series Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's Sherlock Holmes (1968), from which only six of the sixteen episodes survive. It co-starred Nigel Stock as Dr. Watson. Cushing played the detective one final time, in old age, in The Masks of Death (1984) for Channel 4.

Cushing's first role with Amicus Films, with whom he also would have a long-standing affiliation, was in Dr. Terror's House of Horrors in 1964. This was the first of several times he worked on a project script by Milton Subotsky. During this film, he also worked alongside Roy Castle for the first time and became friends with him. He would again work with both Castle and Subotsky in the first Dalek film.

After his work on the two Dalek films, Cushing recorded Journey into Time, the pilot episode for a proposed Doctor Who radio series that was rejected by the BBC. He then continued to play roles in films created by Hammer and Amicus over the following years, as well as other horror films, though he would be somewhat troubled by the loss of his wife in 1971.

He again played the character of Van Helsing in the Hammer Films movie, The Legend of the 7 Golden Vampires. Interestingly, for the last half of the movie, he wears an outfit that closely resembles the outfit that he wore as Dr. Who.

In 1976, Cushing portrayed Doctor Abner Perry in At the Earth's Core, scripted by Subotsky. This part is often remarked as bearing a great similarity to Cushing's Dr. Who. Perry, specifically pointed out to resemble actor Peter Cushing, made an unnamed but obvious cameo in the Doctor Who universe in the 2013 novel From Wildthyme with Love, by Paul Magrs.

In 1977, he appeared in Star Wars as one of his most recognised characters, Grand Moff Tarkin, infamously recording his scenes wearing his own carpet slippers due to issues with the boots that had been made for him. He was diagnosed with prostate cancer in 1982, in-between film commitments. He played a few more smaller roles until 1986, when he retired to Whitstable, where he had bought a seafront house in 1959. In 1989, he was awarded an OBE (Officer of the Order of the British Empire).

Death[[edit] | [edit source]]

He died from cancer in Canterbury in 1994, aged 81.

Personal life[[edit] | [edit source]]

He was married to actress Helen Beck from 1943, not long after meeting her whilst performing in a production of Private Lives, until her death in 1971. His love for her has become one of the most warmly regarded aspects of his star persona, and he famously named a rose after her on the BBC programme Jim'll Fix It.

Legacy[[edit] | [edit source]]

Justin Richards has stated in a tweet that the character of Lord Ernhardt in his novel Plague of the Cybermen was "played" by Cushing.[10]

Footnotes[[edit] | [edit source]]

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 "The Peter Cushing Scrapbook", Wayne Kinsey; Tom Johnson; Joyce Broughton, Peveril Publishing, 2013
  2. ↑ The Independent
  3. ↑ Peter Cushing: In His Own Words, 2019, Rabbit and Snail Films (interview featured recorded by Richard Edwards in May 1986)
  4. ↑ DWM 541[which?]
  5. ↑ TCH 35[which?]
  6. ↑ TCH 40[which?]
  7. ↑ TCH 41[which?]
  8. ↑ http://www.shannonsullivan.com/drwho/serials/tvm.html
  9. ↑ "An Actor, and a Rare One", Tony Earnshaw, 2001, Scarecrow Press
  10. ↑ Justin Richards' Twitter page (June 15th, 2013). Retrieved on March 14th, 2016.

External links[[edit] | [edit source]]

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