Peter Copley was born on May 20, 1915 in Bushey, Hertfordshire, England as Peter Francis Gabain Copley. He was an actor, known for Empire of the Sun (1987), Oliver Twist (2005) and Help! (1965). He was married to Margaret Tabor. He died on October 7, 2008 in Bristol, England.
Margaret Tabor (m. 1967–2008), Pamela Brown (m. 1941–1953)
Parents
Ethel Gabain, John Copley
Star Sign
Taurus
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Fact
1
Acted in both The Avengers and The New Avengers.
2
His love of art came from his parents, the printmaker John Copley and the painter Ethel Gabain.
3
Frequently performed with the Royal Shakespeare Company and with the Bristol Old Vic.
4
Was equally adept at portraying sinister or villainous, or meek and downtrodden characters.
5
Spent five months during the late 1940s as director of Worthing Repertory.
6
Had one daughter Fanny.
7
Trained as a lawyer and was called to the Middle Temple bar in 1963, though he never practiced.
8
Was a Communist party member in the 1940s and early '50s; while he eventually renounced the Soviet model, he remained a committed socialist.
9
From 1945 to 1950, he was a major performer for Laurence Olivier's Old Vic Company at the New Theatre, St Martin's Lane.
10
Studied acting at the Old Vic school under Harcourt Williams and 'Murray MacDonald'. He made his stage debut as the gaoler in the Old Vic production of "The Winter's Tale" in 1932, and his West End debut three years later.
11
He made his stage debut in 1932.
Actor
Title
Year
Status
Character
Softly Softly
1966
TV Series
Ben Snow
A Game of Murder
1966
TV Series
Norman Penn
Riviera Police
1965
TV Series
Help!
1965
Jeweller
The Knack... and How to Get It
1965
Picture Owner
It's Dark Outside
1965
TV Series
Neville Ford
The Saint
1965
TV Series
Don Morland
Redcap
1964
TV Series
Colonel. Matherson
Thorndyke
1964
TV Series
Dr. John Evelyn Thorndyke
Secret Agent
1964
TV Series
Brett
King & Country
1964
Colonel
The Plane Makers
1964
TV Series
Major Mortimer Crabbe
The Third Secret
1964
Dr. Leo Whitset
Suspense
1963
TV Series
Barrister
Compact
1963
TV Series
Mr. Charlton
Dimensions of Fear
1963
TV Series
Prof. Meredith
Hamlet
1961
TV Series
Ghost
Victim
1961
Paul Mandrake
Maigret
1960
TV Series
Xavier Marton
Follow That Horse!
1960
Garrod
No Hiding Place
1960
TV Series
Radcliffe
Don't Do It Dempsey
1960
TV Series
Mr. Martin
Theatre Night
1960
TV Series
Charles Reese
Mystery in the Mine
1959
Tom Abbott
The Naked Lady
1959
TV Series
Laurence Odell
BBC Sunday-Night Theatre
1952-1959
TV Series
Father / Pinker / Claude Jervoise / ...
The Last Chronicle of Barset
1959
TV Series
Mr. Thumble
Television Playwright
1958
TV Series
Mr. Baldock-Evans / Aubrey Davis / Mr. Chambers
The Cosmic Monster
1958
News Editor (uncredited)
A Tale of Two Cities
1958
Mellor (uncredited)
Television World Theatre
1958
TV Series
School Superintendent
The Film That Never Was
1957
Short
Just My Luck
1957
Gilbert Weaver
The Man Without a Body
1957
Leslie
Big Time Operators
1957
Hank in 'The Mystery of Hell Valley' (uncredited)
Time Without Pity
1957
Prison Chaplain
David Copperfield
1956
TV Series
Mr. Bellstruther
The Other Man
1956
TV Series
Ralph Merson
Nom-de-Plume
1956
TV Series
Richard Roe
Foreign Intrigue
1956
Brown
Peril for the Guy
1956
Ritter
The End Begins
1956
TV Movie
Tom Jarrow
The Woman for Joe
1955
Mr. Worthington (uncredited)
Patrol Car
1955
TV Series
Brownlove / Audley
Sherlock Holmes
1954
TV Series
John Winthrop / Lord George Beryl
Montserrat
1954
TV Movie
Salcedo
Saadia
1953
Leader Mokhazenis
The Clue of the Missing Ape
1953
His Excellency (uncredited)
The New Morality
1953
TV Movie
Geoffrey Belasis
The Sword and the Rose
1953
Sir Edwin Caskoden
The Passing Show
1953
TV Series
Baldur Goesrler
Wednesday Theatre
1953
TV Series
Naryshkin
The Pickwick Papers
1952-1953
TV Series
Mr. Alfred Jingle
The Hour of 13
1952
Cummings
The Promoter
1952
P. Shillitoe (uncredited)
The Fighting Pimpernel
1950
Tailor (uncredited)
Golden Salamander
1950
Aribi
Troopship
1937
Minor Role (uncredited)
The Soul of Nicholas Snyders
1937
TV Movie
Tell Me If It Hurts
1934
Short
Waiter
The Color of Magic
2008
TV Mini-Series
Greyhald Spold
Riot at the Rite
2005
TV Movie
Old Gent
Oliver Twist
2005
Dining Hall Master
Kingdom of Heaven
2005
Old Pilgram (director's cut)
The Last Detective
2003
TV Series
Colonel Colin Ingate
Doctors
2002
TV Series
Frankie Jones
Strange
2002
TV Series
Reverend Rutt
Strange
2002
TV Movie
Reverend Rutt
After Death
2002
Short
Wives and Daughters
1999
TV Mini-Series
Robinson
Casualty
1991-1999
TV Series
Ernest Ellis / Hugh Phipps / Dan Woods
Janice Beard
1999
Sean's Father
Where the Heart Is
1999
TV Series
Sam Burridge
The Bill
1994-1999
TV Series
Mr. Faddon / Mr. Draycott
Far from the Madding Crowd
1998
TV Movie
Old Man
Jonathan Creek
1998
TV Series
Eric
Second Best
1994
Percy
Mystery!: Cadfael
1994
TV Series
Abbot Heribert
All or Nothing at All
1993
TV Mini-Series
Mr. Garlic
Lovejoy
1993
TV Series
Harold Richards
Grange Hill
1993
TV Series
Vicar
Ruth Rendell Mysteries
1992
TV Series
Harry Betts
Great Performances
1992
TV Series
Maitland
Josie
1991
TV Series
Agatha Christie's Poirot
1991
TV Series
Burgoyne
The Paper Man
1990
TV Mini-Series
Preston Bede
One Foot in the Grave
1990
TV Series
Leonard
Armada
1988
TV Mini-Series voice
Hot Metal
1988
TV Series
Records Clerk
Never Say Die
1987
TV Series
George
Empire of the Sun
1987
British Prisoner
Screenplay
1987
TV Series
Frossard
Miss Marple: Nemesis
1987
TV Movie
Archdeacon Brabazon
The Importance of Being Earnest
1986
TV Movie
Gribsby
Les aventuriers du Nouveau-Monde
1986
TV Mini-Series
Le juge
Return to Treasure Island
1986
TV Mini-Series
Dr. Livesey
King of the Ghetto
1986
TV Series
Vicar
Artists and Models
1986
TV Series
Savigny
The Prisoner of Zenda
1984
TV Mini-Series
Marshal Strakencz
Caught in a Free State
1984
TV Mini-Series
Sir John Maffey
Strangers and Brothers
1984
TV Series
Despard-Smith
The Gathering Seed
1983
TV Series
Bob Henshaw
Nanny
1983
TV Series
Bowles
The Forgotten Story
1983
TV Series
Mr. Cowdray
Androcles and the Lion
1983
TV Movie
Caesar
Jackanory Playhouse
1982
TV Series
Zanok
Witness for the Prosecution
1982
TV Movie
Dr. Harrison
The Chinese Detective
1982
TV Series
Cunninghame-Price
Into the Labyrinth
1982
TV Series
Kubla Khan
The Gentle Touch
1982
TV Series
Jonathan Horton
Play for Today
1981
TV Series
Commissioner
Bless Me Father
1981
TV Series
Father Abe
Tales of the Unexpected
1981
TV Series
Man at Railway Station
Little Lord Fauntleroy
1980
TV Movie
Rev. Muldaur
Premiere
1980
TV Mini-Series
Colonel
Churchill and the Generals
1979
TV Movie
General Sir John Dill
Flambards
1979
TV Mini-Series
Perkins
Crown Court
1973-1978
TV Series
Judge Edmonds / Sir Peter Cutforth / Judge Edwards / ...
The Foundation
1977-1978
TV Series
Dr. Richard Montagu
The Famous Five
1978
TV Series
Mr. Finniston
The Black Panther
1977
Anna Karenina
1977
TV Mini-Series
Priest
Three Piece Suite
1977
TV Series
General Moreau
Peer Gynt
1976
The New Avengers
1976
TV Series
Prof. Waterlow
The Cedar Tree
1976
TV Series
Lieut. Comdr. Jack White
Bill Brand
1976
TV Mini-Series
Cedric Maddocks
Sutherland's Law
1976
TV Series
Peter Todd
Shout at the Devil
1976
Admiral Howe
Prometheus: The Life of Balzac
1975
TV Mini-Series
Doctor Nacquart
Doctor Who
1975
TV Series
Dr. Warlock
The Hill of the Red Fox
1975
TV Mini-Series
Major Cassell
Hennessy
1975
Home Secretary
Sky
1975
TV Series
Revil
Survivors
1975
TV Series
Dr. Bronson
The Venturers
1975
TV Series
Sir Stanley Pelham
Father Brown
1974
TV Series
Rev. John Walters
Miss Nightingale
1974
TV Movie
Gentleman Attendant
Fall of Eagles
1974
TV Mini-Series
Bethmann-Hollweg
Vienna 1900
1973
TV Mini-Series
Herr Schleheim
Arthur of the Britons
1973
TV Series
Berthold
The Dragon's Opponent
1973
TV Series
Dr. Gough
Armchair Theatre
1965-1973
TV Series
Dr Charteris / Vicar / Dr. Clarkson
Armchair 30
1973
TV Series
Mr. Justice Hobbin
Follyfoot
1973
TV Series
Sir John
Gawain and the Green Knight
1973
Pilgrim
Justice
1973
TV Series
The Long Chase
1972
TV Series
Morrison
That's Your Funeral
1972
1st Funeral Director
Softly Softly: Task Force
1972
TV Series
Brigadier Jamieson
The Man Outside
1972
TV Series
The Editor
What Became of Jack and Jill?
1972
Dickson
Callan
1972
TV Series
Peter Rose
The Regiment
1972
TV Series
Colonel Kekewich
Clochemerle
1972
TV Series
General De Laflanel
The Brothers
1972
TV Series
Mr. Stevens
You're Only Young Twice
1971
TV Series
Peter
Z Cars
1971
TV Series
Housemaster
Out of the Unknown
1965-1971
TV Series
Mackinlay / Hull / Charles Wilson
The Laughing Stock of Television
1971
TV Movie
Hadleigh
1971
TV Series
Cyril Leyburn
Bless This House
1971
TV Series
J. G.
All at Sea
1970
Mr. Gordon
Jane Eyre
1970
TV Movie
John
Big Brother
1970
TV Mini-Series
Orford
Kate
1970
TV Series
Mr. Norton
NBC Experiment in Television
1970
TV Series
Bank Manager
Doomwatch
1970
TV Series
Admiral Sir Richard Tranton
Paul Temple
1970
TV Series
Mr. Wallace
Manhunt
1970
TV Series
Martin
Department S
1969
TV Series
The Auctioneer
Detective
1964-1969
TV Series
Stephen Huitelin / Dr. John Evelyn Thorndyke
Walk a Crooked Path
1969
Arnold Oberon
The Gold Robbers
1969
TV Mini-Series
Asst. Commissioner Farr
Mosquito Squadron
1969
Mr. Scott
Tower of London: The Innocent
1969
TV Movie
Archbishop Morton
The Prior Commitment
1969
TV Mini-Series
Cadwaller
Frankenstein Must Be Destroyed
1969
Principal
Imperial Palace
1969
TV Series
Emile Cousin
The Champions
1969
TV Series
Antrobus
Mogul
1966-1969
TV Series
MacLaren / Compton-Forbes
The Shoes of the Fisherman
1968/I
English Cardinal
The Avengers
1963-1968
TV Series
Major Sparshott / Henry Barker
ITV Playhouse
1968
TV Series
Gen. Maitland-Smith
City '68
1968
TV Series
Dermat
The Expert
1968
TV Series
Hillard
Theatre 625
1967-1968
TV Series
Hector McKellar / Seyffert, Counsel for the Prosecution
The Informer
1967
TV Series
Richard Edwards
Five Million Years to Earth
1967
Howell
Sanctuary
1967
TV Series
Mr. Courtney
Half Hour Story
1967
TV Series
Mr. Fergus
The Jokers
1967
Defence Lawyer (uncredited)
The Wednesday Play
1964-1967
TV Series
Roger Gibbs / General Friedrich Olbright
ITV Play of the Week
1959-1967
TV Series
Counsel for Prosecution / Cardinal Ricci / Michael Armstrong / ...