Peter Copley
- Known for
- Acting
- Born
- May 20, 1915
- Died
- October 7, 2008
- Birthplace
- Bushey, Hertfordshire, England, UK
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.
Filmography
Riot at the Rite 2005
as Patron
Oliver Twist 2005
as Dining Hall Master
Janice Beard 45 WPM 1999
as Sean's Father
Monk's Hood 1994
as Abbot Heribert
The Leper of St. Giles 1994
as Abbot Heribert
The Sanctuary Sparrow 1994
as Abbot Heribert
One Corpse Too Many 1994
as Abbot Heribert
A Dangerous Man: Lawrence After Arabia 1992
as Maitland
The Importance of Being Earnest 1988
as Gribsby
Empire of the Sun 1987
as British Prisoner
The Trial of Klaus Barbie 1987
as Frossard
Androcles and the Lion 1984
as Caesar
Witness for the Prosecution 1982
as Dr. Harrison
United Kingdom 1981
as Commissioner
Little Lord Fauntleroy 1980
as Reverend Muldaur
Rabbit Pie Day 1980
as The Colonel
Churchill and the Generals 1979
as Gen. Sir John Dill
The Black Panther 1977
Actor
Shout at the Devil 1976
as Admiral Howe
Hennessy 1975
as Home Secretary
Doctor Who: Pyramids of Mars 1975
as Dr. Warlock
Beyond Our Means 1973
as Dr. Charteris
Gawain and the Green Knight 1973
as Pilgrim
That's Your Funeral 1972
as 1st Funeral Director
What Became of Jack and Jill? 1972
as Dickson
Taste of Evil 1971
as Mackinlay
Jane Eyre 1970
as John
- Walk a Crooked Path
Walk a Crooked Path 1969
Actor
Mosquito Squadron 1969
as Mr. Scott
Tower of London: The Innocent 1969
as Archbishop
Frankenstein Must Be Destroyed 1969
as Principal
Immortality Inc 1969
as Hull
All at Sea 1969
as Mr. Gordon
The Shoes of the Fisherman 1968
as English Cardinal #1
Quatermass and the Pit 1967
as Howell
- The Investigation
The Investigation 1967
as Counsel for the Prosecution
- The Devil's Eggshell
The Devil's Eggshell 1966
as The Home Secretary
- Don't Utter a Note
Don't Utter a Note 1966
as Vicar
Stranger in the Family 1965
as Charles Wilson
Help! 1965
as Jeweller
The Knack... and How to Get It 1965
as Picture Owner
- The Man Who Came to Die
The Man Who Came to Die 1965
as Dr. Clarkeson
The July Plot 1964
as General Friedrich Olbright
King and Country 1964
as Colonel
The Third Secret 1964
as Dr Leo Whitset
Victim 1961
as Paul Mandrake
Mystery in the Mine 1959
Actor
Rockets Galore 1958
as Scientist
The Government Inspector 1958
as School Superintendent
Just My Luck 1957
as Mr. Gilbert Weaver
- The End Begins
The End Begins 1957
as Tom Jarrow
The Man Without a Body 1957
as Leslie
The Smallest Show on Earth 1957
as Actor in The Mystery of Hell Valley (uncredited)
Time Without Pity 1957
as Prison Chaplain
- The Film That Never Was
The Film That Never Was 1957
Actor
Foreign Intrigue 1956
as Brown
Peril for the Guy 1956
as Mr. Ritter
Saadia 1953
as Leader Mokhazenis
The Clue of the Missing Ape 1953
as His Excellency
The Sword and the Rose 1953
as Sir Edwin Caskoden
The Hour of 13 1952
as Cummings
The Card 1952
as P. Shillitoe (uncredited)
Golden Salamander 1950
as Aribi
Farewell Again 1937
as Minor Role
Tell Me If It Hurts 1934
as Waiter
Credits from TMDB.