There were several stage actors in Cushing's family, including his paternal grandfather Henry William Cushing, his paternal aunt Maude Ashton, and his step-uncle Wilton Herriot. A necessary requirement to having a family and children is of course, having a spouse. His is most identified with the horror films of Hammer Pictures, often sharing the screen with Christopher Lee. His acting career spanned over six decades and included appearances in more than 100 films, as well as many television, stage, and radio roles. Published in 1994, it was originally written specifically for the daughter of Cushing's long-time secretary and friend Joyce Broughton, to help her overcome reading problems resulting from her dyslexia. [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. [90][93], Cushing appeared in a handful of horror films by the independent Amicus Productions, including Dr. Terror's House of Horrors (1965), as a man who could see into the future using Tarot cards;[94] The Skull (1965), as a professor who became possessed by a spiritual force embodied within a skull;[95] and Torture Garden (1967), as a collector of Edgar Allan Poe relics who is robbed and murdered by a rival. "[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. Tender Dracula. "Horror-film actor Peter Cushing dies at 81, Played variety of roles From Sherlock Holmes to Baron Frankenstein" (12 August 1994). [13] Cushing often learned and practised his lines in an attic at work, under the guise that he was putting ordnance survey maps into order. [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. Ryan and Slater agreed, and Cushing later said performing the part was his most pleasant experience since his wife had died four years earlier. [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. As a Hammer Film actor, he portrayed Baron Frankenstein, Dr. Van Helsing, and Sherlock Holmes. Time is interminable, the loneliness is almost unbearable and the only thing that keeps me going is the knowledge that my dear Helen and I will be reunited again some day. 3 Dracula And Dr. Van Helsing. [136], Cushing wrote two autobiographies, Peter Cushing: An Autobiography (1986) and Past Forgetting: Memoirs of the Hammer Years (1988). Cushing gained worldwide fame for his appearances in 22 horror films from the Hammer studio, particularly for his role as Baron Frankenstein in six of their seven Frankenstein films, and Doctor Van Helsing in five Dracula films. However, they did share a mutual respect for one another's work. Though they worked together often, they were not necessarily friends. [73], Cushing had a variety of interests outside acting, including collecting and battling model soldiers, of which he owned over five thousand. He has adorned our screens as Dr. . The horror films were produced by Hammer Films in Britain. 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 . Did St Peter who was married have any children? [10], Cushing joined the cast in May 1976, and his scenes were filmed at Elstree Studios in Borehamwood. [9] He attended the Purley County Grammar School, where he swam and played cricket and rugby. [51] Many felt Cushing's performance helped create the archetypal mad scientist character. One tradition says that Peter had at least one daughter but there is no confirmation of this. Witching Time/The Silent Scream. [21] He once said that he learned his parts "from cover to cover" before filming began. He portrayed heroes and villains with equal skill. [105], In 1975, Cushing was anxious to return to the stage, where he had not performed in ten years. His mother had always wanted a daughter, and was deeply disappointed that her second and last child was a boy. [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. Thereafter the action jumps ahead to 1972, and Cushing plays the original character's grandson for the bulk of the movie. [11] Cushing hated the job, where he remained for three years without promotion or advancement due to his lack of ambition in the profession. [21] Cushing performed many of his own stunts in Dracula A.D. 1972, which included tumbling off a haywagon during a fight with Dracula. Actor: Star Wars: Episode IV - A New Hope. Peter Cushing (1913-1994) was one of the most respected and important actors in the horror and fantasy film genres. Scully, Rob (11 August 1994). Lawrence broke off the engagement citing his frequent crying and bringing his parents on dates. During that meeting, Cushing was given a walk-on part as a courier in that night's production of J.B. Priestley's Cornelius. [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. [45] He later said that his career decisions entailed selecting roles where he knew that he would be accepted by the audience. Peter Cushing was one of the handful of actors who defined the horror movie. Did Saint Peter have a family and children? Although one of her lines referred to Tarkin's "foul stench," she said the actual actor smelled like "linen and lavender," something Cushing attributed to his tendency to wash and brush his teeth thoroughly before filming because of his self-consciousness about bad breath. [10] Cushing felt his first performance was much stronger than the second, but the second production is the only known surviving version. Fourteen days of rehearsal was originally scheduled for each episode, but they were cut down to ten days for economic reasons. Studio executives were pleased with Cushing's performance, and there was talk among Hollywood insiders grooming him for stardom. [96] Cushing also appeared in non-Amicus horror films like Island of Terror (1966) and The Blood Beast Terror (1968), in both of which he investigates a series of mysterious deaths. Presumably living in a famous actor's former house is a mixed blessing for its current occupants. Peter Wilton Cushing was born on May 26, 1913 in Kenley, Surrey, England, to Nellie Maria (King) and George Edward Cushing, a quantity surveyor. Biography - A Short Wiki. [88] Production lasted from May to December,[90] and Cushing adopted a strict regimen of training, preparation and exercise. [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. Knight, Chris (1971). [citation needed] Lee recognised Cushing's health was fading and did his best to keep his friend's spirits up, but Lee later claimed he had a premonition that it would be the last time he saw Cushing alive, which proved to be true. 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. [152] In total, Cushing appeared in more than 100 films throughout his career. Missing Helen To underscore just how difficult Helen's passing was for Peter Cushing, he ended his first autobiography, published in 1986, with her death: Peter felt his life effectively ended with Helen's passing. 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. [21] Cushing became very ill with dysentery during filming and lost a considerable amount of weight as a result. In the films where Lee iconically played Dracula, Cushing plaid his foil and rival, the righteous vampire hunter Dr. Van Helsing. [11], Cushing wanted to enter the acting profession after school, but his father opposed the idea, despite the theatrical background of several of his family members. Peter Cushing was born in Kenley, Surrey, England, on May 26, 1913. You'd be hard pressed to find someone who doesn't have a crush on Brigitte Bardot. Peter Cushing may have been best known for bringing life to ghostly characters, but in an unlikely twist, the actor was brought back from the dead himself in 2016. . He repeated the role of the man who lost family in other horror films, including Asylum (1972), The Creeping Flesh (1973), and The Ghoul (1975). (1972), a sequel to The Abominable Dr. Phibes, and then co-starred with Price again in the film Madhouse (1974). In the 1970s, he garnered fame for his role in a slew of horror films, including his performance as Van . The only enjoyment he got out of it was drawing prospectives of proposed buildings, which were almost always rejected because they were too imaginative and expensive and lacked strong foundations, which Cushing disregarded as a "mere detail. Filmed on location in Munich, Cushing played Otto Wesendonck, the husband of poet Mathilde Wesendonck, who in the film is portrayed as having an affair with Wagner. Although the idea was ultimately abandoned before filming began, Cushing and Prowse rehearsed those scenes in a set built by computer animation artist Larry Cuba. No, he did not have any children. Peter Cushing was and is one of the most well-loved and well-known actors of his own generation and of those which have followed. 4 Grand Moff Tarkin. It'll be a glorious death, so long as I can hear what you're saying. As a result, he asked Lucas to film more close-up shots of him from the waist up and, after the director agreed, Cushing wore slippers during the scenes where his feet were not visible. shocked by the marriage, learned to love their new daughter-in-law. 2014-12-17 19:28:59. "How Jim fixed it for horror actor Cushing" (8 May 2004). As both actors were in their seventies, screenwriter N.J. See answer (1) 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). "[22] Around this time actor Robert Coote, who met Cushing during a cricket game, recommended to director George Stevens that Cushing might be good for a part in Stevens' upcoming film Vigil in the Night (1940). Later that year he was set to appear in Blood from the Mummy's Tomb (1971), an adaptation of the Bram Stoker novel The Jewel of Seven Stars. List of the best Peter Cushing movies, ranked best to worst with movie trailers when available. His career was revitalised once he started to work in live television plays, and he soon became one of the most recognisable faces in British television. What movie did Peter Cushing play a vampire or has he ever played a vampire? They went on to make two other films together, Legend of the Werewolf (1975) and The Masks of Death (1984) with the actor playing Sherlock Holmes once more. [61], In 1959, Cushing agreed to reprise the role of Van Helsing in the sequel, The Brides of Dracula (1960). Acquaint yourself with Peter Cushing OBE (1913 -1994), film actor, television star and artist. The Vampire Lovers. He and his older brother David were raised first in Dulwich Village, a south London suburb, and then later back in Surrey. After making his motion picture debut in the film The Man in the Iron Mask (1939), Cushing began to find modest success in American films before returning to England at the outbreak of the Second World War. At times, this put him at odds with writers and producers; Hammer Studios producer Anthony Hinds once declared him a "fusspot [and] terrible fusser about his wardrobe and everything, but never a difficult man. [10] Director Tim Burton and actor Johnny Depp both said the portrayal of Ichabod Crane in Sleepy Hollow was intended to resemble that of Cushing's old horror film performances. He always had a glass of milk handy to remove the . 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. [10] However, Cushing was very proud of his experiences with the Hammer films, and never resented becoming known as a horror actor. "Production and Reproduction: The Case of Frankenstein". [55] In Frankenstein and the Monster from Hell, Cushing portrayed Frankenstein as having gone completely mad, in a fitting coda to the earlier films. He scrutinised the costumes and screenwriter Peter Bryan's script, often altering words or phrases. [13][15] Cushing continued to pursue a scholarship, writing twenty-one letters to the school,[15] until actor and theatre manager Bill Fraser finally agreed to meet Cushing in 1935 simply so he could ask him in person to stop writing. Did Peter have any children. Fear in the Night. Around this time he learned that Helen Ryan, an actress who impressed him in a televised play about King Edward VII, was planning to run the Horseshoe Theatre in Basingstoke with her husband, Guy Slater. [16][17] By the end of the summer of 1936, Cushing accepted a job with the repertory theatre company Southampton Rep, working as assistant stage manager and performing in bit roles at the Grand Theatre in the Hampshire city. [73] In later years, Cushing considered his Holmes performance one of the finest accomplishments of his career. It is also difficult to visualise Cushing - at least for me - without also visualising Christopher Lee. Both Peter Cushing and Christopher Lee had agreed to work together one last time. [58] Cushing said one of the biggest challenges during filming was not missing whenever he struck a prop stake with a mallet and drove it into a vampire's heart. Like Guinness, Cushing had difficulty with some of the technical jargon in his dialogue, and claimed he did not understand all of the words he was speaking. During filming he asked director Terence Fisher for permission to drive a harpoon through the mummy's body during a fight scene, to explain the poster image. 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. [42][66] He appeared in the horror film The Abominable Snowman (1957), a Hammer adaptation of a BBC Nigel Kneale television play The Creature (1955) which Cushing had also starred in. 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