# John Cater

John Edward Cater (17 January 1932 – 21 March 2009) was an English actor.

## Early life

John Edward Cater was born 17 January 1932 in Hendon, north London. His father, like his grandfather, was a florist. His mother was a violinist who performed with the dance trio The Piroinos. He was diagnosed with hereditary haemochromatosis, which led his body to absorb too much dietary iron, but it caused him few problems for most of his life.
Cater was just four years old when he enrolled in dance school. He was attending Hendon Preparatory School when, in 1939, he and his entire class were evacuated from London to Devon. He remained in Devon until he was 16 years old, graduating from Shebbear College.
Upon graduation, he was called up for his national service, in which he served in the Royal Army Educational Corps.
After leaving the army, Cater enrolled at RADA in 1948.
Cater made his professional acting debut with the Dundee Repertory Theatre after graduating from RADA. He was hired by his friend, the actor Herbert Wise. For the next several years, Cater acted in repertory theatre and summer stock in Aberdeen, Cork, Edinburgh, Guildford, and Nottingham. In 1961, he joined Peter Hall newly-formed Royal Shakespeare Company first London RSC at the Aldwych Theatre. He made his debut with the RSC (and on the West End) in The Duchess of Malfi.
He married fellow RSC actor Wendy Gifford in 1963.
His television credits include: Danger Man; Z-Cars; The Avengers; The Baron; Doctor Who; Follyfoot; Softly, Softly; Department S; Up Pompeii!; Dad's Army; The Naked Civil Servant; I, Claudius; Alcock and Gander; The Duchess of Duke Street; Thriller (1975), The Sweeney; Inspector Morse; Bergerac; One Foot in the Grave; Lovejoy; Jeeves and Wooster; Midsomer Murders and Doctors.
His film appearances include: The Abominable Dr. Phibes, Dr. Phibes Rises Again and Captain Kronos – Vampire Hunter.

## Death

Late in life, Cater's haemochromatosis led to severe arthritis, which significantly inhibited his acting career.
John Cater died of liver cancer on 21 March 2009. He was survived by his wife, Wendy, and his daughters Emma and Harriet.

## Filmography
### Film

| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
| 1966 | Alfie | Siddie's Husband | Uncredited |
| 1968 | Decline and Fall... of a Birdwatcher | Blackall | |
| 1970 | Loot | Meadows | |
| 1971 | The Abominable Dr. Phibes | Superintendent Waverley | |
| 1972 | Dr. Phibes Rises Again | Superintendent Waverley | |
| 1974 | Captain Kronos – Vampire Hunter | Grost | |
| 1978 | News from Nowhere | Richard Grosvenor | |
| 1980 | Rising Damp | Bert | |
| 1980 | Little Lord Fauntleroy | Thomas | |
| 1995 | Savage Hearts | Bernie | |
| 2002 | Fogbound | Older man | |
| 2005 | The Trial of the King Killers | Mr. Beaver | |
| 2005 | Room 36 | Bert | |
| 2006 | Alien Autopsy | Maurice | |

### Television

| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
| 1966 | Doctor Who | Professor Krimpton | Episode: "The War Machines" part: 1-4 |
| 1966 | Take a Pair of Private Eyes | Lyall Sankey | 2 episodes |
| 1967 | The Avengers | Olliphant | Episode: "The Living Dead" |
| 1970 | Dad's Army | George Clarke | Episode: "The Two and a Half Feathers" |
| 1972 | Alcock and Gander | Ernest | 6 episodes |
| 1973 | Seven of One | Horace | Episode: "Spanner's Eleven" |
| 1976-1977 | The Duchess of Duke Street | Joseph Starr | 24 episodes |
| 1975 | Thriller | Murchison | Episode: "If it's a Man, Hang Up". |
| 1975 | Madame Bovary | Lheureux | 3 episodes |
| 1975 | The Naked Civil Servant | Psychiatrist | TV movie |
| 1976 | Nobody's House | Mr Jacobs | Episode: "There's Nobody There" |
| 1976 | I, Claudius | Tiberius Claudius Narcissus | 3 episodes |
| 1978 | The Sweeney | Alec Slemen | Episode: "Money, Money, Money" |
| 1978-1981 | Rosie | Merv | 5 episodes |
| 1979 | The Glums | Burglar | 1 episode |
| 1980-1981 | The Other 'Arf | George Watts | 14 episodes |
| 1982 | Anyone for Denis? | Maurice Picarda | TV movie |
| 1983 | Jack of Diamonds | Foxwell | 5 episodes |
| 1987 | Theatre Night | Uncle Titus Dudgeon | Episode: "The Devil's Disciple" |
| 1987 | Still Crazy Like a Fox | Rockhill | TV movie |
| 1989 | The Woman in Black | Arnold Pepperell | TV movie |
| 1991 | Prisoner of Honor | New War Minister | TV movie |
| 1993 | Full Stretch | Doorman | Episode: "Ivory Tower" |
| 1993 | Maigret | Porter | Episode: "Maigret on the Defensive" |
| 1998 | Goodnight Mister Tom | Dr. Little | TV movie |
| 2004 | Chucklevision | Maurice | |
| 2005 | Bad Girls | Solicitor | 1 episode |