Peter Cushing
Peter Cushing, OBE (26 May 1913 - 11 August 1994) was an English actor. He is best known for his roles in horror movies and Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope.
Career
Born Peter Wilton Cushing in London, England. His movie career began in 1939 in a small role in The Man in the Iron Mask (1939), followed by Laddie (1940). He interpreted the role of Osric, in the classic written by William Shakespeare, Hamlet (1948), with Laurence Olivier.
His best roles he played in his career were the Victor Frankenstein, in the British horror movie The Curse of Frankenstein (1957), by Terence Fisher he plays of role brilliantly, Victor creates a monster in the attic of his castle. His other role was that of Doctor Van Helsing in Dracula (1958), in this movie he must fight Dracula. In these two movies he was accompanied by another great actor Christopher Lee. They formed a very successful duo, starring in dozens of Hammer movies as The Hound of the Baskervilles (1959), The Mummy (1959), The Gorgon (1964), Dr. Terror's House of Horrors (1965). They clashed again as Van Helsing and Dracula, in Dracula A.D. 1972 (1972), and The Satanic Rites of Dracula (1974).
Also re-interpret the character of Baron Frankenstein, in The Revenge of Frankenstein (1958), The Evil of Frankenstein (1964), by Freddie Francis, Frankenstein Created Woman (1967), Frankenstein Must Be Destroyed (1969), and Frankenstein and the Monster from Hell (1974), directed by Terence Fisher.
Peter Cushing also teamed with Vincent Price in movies including Scream and Scream Again (1970), Dr. Phibes Rises Again (1972), Madhouse (1974), which plays an evil agent movie., and House of the Long Shadows (1983).
In 1977 he obtained the role of Grand Moff Tarkin, in Star Wars by George Lucas.
In the last years of his career had appearances in some comedies Top Secret! (1984).
His last job was in 1986 in the movie Biggles (1986).
In 1982 he was diagnosed with prostate cancer. He died of the disease in 1994.
Television
Cushing also made television, in mystery series, including Sherlock Holmes (1968), as Sherlock Holmes, The Avengers, Great Mysteries, Space: 1999, The New Avengers, Hammer House of Horror, and the TV movies The Masks of Death (1984), as Sherlock Holmes
Filmography
References
Overview of Peter Cushing as Sherlock Holmes at Baker Street Dozen.
Literature on Peter Cushing
Peter Cushing Association
1913 births
1994 deaths
Actors from Surrey
Cancer deaths in England
Deaths from prostate cancer
English movie actors
English stage actors
English television actors