Peter Copley
Known for
Peter Copley has been in the trade long enough to be called a veteran actor whose work covers more eras of the industry than most. The most visible line on the filmography is 'Empire of the Sun' (British Prisoner). He also turns up in 'Oliver Twist'. The filmography reaches back well before the best-known title. He has worked in drama more often than in any other register. 80 credits across 92 years is a rate most careers never reach.
Peter Copley
41 Movies
39 Series
Peter Copley has been in the trade long enough to be called a veteran actor whose work covers more eras of the industry than most. The most visible line on the filmography is 'Empire of the Sun' (British Prisoner). He also turns up in 'Oliver Twist'. The filmography reaches back well before the best-known title. He has worked in drama more often than in any other register. 80 credits across 92 years is a rate most careers never reach.
Movies
Plays British Prisoner
Empire of the Sun
1987
Plays Dining Hall Master
Oliver Twist
2005
Plays Howell
Quatermass and the Pit
1967
Plays Jeweller
Help!
1965
Plays Admiral Howe
Shout at the Devil
1976
Plays Principal
Frankenstein Must Be Destroyed
1969
Plays English Cardinal #1
The Shoes of the Fisherman
1968
Plays Prison Chaplain
Time Without Pity
1957
Plays Home Secretary
Hennessy
1975
Plays Paul Mandrake
Victim
1961
Plays Picture Owner
The Knack... and How to Get It
1965
Plays Mr. Scott
Mosquito Squadron
1969
Plays Sir Edwin Caskoden
The Sword and the Rose
1953
Plays Colonel
King and Country
1964
Plays Brown
Foreign Intrigue
1956
Plays Aribi
Golden Salamander
1950
Plays Cummings
The Hour of 13
1952
Plays Sean's Father
Janice Beard 45 WPM
1999
Plays Gribsby
The Importance of Being Earnest
1988
Plays Dr Leo Whitset
The Third Secret
1964
Plays Pilgrim
Gawain and the Green Knight
1973
Plays Mr. Gilbert Weaver
Just My Luck
1957
Plays Scientist
Rockets Galore
1958
Plays 1st Funeral Director
That's Your Funeral
1972
Plays Dr. Warlock
Doctor Who: Pyramids of Mars
1975
Plays His Excellency
The Clue of the Missing Ape
1953
Plays Leader Mokhazenis
Saadia
1953
Plays Leslie
The Man Without a Body
1957
Plays Dickson
What Became of Jack and Jill?
1972
Plays Mr. Ritter
Peril for the Guy
1956
TV Shows
Plays Cedric Maddocks
Bill Brand
1976
Plays Morrison
The Long Chase
1972
Plays Abbot Heribert
Cadfael
1994
Plays Vicar
King of the Ghetto
1986
Plays AC Farr
The Gold Robbers
1969
Plays His Honour Judge Edmonds
Crown Court
1972
Plays Robinson
Wives and Daughters
1999
Plays Dr. Warlock
Doctor Who
1963
Plays Bethmann-Hollweg
Fall of Eagles
1974
Plays Marshal Strakencz
The Prisoner of Zenda
1984
Plays The Auctioneer
Department S
1969
Plays Eric
Jonathan Creek
1997
Plays Man at Railway Station
Tales of the Unexpected
1979
Plays Henry Barker
The Avengers
1961
Plays Harold Richards
Lovejoy
1986
Plays Admiral Sir Richard Tranton
Doomwatch
1970
Plays Dr. Harrison
Hallmark Hall of Fame
1951
Plays Antrobus
The Champions
1968
Plays Gen. Friedrich Olbright
The Wednesday Play
1964
Plays Prof. Waterlow
The New Avengers
1976
Plays Burgoyne
Agatha Christie's Poirot
1989
Plays Hillard
The Expert
1968
Plays Colonel Colin Ingate
The Last Detective
2003
Plays Xavier Marton
Maigret
1960
Plays Don Morland
The Saint
1962
Plays Greyhald Spold
The Colour of Magic
2008
Plays Wigmore
Justice
1971
Plays Martin
Manhunt
1970
Plays Gribsby
Theatre Night
1985
Plays The Home Inspector
BBC Play of the Month
1965
Latest Trailers
Watch Trailer
Riot at the Rite
Full Filmography
The Colour of Magic
Greyhald Spold · 1 episode
2008–
TV
Riot at the Rite
Patron
2005
Film
Oliver Twist
Dining Hall Master
2005
Film
The Last Detective
Colonel Colin Ingate · 1 episode
2003–
TV
Wives and Daughters
Robinson · 3 episodes
1999–
TV
Janice Beard 45 WPM
Sean's Father
1999
Film
Jonathan Creek
Eric · 1 episode
1998
TV
Cadfael
Abbot Heribert · 4 episodes
1994–
TV
Lovejoy
Harold Richards · 1 episode
1993
TV
Photos
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Peter Copley still alive?
Peter Copley passed away on October 7, 2008 at age 93.
What are the most famous roles of Peter Copley?
Peter Copley is best known for roles in Empire of the Sun, Oliver Twist, Help!.
How many movies has Peter Copley been in?
Over a 74-year career (since 1934), Peter Copley has appeared in 41 movies and 38 TV shows.
What was Peter Copley's first movie?
The career of Peter Copley began with Tell Me If It Hurts (1934).
What is Peter Copley's most recent movie or series?
Peter Copley's most recent release is The Colour of Magic, which premiered on March 23, 2008.
What TV shows has Peter Copley appeared in?
On television, Peter Copley has appeared in Doctor Who, Agatha Christie's Poirot, The Colour of Magic, The Avengers.
Peter Copley
1915-05-20 · 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.