History Creator / PeterCushing

Peter Wilton Cushing, [[UsefulNotes/KnightFever OBE]] (May 26, 1913 – August 11, 1994) was an English actor of stage and screen. He was particularly famous for his roles in Film/HammerHorror films, including Baron Victor Frankenstein in ''Film/TheCurseOfFrankenstein'' and Dr. Van Helsing in ''Dracula'' (called ''Film/HorrorOfDracula'' in the US), both of which starred him opposite Creator/ChristopherLee; the two would become lifelong friends and appear together in numerous other films through the years. Cushing's birthday also happened to fall one day before both Lee's and that of another iconic GothicHorror film star who would end up co-starring with him, Creator/VincentPrice (both on May 27).

Cushing often played characters who were either very driven or villainous, but Cushing in RealLife was [[MeanCharacterNiceActor a very kindly gentleman]] who was [[HappilyMarried devoted to his wife]] and friends. When she died, he was so distraught that he tried to kill himself by running up and down the stairs in a fit of depression, knowing that he had a heart condition. Near the end of his life, he was given a surprise by Creator/JimmySavile on his show ''Jim'll Fix It'' -- a breed of rose was named after his late wife. It caused him to burst into tears on camera. Creator/CarrieFisher recalled that she could not generate the level of hatred that Princess Leia would have been feeling towards Grand Moff Tarkin as he was so incredibly charming and polite[[note]]and also because he wore bedroom slippers for tight shots as the riding boots the costumers had procured were too small and hurt his feet (he had large feet and usually wore custom-made footwear, but the production didn't have the time to get a pair of boots specially made)[[/note]], and had particular trouble saying the line about "recognizing [his] foul stench" when he smelled pleasantly of pipe tobacco and lavender.

->''"I don't think there is really a favourite, I'm very fond of film making as a whole and as a medium and of course, there are some that I've enjoyed making more than others but I've enjoyed making all of them."''

Before he was launched by Hammer, Cushing appeared with Creator/LaurelAndHardy in ''A Chump at Oxford'' and played the small part of Osric in Creator/LaurenceOlivier's 1948 film of ''Film/{{Hamlet|1948}}'' (which also had Christopher Lee as an extra, making it their first movie together), as well as several notable television roles, including Winston Smith in the 1954 adaptation of ''Literature/NineteenEightyFour'' and Darcy in the 1952 adaptation of ''Literature/PrideAndPrejudice''. He returned to the small screen several times after his film career took off, starring as Lije Bailey in a 1964 adaptation of Creator/IsaacAsimov's ''Literature/TheCavesOfSteel'' and Franchise/SherlockHolmes in the 1968 BBC series. He also appeared several times with Creator/MorecambeAndWise, as part of a years-long RunningGag where he would come on to demand payment as the two hosts did everything they could to weasel out of their obligation.

Peter Wilton Cushing, [[UsefulNotes/KnightFever OBE]] (May 26, 1913 – August 11, 1994) was an English actor of stage and screen. He was particularly famous for his roles in Film/HammerHorror films, including Baron Victor Frankenstein in ''Film/TheCurseOfFrankenstein'' and Dr. Van Helsing in ''Dracula'' (called ''Film/HorrorOfDracula'' in the US), both of which starred him opposite Creator/ChristopherLee; the two would become lifelong friends and appear together in numerous other films through the years. Cushing's birthday also happened to be the very day before Lee's and that of another iconic GothicHorror film star who would end up co-starring with him, Creator/VincentPrice (both on May 27).

Before he was launched by Hammer, Cushing appeared with Creator/LaurelAndHardy in ''A Chump at Oxford'' and played the small part of Osric in Creator/LaurenceOlivier's 1948 film of ''Film/{{Hamlet|1948}}'' (which also had Christopher Lee as an extra, making it their first movie together), as well as several notable roles in television, including Winston Smith in the 1954 adaptation of ''Literature/NineteenEightyFour'' and Darcy in the 1952 adaptation of ''Literature/PrideAndPrejudice''. He returned to television several times after his film career took off, starring as Lije Bailey in a 1964 adaptation of Creator/IsaacAsimov's ''Literature/TheCavesOfSteel'' and Franchise/SherlockHolmes in the 1968 TV series. He also appeared several times with Creator/MorecambeAndWise, as part of a years-long RunningGag where he would come on to demand payment as the two hosts did everything they could to weasel out of their obligation.

Peter Wilton Cushing, [[UsefulNotes/KnightFever OBE]] (May 26, 1913 – August 11, 1994) was an English actor of stage and screen. He was particularly famous for his roles in Film/HammerHorror films, including Baron Victor Frankenstein in 1957's ''Film/TheCurseOfFrankenstein'' and Dr. Van Helsing in 1958's ''Dracula'' (called ''Film/HorrorOfDracula'' in the US), both of which starred him opposite Creator/ChristopherLee; the two would become lifelong friends and appear together in numerous other films throughout the years. Cushing's birthday also happened to be the very day before Lee's and that of another iconic GothicHorror film star who would end up co-starring with him, Creator/VincentPrice (both on May 27).

* ''Film/{{Asylum}}'' (1972) as Mr. Smith

He also played Series/DoctorWho[[note]]As in, for these movies, the character ''was'' [[IAmNotShazam actually called "Doctor Who", instead of the canon "The Doctor"]][[/note]] in [[TheFilmOfTheSeries two non-canon films]], ''Film/DrWhoAndTheDaleks'' and ''Film/DaleksInvasionEarth2150AD''. He is also recognisable for playing Grand Moff Tarkin in the first ''Franchise/StarWars'' film, ''Film/ANewHope''[[note]]He certainly didn't grouse about his role like Creator/AlecGuinness with his aggravated snobbery. Indeed, Cushing relished the influx of [[SoMyKidsCanWatch new fans]] to his work[[/note]]. A digital recreation of his likeness was utilized to have Tarkin appear in ''Film/RogueOne'' in 2016, with Guy Henry serving as the motion-capture actor giving the actual performance.

* ''Franchise/StarWars: Film/ANewHope'' (1977) as Grand Moff Tarkin

* ''Film/RogueOne'' (2017), digital recreation of Grand Moff Tarkin

Peter Wilton Cushing, [[UsefulNotes/KnightFever OBE]] (May 26, 1913 – August 11, 1994) was an English actor of stage and screen. He was particularly famous for his roles in Film/HammerHorror films, including Baron Victor Frankenstein in 1957's ''Film/TheCurseOfFrankenstein'' and Dr. Van Helsing in 1958's ''Dracula'' (called ''Film/HorrorOfDracula'' in the US), both of which cast him opposite Creator/ChristopherLee; the two would become lifelong friends and appear together in numerous other films throughout the years. Cushing's birthday also happened to be the very day before Lee's and that of another iconic GothicHorror film star who would end up co-starring with him, Creator/VincentPrice (both on May 27).

[[quoteright:315:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/peter_cushing_photo.jpg]]
[[caption-width-right:315:[-"A moment, I've just spotted Creator/ChristopherLee..."-]]]

->''"I don't think there is really a favorite, I'm very fond of film making as a whole and as a medium and of course, there are some that I've enjoyed making more than others but I've enjoyed making all of them."''

[[quoteright:241:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/peter_cushing.png]]
[[caption-width-right:241:[-"A moment, I've just spotted Creator/ChristopherLee..."-]]]

Peter Wilton Cushing, [[UsefulNotes/KnightFever OBE]] (May 26, 1913 - August 11, 1994) was an English actor of stage and screen. He was particularly famous for his roles in Film/HammerHorror films, including Baron Victor Frankenstein in 1957's ''Film/TheCurseOfFrankenstein'' and Dr. Van Helsing in 1958's ''Dracula'' (called ''Film/HorrorOfDracula'' in the US), both of which starred him opposite Creator/ChristopherLee; the two would become lifelong friends and appear together in numerous other films throughout the years. Cushing's birthday also happened to be the very day before Lee's and that of another GothicHorror film star who would end up starring with him, Creator/VincentPrice (both on May 27).

* ''Literature/TheEndOfTheAffair'' (1955) as Henry Miles

Despite being best-known for his horror work, Cushing freely admitted that he wasn't an especially big fan of horror as a genre - not that he ''hated'' it, but he wasn't as much into it as his fans sometimes assumed. However, he never expressed any particular angst over being typecast in this kind of movie, repeatedly saying that as long as he was making people happy, he was happy. And while he did publicly admit to disliking a few of the movies he was in - namely ''Film/TheBloodBeastTerror'', which he called the worst film he'd ever done - he was always a professional, [[TookTheBadFilmSeriously never phoning in his performance]] or taking his dissatisfaction out on his on-set colleagues.