Peter Cushing

Peter Wilton Cushing (Kenley, London, May 26, 1913-Canterbury, Kent, August 11, 1994) was a British film, theater and television actor, best known for playing multiple characters. in horror films for the British production company Hammer Films (Dr. Frankenstein, Professor Van Helsing, Sherlock Holmes) as well as the character of Wilhuff Tarkin in the movie Star Wars: Episode IV - A New Hope.

Biography

He and his older brother, David, grew up in Dulwich Village, a south London suburb, and later returned to Surrey with their mother, Nellie Marie, and father, George Edward Cushing, who was a surveyor.

At an early age, Cushing was drawn to acting, inspired by his favorite aunt, who was an actress at the time. While at school, a young Cushing continued to be interested in acting and drawing, a talent he later put to good use in his first job as an assistant government surveyor in Surrey. In this period, Peter also got into the local theater as an amateur, until he moved to London on a scholarship to the Municipal School of Music and Drama. He worked in the theater of the time, deciding in 1939 to go to Hollywood, where he played him in the film The Man in the Iron Mask (1939). Other Hollywood films in which he participated were A Chump at Oxford (1939), with Stan Laurel and Oliver Hardy; Vigil in the Night (1940), and They Dare Not Love (1941). However, after a short stay, Cushing returned to England.

She later appeared in New York doing performances on Broadway and then in Canada. In support of her homeland, she contributed to the war effort during World War II by joining the Military Entertainment Services Association.

After the war, Cushing had his breakout appearance with sir Laurence Olivier in the film Hamlet (1948), in which Cushing's future partner Christopher Lee, had a small role. Both actors also appeared in Moulin Rouge (1952), but they did not meet again until they filmed their last horror films. During the 1950s Cushing became a familiar face on English television, appearing in numerous television films, including Beau Brummell and The Creature, until in the late 1950s. In the decade he began his work with the legendary association Hammer Productions in their new versions of the classic horror of 1930. His work in the production company is closely related to that of director Terence Fisher, playing important roles in many of his films, such as The The Curse of Frankenstein (1957), Dracula (1958), The Hound of the Baskervilles (1959) and The Mummy (1959).

Cushing continued to play the roles of Dr. Frankenstein and Dr. Van Helsing, as well as other horror characters, in Hammer films for the next twenty years. Peter Cushing also appeared in many films for the other major horror film production company of the time, Amicus Productions, including Dr. Terror (1965) and its subsequent horror anthologies, a couple of Dr. Who movies (1965, 1966), I, Monster (1971), and others. By the mid-1970s, these companies had stopped production, but Cushing, firmly established as a horror star, continued the genre on several occasions.

Star Wars

In 1976 he was cast in the movie Star Wars, where he appeared as one of the most recognizable characters, Grand Moff Tarkin, despite having originally been considered for the role of Obi-Wan Kenobi. Cushing accepted the role for a simple question: “My criteria for accepting a role is not based on what I would like to do. I try to keep in mind what the public would like to see me do and I was thinking about the kids who love Star Wars."

During production, Cushing was presented wearing ill-fitting riding boots that pinched his feet so badly that George Lucas gave him permission to play the role while wearing slippers. Camera operators filmed him above the knees or standing behind the conference room table.

For Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith, Lucas wanted the late Cushing to reprise his role as Tarkin through the use of archival footage and digital technology, but editing techniques were not up to par and eventually this became impossible. Also, the scene in question required a full-length look from Tarkin, but since Cushing had filmed his scenes wearing sneakers instead of boots, none were available. Ultimately, Wayne Pygram took the role. Pygram was chosen because it was felt that he closely resembled Cushing.

For the 2016 film Rogue One: A Star Wars Story, English actor Guy Henry played Grand Moff Tarkin, and then in post-production his face was digitally replaced with Cushing's.

Television

Cushing was also an actor with a long career on television from its earliest days. He was a guest in dozens of series, such as Pride and Prejudice (1952), Epitaph for a Spy (1953), BBC Sunday-Night Theatre, ITV Television Playhouse, The Avengers, Great Mysteries, Space: 1999, The New Avengers i> and Hammer House of Horror, among many.

He also played Sherlock Holmes in sixteen episodes, in the series of the same name, repeating the role in the film Sherlock Holmes and the Masks of Death (1984), with John Mills in the role of Dr John Watson.

His last assignment was as the narrator in Blood and Death: Hammer's Legacy of Terror, produced by American writer-director Ted Newsom.

In 1989 he was appointed an Officer of the British Empire in recognition of his contributions to the acting profession in the UK and internationally.

Cushing died of cancer on August 11, 1994 in Canterbury, England.

Filmography