Peter Nigel Terry (15 August 1945 – 30 April 2015) was an English stage, film, and television actor, typically in historical and period roles. He played Prince John in Anthony Harvey's film The Lion in Winter (1968) and King Arthur in John Boorman's Excalibur (1981).
Early life
Terry was born on 15 August 1945
[England & Wales, Birth Index: 1916–2005 d0atabase] in
Bristol, the son of Frank Albert Terry
OBE, DFC,
[Supplement to The London Gazette, 31 December 1976] a pilot in the Royal Air Force, and his wife, Doreen.
[ The family soon moved to Truro, Cornwall, where his father worked as a probation officer.][ Terry attended Truro School in Truro, where he developed an interest in acting and became skilled at drawing and painting.
]
His parents encouraged him to go on the stage, and after working briefly in forestry and as a petrol pump attendant, he joined the National Youth Theatre.[ Films and Filming Magazine, Volume 21, Hanson Books, 1985][Wilkes, Angela. "Terry gives more than his Pound of Flesh", The Stage, 2 October 1986, p. 6] He enrolled at London's Central School of Speech and Drama in 1963, working both on stage and behind the scenes. He joined the Oxford Meadow Players in 1966, working initially as assistant stage manager.
Career
Theatre
Terry worked mostly in theatre.
Films
Terry appeared in about 20 films, most notably as John in The Lion in Winter (1968) with Katharine Hepburn, Peter O'Toole and Anthony Hopkins;
His last film role was in Troy in 2004, playing the Troy high priest.
Television
An early television appearance was as the agoraphobic Harry Mandrake in the Randall and Hopkirk (Deceased) episode "Somebody Just Walked Over My Grave" (1970).
His main US and British television appearances include Covington Cross, a series set in medieval times. He also appeared in Casualty as Denny, as General Cobb in the Doctor Who episode "The Doctor's Daughter" and as Gabriel Piton in . He also played Sam Jacobs in a two-part Waking the Dead episode titled "Anger Management". He appeared in Pie in the Sky series 3 episode 3 "Irish Stew" as Byron de Goris. He also appeared in an episode of Foyle's War.
Personal life and death
In 1993, after 30 years of living in London, Terry moved back to Cornwall.[Jarman, Derek. Smiling in Slow Motion. Great Britain: Century, 2000, p. 285] He was a very private person.
Selected filmography
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The Lion in Winter (1968) – Prince John
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Slade in Flame (1975) – Assistant Disc Jockey (uncredited)
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Excalibur (1981) – King Arthur
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Sylvia (1985) – Aden Morris
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Déjà Vu (1985) – Michael / Greg
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Caravaggio (1986) – Caravaggio
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On Wings of Fire (1986) – Zarathustra
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The Last of England (1987) – Narrator (voice)
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War Requiem (1989) – Abraham
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Edward II (1991) – Mortimer
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(1992) – Roldan
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Blue (1993) – Narrator (voice)
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Pie In The Sky (1996, TV series; episode "Irish Stew") – Byron de Goris/James Jackson
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The Hunchback (1997, TV movie)
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Far From the Madding Crowd (1998, TV movie) – Mr. Boldwood
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On Wings of Fire (2001) – Zarathustra
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The Emperor's New Clothes (2001) – Montholon
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The Search for John Gissing (2001) – Alan Jardeen
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FeardotCom (2002) – Turnbull
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The Ride (2003) – Mr. Silverstone
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The Tulse Luper Suitcases (2003) – Sesame Esau
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Troy (2004) – Archeptolemus
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Red Mercury (2005) – Lindsey
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Blackbeard (2006, TV mini-series) – Calico Billy
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Genghis Khan: The Story of a Lifetime (2010) – Mulwick
External links
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Profile, filmreference.com; accessed 26 January 2016.
