Peter Copley

Peter Copley (20 May 1915 – 7 October 2008) was an English actor who worked across stage, film, and television over a career spanning more than seven decades. Born in Bushey, Hertfordshire, he was the son of printmakers John Copley and Ethel Gabain. After reconsidering an earlier intention to join the Royal Navy, he trained at the Old Vic School and began his stage career in 1932.

Copley made his first film appearance in 1934, taking on a wide range of character roles. In 1946, he appeared on stage in Cyrano de Bergerac at the New Theatre in London, the same year he performed on Broadway in three productions: the play King Henry IV, Part II, the play The Critic, and Oedipus Rex. In 1951, he appeared at the Duchess Theatre in London's West End in The Happy Family, a comedy play written by Michael Clayton Hutton.

His television work encompassed a broad range of British productions, including Danger Man, The Saint, The Avengers, The Forsyte Saga, The Troubleshooters, The Champions, Department S, Doomwatch, Z-Cars, Callan, Fall of Eagles, Survivors, Father Brown, Doctor Who in the serial Pyramids of Mars, Sutherland's Law, Tales of the Unexpected, Miss Marple, Lovejoy, The Bill, Cadfael, and One Foot in the Grave, among others.

A resident of Bristol, Copley received an Honorary Degree of Master of Arts from the University of the West of England in 2001. He continued acting into his nineties.