Peter Jeffrey


Peter Jeffrey was an English character actor. Starting his performing career on stage, he would later have many roles in television and film.

Early life

Jeffrey was born in Bristol, the son of Florence Alice and Arthur Winfred Gilbert Jeffrey. He was educated at Harrow School and Pembroke College, Cambridge, but had no formal training as an actor.

Career

After many years on stage with the Bristol Old Vic and the Royal Shakespeare Company, he became a very familiar face to British television viewers. From 25 May 1966 he appeared in Tango, a play by Sławomir Mrożek at the Aldwych Theatre alongside Patience Collier, Mike Pratt, Ursula Mohan and Dudley Sutton, under director Trevor Nunn.
Numerous television roles include two guest appearances in Doctor Who: as the Colony Pilot in The Macra Terror and as Count Grendel in The Androids of Tara.
In 1971, he played Inspector Trout in The Abominable Dr. Phibes, a role he would reprise in 1972, in Dr. Phibes Rises Again.
He played King Philip II of Spain in the BBC serial Elizabeth R and Oliver Cromwell in By the Sword Divided. He also appeared in Thriller, Porridge, Some Mothers Do 'Ave 'Em, Quiller, Rising Damp, Minder, Nanny, Juliet Bravo, Yes Minister, and Dennis Potter's Lipstick on Your Collar. In 1988, he played the villainous Sultan in the fantasy epic The Adventures of Baron Munchausen. In, Our Friends in the North, and many other series.

Death

Jeffrey died on 25 December 1999 from prostate cancer.

Filmography