Peter Dennis
Peter John Dennis was born on October 25, 1933 in Dorking, Surrey, England, UK, to Michael Henry Dennis (a mechanical engineer) and Violet Frances Dennis (née Lockwood). He had a brother, Michael, and a sister, Dorothy.
Dennis once described his childhood as "joyless" and without books. He went to school as any other child does, first at the Catholic Convent, then at North Kensington Secondary School, but left school at 14 and trained for four years in accountancy and surveying.
In 1952 Dennis started a six year service (becoming a sergeant) in the Royal Army Ordnance and Service Corps in Nigeria. He was as a drill and weapons training instructor, a personal assistant to the director of military operations at the war office in London, a personal assistant to the general officer commanding the Royal West African Frontier Force in Nigeria, and was also in the territorial branch of the Special Air Service. Dennis contracted cerebral malaria in 1958 and was demobbed to Britain where he was in industry and commerce as personal assistant to the chief executive officers of Canadian Pacific, and Guest, Keen & Nettlefolds (iron and steel company).
Dennis once described his childhood as "joyless" and without books. He went to school as any other child does, first at the Catholic Convent, then at North Kensington Secondary School, but left school at 14 and trained for four years in accountancy and surveying.
In 1952 Dennis started a six year service (becoming a sergeant) in the Royal Army Ordnance and Service Corps in Nigeria. He was as a drill and weapons training instructor, a personal assistant to the director of military operations at the war office in London, a personal assistant to the general officer commanding the Royal West African Frontier Force in Nigeria, and was also in the territorial branch of the Special Air Service. Dennis contracted cerebral malaria in 1958 and was demobbed to Britain where he was in industry and commerce as personal assistant to the chief executive officers of Canadian Pacific, and Guest, Keen & Nettlefolds (iron and steel company).
In 1962 Dennis saw his first play (A Look Back in Anger with Derek Jacobi) and was immediately smitten, the following day he decided to take up acting so he quit his job as a personal assistant at a steel firm and headed to Birmingham, England to take acting roles. Three years later, in 1965, he graduated from the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art.
Dennis first started to work in the United States in 1986 and did very well in television, by 1991 he made a move permanently to the U.S.
Dennis first married Audrey Cooper (1954) and they had a son, Shane, by 1961 Dennis and Cooper were divorced. In 1994, their son Shane was a victim (fatal) of a drive-by shooting in St. Louis, MO. He married Diane Mercer in 1979.
Dennis was living in Shadow Hills (Sunland), California, US, with his wife Diane Mercer (actress/director/producer) at the time of his death (cancer) on April 18, 2009.
Dennis first married Audrey Cooper (1954) and they had a son, Shane, by 1961 Dennis and Cooper were divorced. In 1994, their son Shane was a victim (fatal) of a drive-by shooting in St. Louis, MO. He married Diane Mercer in 1979.
Dennis was living in Shadow Hills (Sunland), California, US, with his wife Diane Mercer (actress/director/producer) at the time of his death (cancer) on April 18, 2009.
Film
The Lonely Man on the Hill~2009 - Himself
Beowulf~2007 - voice characterizations
Ten Inch Hero~2007 - Mr. Julius
Man in the Chair~2007 - Bernie
Monster Safari~2007 (V) - Basil Pennyfarthing
Sideways~2004 - Leslie Brough
Hellborn~2003 - Dr. Flannery
The Effects of Magic~1998 - Gough
The Emissary: A Biblical Epic~1997 - Master
Prehysteria! 3~1995 (V) - Snooty Driver
The Rainbow Thief~1990 - Winter
A Man Called Sarge~1990 - Montgomery
Scandalous~1984 - Maitre d'Hotel
Act V~1981 (animated short) - (plays either, Horatio, Hamlet, or the gravedigger)
The Stud~1978 - Marc
There For The Asking~1977 (doc short) - Himself
Confessions of a Window Cleaner~1974 - Waiter
One of the Missing (Compromise)~1969 (short) - ?
TV
ER~2008 - Mosely in The High Holiday
My Bare Lady~2006 - Judge in Cattle Call
Alias~2001 - Professor Bloom in Time Will Tell
Star Trek: Voyager~1996-2001 -
Admiral Hendricks in Friendship One
Isaac Newton in Death Wish
Diagnosis Murder~2000 - Clifford Swinburn in A Resting Place
The Wayans Bros.~1999 - Auctioneer in Rope-a-Dope
Felicity~1999 - Star Wars Fan in The Force (obvious Star Wars reference)
H.M.S. Pinafore~1997 - Sailor
Seinfeld~1997 - Lew in The Summer of George
Family Matters~1997 - Captain Hightower in A Pirate's Life for Me
Tracey Takes On...~1997 - Lord Percy in Movies
Star Trek: Voyager~1997 - Isaac Newton in The Darkling
In the House~1997 - Violinist in Love Wars
Profiler~1997 - Dr. Joel Kaiser in Doppelganger
Mr. Rhodes~1996 - Fleming in Death, Lice, and Videotape
Friends~1996 - Sherman Whitfield in The One Where No One's Ready
Star Trek: Voyager~1996 - Isaac Newton in Death Wish
Step by Step~1996 - Auctioneer in What's Wrong with This Picture?
Mr. Rhodes~1996 - Fleming in Death, Lice, and Videotape
Townies~1996 - Dealer in Things to Do in Gloucester When You Are Dead
Saved by the Bell: The New Class~1995 - Mr. Hathaway in Casino IDs
MADtv~1995 - Announcer in 1.7
Too Something~1995 -
Misery Loves Company~1995 -
The George Carlin Show~1994 - Widower in George Puts on a Happy Face
Young Indiana Jones and the Hollywood Follies (The Adventures of Young Indiana Jones: Hollywood Follies~1994 - Pete
The Adventures of Brisco County Jr.~1993-1994 - Reginald in:
And Baby Makes Three
A.K.A. Kansas
Knots Landing~1993 - Dr. Phillinger in Call Waiting
Santa Barbara~1992 - Dreyfuss Hannibal in 1.1980/2000/2014/2055
Melrose Place~1992 - Jeweler #1 in The Whole Truth
Murphy Brown~1992 - Psychiatrist #3 in Come Out, Come Out, Wherever You Are
Murder, She Wrote~1992 - Albert - Hotel Desk Clerk in Tinker, Tailor, Liar, Thief
California Dreams~1992 -
To Be the Best~1992 - Doctor
Prime Suspect~1991 - Toastmaster in 1.1
A Man Called Sarge~1990 - Field Marshal Montgomery
The Dirty Dozen: The Series~1988 - Field Marshal Montgomery in Colonel Mustard in the Library with a Luger
All In Good Faith~1986-1988 - Supt. Larkin in:
False Profits
The Patience of Job
A flying Visit
War and Remembrance~1988 (mini) - Gen. Sir Bernard Law Montgomery in Part 9
The Great Escape II: The Untold Story~1988 - Group Capt. Massey
Minder on the Orient Express~1985 - Club owner
C.A.T.S. Eyes~1985-1987 - Desmond Proudfoot in:
The Big Burn
Under Plain Cover
Kit Curran~1986 - Jack in The Street of Shame
Minder~1984-1985 -
uncredited Club Owner in Minder on the Orient Express
Geoffrey in A Number of Old Wives Tales
Big Deal~1985 - Mr. Clark in The Rabbit and the Mare
Them and Us~1985 - Defence Lawyer in Flash-Point
The Brief~1984 - Mr. Crowe in Landscape
The Cleopatras~1983 - Diomedes in 36 BC
Yes, Minister~1982 - Undersecretary Roads Division - Civil Servant from the Air Transport Lobby in The Bed of Nails
Never the Twain~1982 - Vicar in Who's Been Sleeping in My Bed?
Crown Court~1982 - Dr. Edwin Harper in Ignorance in the Field: Part 1
Grange Hill~1982 - Mr. Brocklehurst in Sponsorship
The Famous Five~1978 - Roland in Five Go Adventuring Again
Scorpion Tales~1978 - Jack Greenwell in The Great Albert
Hadleigh~1973-1976 - Sutton (25 episodes)
How's Your Father?~1975 - Doctor Clegg in From Here to Infirmity
Hold the Front Page~1974 - The Judge
Jennie: Lady Randolph Churchill~1974 - Sir Edward 'Eddie' Marsh in A Past and a Future
Dial M for Murder~1974 - Inspector Palmer in Both Hands Free
Whodunnit?~1974 - Mr. Coleman in It's Quicker by Train
New Scotland Yard~1974 - Detective Inspector Roberts in A Year to Kill
Hold the Front Page~1974 - The Judge
All Our Saturdays~1973 - Lord Rex in 100 Year of Outstanding Underthings
Detective~1968 - Personal Assistant in The Unquiet Sleep
Mogul (The Troubleshooters)~1968 - TV Interviewer in The Deeper You Dig
The Avengers~1967 - Private in Never, Never Say Die
The Rat Catchers~1966 - Teniente in The Captain Morales Story
No Hiding Place~1965 - Police Doctor in Chain of Guilt
Theatre
The Body~2004 - (The Matrix Theatre, West Hollywood, CA)
Speak of the Devil, A Portrait of the Devil in Literature from Revelations to Bulgakov~1991 - (one man show) (Oxford Playhouse Theater, UK)
Speak of the Devil, A Portrait of the Devil in Literature from Revelations to Bulgakov~1993 - (one man show) (Tamarind Theater, Hollywood, CA, US; Oxford Playhouse Theatre, England, UK)
Latchmere~1986 - Luke
Dangerous Corner~1980-1981 - Charles Stanton (Ambassadors Theatre, London, England, UK) (see Actor Connections - Theatre)
Bother! The Brain of Pooh~1976-2009 - Reader (A.D.C. Theatre, Cambridge University...and at over 100 other theatres around the world) Note: To mark Winnie the Pooh's 50th birthday, Dennis gave an impromptu reading at Cambridge University late in the evening. This lead to a tour...none of his 90 minute performances followed any script other than the works of A.A. Milne.
Doubt~1969 - Eddie Bray
Macbeth~1969 -
Boy in Darkness~1971 - (SoHo Theatre Company, New York)
Plastic Birthday~1971 - (SoHo Theatre Company, New York)
Cave of Salamanca~1971 - (SoHo Theatre Company, New York)
The What On The Landing?~1970 - Hyena (Toto Theatre Co., London, England, UK)
The Hungry Tigers~196? -
Mame~1969 - Gerald Davis (Royal Court Theatre, )
The Case of Father Brendan~1968 - Eddie Bray (Hampstead Theatre Club, Hampstead, England, UK)
Chez-Nous~1967 - Curate ()
Mame~1966 - Frankie Miles (New York City Center, New York, NY, US) (see Actor Connections - Theatre)
The Crime Game~1966-1967 - Danvers - Technician (The Repertory Players, )
Henry V~ - Henry V
Mark Antony
Henry Moore
Theatre Director
One of the Fair Sex~19??
Audio Books
A Woman of No Importance~2012 (recorded in 2009) - Sir John Pontefract
The Path Through the Trees~2011 (recorded in 200?) - Narrator
The Oscar Wilde Collection~2010 (recorded earlier) - Actor
The House at Pooh Corner (A.A.Milne's Pooh Classics)~2005 - Narrator
Winnie-the-Pooh~2004 - Narrator
When We Were Very Young (A.A.Milne's Pooh Classics)~2006 - Narrator
Now We are Six (A.A.Milne's Pooh Classics)~2006 - Narrator
The Enchanted Places (A.A.Milne's Pooh Classics)~2006 - Narrator
The Thing Happens (from Back to Methuselah) (see Actor Connections - Audio Books)
Radio
Breaking the Code~2003 - (see Actor Connections - Radio)
2000x Tales of the Next Millennia~1999 (see Actor Connections - Radio)
Star Wars - Return of the Jedi Radio Drama~1996 - Moff Jerjerrod
Video Games (voice)
Psychonauts~2005 - Collie
Awards, Honors, and Nominations
Audie Awards:
Rec'd 1997 for The Complete Works of Winnie the Pooh
Corporation for Public Broadcasting:
Rec'd 1997 Silver Award for The Complete Works of Winnie the Pooh
Drama-Logue Awards:
Rec'd 1986 for his work in Bother! The Brain of Pooh.
L.A. Weekly Theatre Award:
Rec'd 1986 for his work in Bother! The Brain of Pooh.
Ohio State Award:
Rec'd 1997 Achievement of Merit for The Complete Works of Winnie the Pooh
Rec'd 1997 Achievement of Merit for The Complete Works of Winnie the Pooh
Rec'd 1997 Achievement of Merit for The Complete Works of Winnie the Pooh
Parents' Choice Award:
Rec'd 1997 Gold Award for The Complete Works of Winnie the Pooh
Screen Actors Guild:
Rec'd 2004 Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture for Sideways (shared)
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