Peter Egan

This article is about the British actor. For the American columnist, see Peter Egan (columnist).
Peter Egan
Born 28 September 1946
London, England, UK
Occupation Actor
Spouse(s) Myra Frances (13 February 1977 - present)
Website
peter-egan.co.uk

Peter Egan (born 28 September 1946) is a British actor known for his TV roles, including the Hogarth in Big Breadwinner Hog, the future King George IV of the United Kingdom in Prince Regent (1979), and smooth neighbour Paul Ryman in the sitcom Ever Decreasing Circles (1984–89). He is married to retired actress Myra Frances.

Early life

Egan was born in London, England, the son of Doris (née Pick) and Michael Thomas Egan, who is of Irish descent.[1] He was educated at St. George's Roman Catholic Comprehensive School, Maida Vale. He also attended the London Oratory School.

Life and career

Peter Egan's first television role was as the sex-and-cinema-obsessed Seth Starkadder in a BBC serialisation of Cold Comfort Farm (1968). In 1969 he had come to notoriety as the acid-throwing gangster Hogarth in the controversial Granada TV series Big Breadwinner Hog. Later he had other starring roles as John Everett Millais in the BBC serial The Love School (1975), and as Oscar Wilde in the serial Lillie (1978), starring Francesca Annis as Lillie Langtry; as Magnus Pym in the BBC dramatisation of John le Carré's A Perfect Spy (1987) and another BBC sitcom Joint Account (1989–90).

He played the title role in the BBC series Prince Regent (1979), and was a sinister immortal Knight Templar in Michael J. Bird's BBC series The Dark Side of the Sun (1983). Egan also played Fothergill in the TV series Reilly, Ace of Spies (1983). In 1986 he had a major role in the TV series Paradise Postponed. In 1988 he narrated the Video 125 drivers eye view 1066DC, which was a cab ride in a Network Southeast class 411 4CEP EMU from Hastings to London. He also guest starred in an episode of A Touch of Frost ("Private Lives") in 1999.

Other roles have included the character Michael Cochrane in the programme The Ambassador (1998), and on film as the suave secret agent Meres in TV spin-off Callan (1974), and the Duke of Sutherland in Chariots of Fire (1981). In 2007 he took the role of Victor in the film Death at a Funeral. In 2009 Egan toured as lead Sir Hugo Latymer in Nikolai Foster's revival of Noël Coward's A Song at Twilight.[2] He is also the narrator for the US and UK versions of Forza Motorsport 3 and its sequel, Forza Motorsport 4.

In 2012 he played a supporting role in the Christmas special episode of ITV's Downton Abbey, and is set to reprise his role in Series 5. Also, in 2012 and played in Alan Bennett's People alongside Frances de la Tour at the National Theatre.

Charity work

Egan is an active ambassador for the Animals Asia Foundation, which is a charity that works to end cruelty to animals in Asia.[3] He is also patron of All Dogs Matter, a dog rescue and rehoming charity in and around London and Norfolk.[4]

Selected filmography

References

  1. ↑ "Peter Egan Film Reference biography". Filmreference.com. Retrieved 20 June 2014.
  2. ↑ Cavendish, Dominic (2 March 2009). "A Song at Twilight, review". Telegraph.co.uk. Retrieved 20 June 2014.
  3. ↑ "Animals Asia". www.peter-egan.co.uk. Retrieved 20 June 2014.
  4. ↑ "All Dogs Matter".

External links