Peter Cushing was an English actor known for his many appearances in Hammer films, in which he played Baron Frankenstein and Dr. Van Helsing, amongst many other roles, often appearing opposite his close friend Christopher Lee. Cushing was born in Kenley, Surrey, England. After working in repertory theater, he left for Hollywood in 1939, but returned in 1941 after roles in several films.
In the 1950s, he worked in television, most notably as Winston Smith in BBC’s 1954 adaptation of the George Orwell novel, 1984. His first appearance in his two most famous roles were in Terrence Fisher’s films The Curse of Frankenstein (1957) and Dracula (1958). Cushing will always be associated with playing Victor Frankenstein and Van Helsing in a long string of horror films produced by Hammer Horror. These provided him with 20 years of steady employment. Cushing was often cast opposite the actor Christopher Lee, with whom he became best friends.
In the mid-1960s, he played the eccentric Dr. Who in two films based on the TV series Doctor Who. Cushing also played Sherlock Holmes many times, starting with Hammer’s The Hound of the Baskervilles (1959). In 1976, he was cast in Star Wars and appeared as one of his now most recognized characters, Grand Moff Tarkin despite having originally been considered for the role of Obi-Wan Kenobi. After Star Wars, Cushing continued appearing in films and TV sporadically, as his health allowed. He died in 1994 from cancer in a Canterbury hospice.
