Peter Jeffrey (18 April 1929 – 25 December 1999) was an English actor. Starting his performing career on stage, he later portrayed many roles in television and film.

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

Career

Theatre Jeffrey spent many years on stage with the Bristol Old Vic and the Royal Shakespeare Company. 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."Lively Choice of Plays for Aldwych." The Times (London, England) 22 April 1966: p.17. Retrieved 9 October 2014.

Television Numerous television roles include two guest appearances in Doctor Who: as the Colony Pilot in The Macra Terror (1967) and as Count Grendel in The Androids of Tara (1978). In Granada Television's daytime legal drama series Crown Court, Jeffrey played Barrister Peter Edgar QC having made a previous appearance as William Askwith Vennings in the case involving Regina v Vennings & Vennings.

He played King Philip II of Spain in the BBC serial Elizabeth R (1971) and Oliver Cromwell in By the Sword Divided (1985). He also appeared in Special Branch (1973), Thriller (1974), Porridge (1975), Some Mothers Do 'Ave 'Em (1975), Quiller (1975), Rising Damp (1978), Minder (1980), Nanny (1981), Juliet Bravo (1982), Yes Minister (1984), and Dennis Potter's Lipstick on Your Collar (1993). He played the villainous Sultan in the fantasy epic The Adventures of Baron Munchausen (1988) and appeared as Police Commissioner Blamire in Our Friends in the North (1996).

He made three appearances in The Avengers; the episodes were "Room Without A View" (1966), "The Joker" (1967) and "The Game" (1968). He featured in The New Avengers episode "House of Cards" (1976).

Films He played the role of Headmaster in Lindsay Anderson's If..... In 1971, he played Inspector Trout in The Abominable Dr. Phibes, a role he reprised in 1972 in Dr. Phibes Rises Again. He later starred as disgraced Oxford don and psychiatric hospital inmate Ahmet in Midnight Express (1978).

Death Jeffrey died on Christmas Day in 1999 from prostate cancer.

Filmography

Films +YearTitleRoleNotes1952Never Look BackCourt ReporterUncredited1964Becket Baron1965The Early Bird Fire Chief1966That Riviera Touch MauronA Choice of Kings Bishop OdoThe Fighting Prince of Donegal Sergeant1968The Fixer BerezhinskyIf.... Headmaster1969Ring of Bright Water Colin WilcoxThe Best House in LondonSherlock HolmesUncreditedAnne of the Thousand Days Thomas Howard, 3rd Duke of Norfolk1970Goodbye Gemini Detective Inspector Kingsley1971Countess Dracula Captain Balogh The Abominable Dr. PhibesInspector TroutThe Horsemen Hayatal1972What Became of Jack and Jill? Dr. GrahamDr. Phibes Rises Again Inspector Trout1973O Lucky Man! Factory chairman/Prison Governor1974The Odessa File David Porath1975Deadly Strangers Belle's UncleThe Return of the Pink Panther General Wadafi1978Midnight Express Ahmet1982Britannia HospitalSir Geoffrey1988The Adventures of Baron MunchausenSultan

Television +YearTitleRoleNotes1958The Castiglioni BrothersCamillioTV movie1960Saturday PlayhouseMajor VerrekerEpisode: "Conflict at Kalandi"1963The Spread of the Eagle Sicinius Velutus3 episodesFirst NightLieutenantEpisode: "Sticks"1964No Hiding Place HoratioEpisode: "It's Coming Down Harder"1964-5The Plane Makers James Cameron-Grant MP8 episodesThe Saint George Marring/Quincy2 episodes1964-7ITV Play of the WeekVarious4 episodes1965Public Eye Harry LawfordEpisode: "You Have to Draw the Line Somewhere"Cluff ReaderEpisode: "The Convict"1965-9Armchair TheatreMarsden/Kenneth2 episodes1965-7The Wednesday PlayVarious4 episodes1966The Liars Cadi1 episodeAdam Adamant Lives! SinodaEpisode: "Beauty is an Ugly Word"Dixon of Dock GreenDI Carter2 episodes1966-8The Avengers Various3 episodes1966-73BBC Play of the Month4 episodes1967Drama 61-67Mr. IrtinEpisode: "Mr Irtin"Softly, Softly DukeEpisode: "The Linkman"The Revenue Men Milo BenedictEpisode: "Fox in the High Street"NET PlayhouseMuspratt/Bishop Odo2 episodes1967-8Theatre 625The Baron/Thompson1967-71The Troubleshooters Heritage/Marlin1967-78Doctor WhoPilot/Count GrendelSerials: "The Macra Terror and "The Androids of Tara"1968Dr. Finlay's CasebookCraigEpisode: "Conscience Clause"FrontierCaptain Rankin-KeoghEpisode: "Duel of Honour"1968-1979ITV PlayhouseVarious4 episodes1969ChronicleThomas BecketEpisode: "Becket"Out of the UnknownMasham CresswellEpisode: "Get Off My Cloud"Strange ReportSuperintendant ShawEpisode: Report 8319 - GRENADE: 'What Price Change?' 1970 VillettePaul Emmanuel 5 episodes1970-5The Main Chance Hugh Neville/Kenneth Manmer2 episodes1971The ExpertCedric Lambert Episode: "Cedric"Elizabeth RKing Philip II of Spain2 episodes1971-8Play for TodayVarious4 episodes1972The Onedin LineMcPhersonEpisode: "Cry of the Blackbird"The Shadow of the Tower The PrisonerEpisode: "The Serpent and the Comforter"Dead of NightWisbechEpisode: "Two in the Morning"1972-8Crown CourtVarious5 serials1973The Adventurer Rymans Episode: "Full Fathom Five"Barlow at Large DS MillerEpisode: "Review"Special Branch Pettiford Episode: "A Copper Called Craven"Harriet's Back in TownRonnie Graham2 episodesNew Scotland YardChief Supt. PiggottEpisode: "Exchange is No Robbery"1974The Water Margin English DubEpisode: "A Foolish Sage Who Got Involved"The Protectors Police InspectorEpisode: "Blockbuster"Bedtime Stories NethercoatEpisode: "Jack and the Beanstalk"Napoleon and Love Tallyrand 7 episodesThriller DexterEpisode: "Come Out, Come Out Wherever You Are"Marked Personal Harry Baker2 episodesCakes and Me Alroy Kear3 episodes1975The SweeneyDet. Supt. PringleEpisode: "Thin Ice"Jackanory PlayhouseAtticus the Bandit ChiefEpisode: "The Jo-Jo Tree "Survivors KnoxEpisode: "Garland's War"Quiller Colonel HytheEpisode: "The Thin Red Line"PorridgeMr. WainwrightEpisode: "Disturbing the Peace"Some Mothers Do 'Ave 'Em HayesEpisode: "Learning to Drive"1976JackanoryStorytellerStory: "In the Grip of the Lemon Fever"Bill Brand MaidstoneEpisode: "August for the Party"The New Avengers Ivan PerovEpisode: "House of Cards"1977London Belongs to MeHenry SqualesMiniseries1978Rumpole of the Bailey Sam DoghertyEpisode: "Rumpole and the Alternative Society"Rising Damp AmbroseEpisode: "Under the Influence"The Famous Five Mr. WoohEpisode: "Five Are Together Again"1979OmnibusFatherEpisode: "Worlds Fail Me"1980Spy! Ambassador OttEpisode: "Tokyo Ring"MinderCliveEpisode: "A Nice Little Wine"1981BBC Television ShakespeareParollesEpisode: All's Well That Ends Well NannyCapt. Robert Charlesworth Episode: "Trompe LOeil"Bognor Milburn Port 7 episodes1982Tales of the UnexpectedMr. StewartEpisode: "The Skeleton Key"Juliet Bravo Detective Superintendent NuttallEpisode: "Cause for Complaint"1984The Jewel in the Crown Mr. PeabodyEpisode: "The Division of the Spoils"Yes Minister EricEpisode: "Party Games"1984-5One by OneMaurice Webb 1985By the Sword DividedOliver Cromwell 6 episodesLace II Nicholas Cliff Sr.TV movieThe Last Place on Earth Lord Curzon3 episodes1987Screen TwoHenry WindscapeEpisode: "Quartermaine's Terms"Bergerac RockwellEpisode: "Treasure Hunt"1988You Must Be the Husband Clifford UnsworthEpisode: "Alice and Her Yorkshire Pudding"1989ScreenPlayRev. Mendel of RiminovEpisode: "The Night of Simhat Torah"Chelworth Michael HinchamMinisereriesThe Nightmare YearsNorman Ebbutt4 episodes1990Hands of a MurdererMycroft HolmesTV movieTheatre NightWilliam CombeEpisode: "Bingo: Scenes of Money and Death"1993Lovejoy Geoffrey Connaught Episode: "Judgment of Solomon"The Detectives DerekEpisode: "Acting Constables"Lipstick on Your Collar Col. BernwoodMiniseries1994Middlemarch Nicholas Bulstrode1995A Village Affair Peter MorrisTV movie1996Rasputin Bishop HermogonesThe Treasure Seekers WentworthPaul Merton in Galton and Simpson's... JudgeEpisode: "Twelve Angry Men"The Bill Harry HedgesEpisode: "Hedging Your Bets"Our Friends in the North Colin Blamire3 episodesThe Prince and the Pauper The Duke of Norfolk MiniseriesThe Moonstone Mr. Bruff2 episodes1997Breakout Prof. BannermanTV movieThe Tale of Sweeney Todd Dr. Maxwell1997-8Knight School Sir Hubert Grindcobbe3 episodes1998HeartbeatMr. RyleEpisode: "Where There's a Will"1999Kavanagh QC Sir Ronald Tibbitt Episode: "Endgame"Where the Heart Is Ronnie LyonsEpisode: "Expansions"The Scarlet Pimpernel Marquis de RochambeauEpisode: "Valentin Gautier"

References

External links

Obituary in The Independent