Peter John Adams (18 May 1938 – 13 December 1999) was a New Zealand-born actor, who started his career in his native country, before emigrating to Australia, where he became best known for his performances in television soap operas and serials, although he also worked in theatre and radio.

Early life Born in Taumarunui, King Country, North Island, New Zealand, Adams was the son of a Church of England clergyman.

Career Adams began his acting career in his native New Zealand, and first came to the attention of critics in 1948, for his singing voice. In 1954, he performed in a production of The Mikado at Kings College. In 1958, he began a two year run with the New Zealand Players Company, with performances including The Importance of Being Earnest, The Long, The Short and The Tall, What Every Woman Knows, The Corn Is Green and A Streetcar Named Desire.

He emigrated to Australia in 1960, and undertook club work and television roles, before joining the Shakespeare Company of John Alden, where he performed in Othello, Macbeth and The Merchant of Venice and Lock Up Your Daughters.

Two years later, he toured New Zealand in Woman in a Dressing Gown, after which he secured a role as an announcer for New Zealand Broadcasting Corporation for two years.

When he returned to Australia, he appeared in stage productions of Instant Marriage, Robin Hood and Sweet Charity.

Adams appeared in The Actor Who Laughed at Sydney's Community Theatre (now Marian Street Theatre). The evening of opening night, Sydney was hit by torrential rain, causing the city to grind to a halt. As the actors set out for the theatre in Killara, most were stranded, including Adams who was stuck in a train in the Wynyard tunnel. In desperation he jumped off and dangerously ran back along the tracks to the station. When all the cast eventually arrived, the audience were given a choice of either starting the performance at the late hour, or returning the next night – and chose the latter.

Adams appeared in the Australian soap opera Number 96 as Andy Marshall from 1974 to 1975 and had a five-week stint in medical soap opera The Young Doctors as comedian, Clarrie Baker in 1977.

His defining role came in 1977 when he was cast as Detective Jeff 'JJ' Johnson, a lead in the police procedural series Cop Shop. The character became a hit with audiences, winning Adams several Logie Awards. In 1980, he won Best Lead Actor in a Series and in 1981, the Silver Logie for Most Popular Actor. He left the series for a role in musical theatre, but later returned, staying until the series was cancelled in December 1983.

Adams appeared in Prisoner as the tough Acting Governor Bob Moran, for three months in 1986. It was his first long-running television role since leaving Cop Shop. He also formed his own production company TBM Productions. In 1994, he appeared in the television movie Halifax f.p. – The Feeding with Rebecca Gibney.

While predominantly known for his television roles, Adams also continued to work in theatre. In 1985, he toured Victoria appearing in Warwick Moss' two-man play Down an Alley Filled with Cats. In 1995, he directed the 1995 Geelong Lyric Theatre Society production of Les Misérables. In 1987, he appeared in the Darwin Theatre Company production of Trumpets and Raspberries.

Adams had his own radio show on Melbourne's 3AW for 18 months.

Personal life and death Adams met his first wife, Mary in New Zealand, with whom he returned to Australia after a two year stint working for NZBC.

Adams was married to actress Kirsty Child. They met while starring in stage productions of Out of the Crocodile, Arms and the Man and Gaslight at the Community Theatre in Sydney. Both Adams and Child appeared in Prisoner and missed working with each other by a matter of days, as she finished up just as he started his 13-week stint.

Adams died from cancer, aged 61, on 13 December 1999.

Filmography

Film Year Title Role Notes 1973 Come Out Fighting Garry Day Feature film 1989 Blowing Hot and Cold Jack Phillips Feature film

Television Year Title Role Notes 1955 Alfred Hitchcock Presents Tim Grady Season 1, episode 6: "Salvage" 1961 The Outcasts Miniseries, 1 episode 1963 Flowering Cherry TV play 1969 Riptide Reporter / John Barrow 2 episodes1970 Skippy the Bush Kangaroo Jo Bently 1 episode Delta Bartlett 1 episode Barrier Reef Kenneth Norris 1 episode 1971 Dynasty Matt Dawson 1 episode 1965–1973 Homicide Mike Evans / Tony Davis / Dr Cousins / Detective / Charlie Stevens / Gary Lloyd / Charlie Sampson 7 episodes 1970–1974 Division 4 Ken Harris / Clive Collins / Harry Jones / Kenneth O'Connell / Hinton / Ernie Callan / Arthur Bull 7 episodes 1974–1975 Number 96 Andy Marshall 68 episodes1976 The Lost Islands Pilot Jimmy Williams 1 episode Moynihan 1 episode King's Men 1 episode 1977 Bluey Alex 'Kanga' Murray 1 episode The Alternative Noel Denning TV movie The Young Doctors Clarrie Baker 16 episodes Bobby Dazzler Arthur Carroll 1 episode Hotel Story 1 episode Say You Want Me TV movie 1977–1984 Cop Shop Detective Jeff 'J.J.' Johnson 493 episodes 1978 A Good Thing Going Dave TV movie 1981 Bellamy Donald Miniseries, 1 episode 1985 The Fast Lane Price 1 episode1986 Handle with Care Geoff TV movie Prisoner Acting Governor Bob Moran 26 episodes Darwin, 1942: Australia's Greatest Shame a John Barry, KC TV movie 1987 Neighbours Stephen Armstrong 4 episodes 1988 Australians Mr Dutton Miniseries, 1 episode: "Lottie Lyell" 1989 Mission: Impossible Brian Sean McCarron 1 episode 1994–1989 A Country Practice Ted Kagen / Alan Lang 4 episodes 1991 The Flying Doctors Artie Blake 1 episode 1994 Halifax f.p. – The Feeding Peter O'Hare TV movie 1996 The Territorians Sarge Kennedy TV movie 1997 Medivac Judge Benson 2 episodes 1998 Gargantua Dr Hale TV movie

Theatre

As actor Year Title Role Notes 1954 The Mikado King's College, Auckland 1958–1959 The Importance of Being Earnest Lane His Majesty's Theatre, Auckland, Wellington Opera House with New Zealand Players1959 The Long, The Short and The Tall His Majesty's Theatre, Auckland with New Zealand Players What Every Woman Knows His Majesty's Theatre, Dunedin, His Majesty's Theatre, Auckland, Wellington Opera House with New Zealand Players c.1959 The Corn Is Green New Zealand Players c.1959 A Streetcar Named Desire Stanley Kowalski New Zealand Players Death of a Salesman The Norman Conquests Tom 1961 The Merchant of Venice Cremorne Orpheum, Sydney, Elizabethan Theatre, Sydney, Conservatorium, Sydney with John Alden Shakespeare Company Othello Macbeth Lock Up Your Daughters Palace Theatre, Sydney with John Alden Shakespeare Company 1962 The Miracle Worker James Keller Comedy Theatre, Melbourne with J. C. Williamson's 1963 Woman in a Dressing Gown Willie Comedy Theatre, Melbourne, Australia & NZ tour 1965 Instant Marriage Tivoli Theatre, Melbourne, Tivoli Theatre, Sydney 1965–1966 Robin Hood Tivoli Theatre, Sydney1966 A Phoenix Too Frequent The Landlord St Martins Theatre, Melbourne A Bunch of Ratbags Slaughterman Emerald Hill Theatre, Sydney1967 Sweet Charity Oscar Lindquist Her Majesty's Theatre, Sydney, Her Majesty's Theatre, Melbourne, Her Majesty's Theatre, Adelaide with J. C. Williamson's The Birthday Party Goldberg St Martins Theatre Company, Melbourne c.1967 Bye Bye Birdie Albert Menzies, Sydney 1968 Relatively Speaking Greg Princess Theatre, Melbourne & Australian tour1969 A Day in the Death of Joe Egg Bri Old Tote Theatre, Sydney Out of the Crocodile Community Theatre, Sydney Arms and the Man Bluntschli Richard III King Richard Gaslight Manningham 1969–1970 Man of La Mancha Don Quixote (Cervantes) (standby) Her Majesty's Theatre, Melbourne with J. C. Williamson's 1971 Man of La Mancha Dr. Carrasco 1972 Danton's Death Russell St Theatre, Melbourne, with MTC The Chocolate Frog Russell St Theatre, Melbourne, with MTC A Touch of the Poet MTC 1973 Jugglers Three Playhouse, Canberra, UNSW Parade Theatre, Sydney with MTC 1981 Same Time, Next Year George Alexander Theatre, Melbourne with Playbox Theatre Company & TAS/QLD tour 1984 The Removalists Police Sergeant Malthouse Theatre, Melbourne with Playbox Theatre Company 1985 Down an Alley Filled with Cats Lead role Monash University, Melbourne, VIC regional tour & interstate tour 1985–1986 Guys and Dolls Nathan Detroit Australian national tour 1986 The Odd Couple Oscar Madison St George Leagues Club, Kogarah 1987 A Chorus of Disapproval Suncorp Theatre, Brisbane with Queensland Theatre What the Butler Saw Dr Prentice Sydney Opera House with Gary Penny Productions Trumpets and Raspberries State Theatre Company of Northern Territory The Club with Gateway Productions 1988 A Small Family Business Northside Theatre 1989 Educating Rita Frank Bryant Phillip St Theatre, Sydney, Alexander Theatre, Melbourne with Gateway Productions 1990 The Blessed Fountain Regal Theatre, Perth 1991 Gaslight Rough Theatre of Comedy1992 Diving for Pearls Ron Space Theatre, Adelaide with STCSA No Going Back Karl / Bunce Russell St Theatre, Melbourne, with MTC 1993 Brilliant Lies Vince Playhouse, Adelaide with QTC / STCSA & Playhouse, Melbourne with MTC Forget-Me-Not Lane MTC 1996 My Father's Father Karl Fairfax Studio, Melbourne with MTC 1997 The Comedy of Errors Solinus Playhouse, Melbourne with MTC 1999 Witness (reading) Jewish Holocaust Museum, Melbourne In Duty Bound Gateway Productions

As director Year Title Role Notes 1963 Woman in a Dressing Gown Assistant Stage Manager Comedy Theatre, Melbourne 1989 Educating Rita Director The Freedom of the City Director Australian national tour with Gateway Productions 1990 The Club Director St Martins Youth Theatre, Melbourne 1995 Les Misérables Director Geelong Lyric Theatre Society

Awards and nominations Year Work Award Category Result 1977 The Alternative Penguin Awards Best Actor 1978 Cop Shop Logie Awards Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role 1979 Penguin Awards Best Sustained Performance by an Actor 1980 Logie Awards Best Lead Actor in a Series Silver Logie for Most Popular Actor Sammy Awards Best Actor in a TV series 1981 Penguin Awards Best Sustained Performance by a Series 1986 Guys and Dolls Green Room Awards Best Male Lead in a Musical

References

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