Peter Davison facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Peter Davison
Davison in 2016
Born	Peter Malcolm Gordon Moffett (1951-04-13) 13 April 1951 (age 74) Streatham, London, England
Alma mater	Royal Central School of Speech and Drama
Occupation	Actor
Years active	1975–present
Spouse(s)	Diane J. Russell ​ ​ (m. 1973; div. 1975)​ Sandra Dickinson ​ ​ (m. 1978; div. 1994)​ Elizabeth Morton ​ (m. 2003)​
Children	3, including Georgia Tennant
Relatives	David Tennant (son-in-law) Ty Tennant (grandson)
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Peter Davison (born Peter Malcolm Gordon Moffett on 13 April 1951) is a famous English actor. He first appeared on TV in 1975. He became well-known in 1978 for playing Tristan Farnon in the TV show All Creatures Great and Small.

Later, he became even more famous for playing the Fifth Doctor in the science fiction series Doctor Who from 1981 to 1984. Peter Davison has also starred in many other TV shows, including Holding the Fort, Sink or Swim, A Very Peculiar Practice, and Campion. He also played David Braithwaite in At Home with the Braithwaites and "Dangerous" Davies in The Last Detective.

Early Life and First Steps

Peter Davison was born in Streatham, London. His parents were Claude and Sheila Moffett. His father, Claude, was from British Guiana (now Guyana) and worked as a radio engineer. His mother, Sheila, worked in intelligence during World War II before becoming a housewife. Peter has three sisters: Shirley, Pamela, and Barbara.

When he was young, Peter went to Granton Primary School in Streatham. His family later moved to Knaphill in Surrey. While living there, he enjoyed acting with a local theatre group called the Byfleet Players.

Before becoming a full-time actor, Peter had several different jobs. He studied at the Central School of Speech and Drama. His first acting job was at the Nottingham Playhouse. He chose the stage name Peter Davison to avoid being confused with another actor and director named Peter Moffatt.

Acting Career

Peter Davison's first TV role was in 1975 in a children's science fiction show called The Tomorrow People. He acted alongside Sandra Dickinson, who he later married. In the show, he played an alien named Elmer. For a while in the mid-1970s, when acting jobs were slow, Peter worked in a tax office. In 1976, he got a big role in the TV series Love for Lydia.

He also appeared in several British comedy shows, like Holding the Fort and Sink or Swim.

Becoming a Household Name

In 1978, Peter Davison became very well-known for his role as the playful Tristan Farnon in All Creatures Great and Small. He was away from the show for some time because he had other acting jobs.

The Doctor's Adventures

In 1980, Peter Davison signed a contract to play the Fifth Doctor in Doctor Who. He took over the role from Tom Baker. At 29 years old, he was the youngest actor to play the Doctor at that time. He held this record for almost 30 years until Matt Smith became the Eleventh Doctor in 2009. Peter was also the first mixed-race actor to play the character.

He decided not to stay in the role for more than three years because he didn't want to be known only for playing the Doctor. Another former Doctor, Patrick Troughton, had advised him to leave after three years, and Peter followed that advice.

The Fifth Doctor faced many famous enemies, including the Cybermen in "Earthshock" (1982) and the Daleks in "Resurrection of the Daleks" (1984). In 1983, in the episode "Arc of Infinity", Peter also played the human form of a character called Omega.

Since 1999, Peter Davison has returned to play the Fifth Doctor in many Doctor Who audio stories. He also came back to the TV show in a special episode called "Time Crash" in 2007. In this episode, the Fifth Doctor met the Tenth Doctor, who was played by David Tennant. David Tennant later became Peter Davison's son-in-law.

Peter has shared his thoughts on Doctor Who. He felt that some of the writing during his time on the show could have been better. He has praised the newer Doctor Who series, especially how the Doctor interacts with their companions. His favorite episodes from his time as the Doctor include "The Caves of Androzani", "The Visitation", and "Earthshock".

In 2022, Peter Davison played the Doctor on TV again in "The Power of the Doctor". He also reprised the role in Tales of the TARDIS.

After Doctor Who

After leaving Doctor Who in 1984, Peter Davison took on new roles. He appeared in a Christmas special of All Creatures Great and Small in 1985. He also played Dr. Stephen Daker in A Very Peculiar Practice (1986–1988), a show about a university health center.

He returned to play Tristan Farnon in All Creatures Great and Small from 1988 to 1990. He also starred as Albert Campion in the series Campion. Peter appeared in comedy shows like Fiddlers Three and Ain't Misbehavin'.

Davison in 2004

In 1994, Peter Davison provided the voice of Mole in the animated special Mole's Christmas. He also played Squire Gordon in the 1994 film Black Beauty. He presented a series about astronomy called Heavenly Bodies in 1995. In 2000, he took on another big role as David Braithwaite in At Home with the Braithwaites. He has said this is one of his favorite roles.

Peter starred as "Dangerous" Davies in The Last Detective (2003–2007) and Dr. Bill Shore in Distant Shores (2005–2008). In 2007, he played Martin Chadwick in the comedy Fear, Stress and Anger, which also featured his daughter, Georgia Tennant.

Davison at London Comic Con in 2016

In 2009, Peter appeared in the drama Unforgiven and made a guest appearance in the comedy Miranda. He also played Denis Thatcher in the TV drama The Queen. From 2011 to 2014, he joined the cast of Law & Order: UK as Henry Sharpe.

More recently, Peter Davison appeared in Grantchester in 2017. In 2018, he started a series called Great British Car Journeys with Christopher Timothy, where they travel in old cars. He also narrates the documentary series The Yorkshire Vet.

Radio and Theatre Work

Peter Davison has performed in many radio shows, including the comedy-drama King Street Junior and Rigor Mortis.

He has also had a successful career in theatre. He appeared in Barefoot in the Park in 1984 and Arsenic and Old Lace in 1991. He played Amos Hart in the musical Chicago in 1999. From 2007 to 2008, he played King Arthur in the London production of Spamalot. He also played Professor Callahan in Legally Blonde from 2010 to 2011. In 2015, he joined the cast of Gypsy in London. In 2024, he joined the musical Kiss Me, Kate.

Other Projects

Peter Davison and his wife, Sandra Dickinson, wrote and performed the theme songs for children's shows like Button Moon. He was also featured on the TV show This Is Your Life in 1982. He also lent his name to two science fiction books for young readers.

Personal Life

Peter Davison has been married three times. His first marriage to Diane J. Russell ended in 1975.

In 1978, he married actress Sandra Dickinson. They divorced in 1994. Peter's daughter from this marriage is actress Georgia Tennant, born in 1984. In 2011, Georgia married actor David Tennant, who also played the Doctor in Doctor Who.

Peter married his third wife, actress and writer Elizabeth Morton, in 2003. They live in Twickenham and have two sons, Louis (born 1999) and Joel (born 2001). Both of his sons have also started acting. Louis Moffett, now known as Louis Davison, made his acting debut in 2014. Joel also made his theatre debut in 2014. Louis has appeared in TV shows like Holby City and Vikings: Valhalla.

Peter Davison's autobiography, Is There Life Outside the Box?: An Actor Despairs, was published in 2016.

Political Views

Peter Davison has shared his political views. In 2010, he supported the Labour Party in the general election. He also supported the UK staying in the European Union in the 2016 referendum.

Film and Television Roles

Film

Television

Non-acting Television

Theatre Roles

Radio and Audio Drama

Video Games

Web

See also

In Spanish: Peter Davison para niños