Peter Vaughan facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Peter Vaughan
Born	Peter Ewart Ohm (1923-04-04)4 April 1923 Wem, Shropshire, England
Died	6 December 2016(2016-12-06) (aged 93) Mannings Heath, West Sussex, England
Education	Uttoxeter Grammar School
Occupation	Actor
Years active	1931–2016
Spouse(s)	Billie Whitelaw ​ ​ (m. 1952; div. 1966)​ Lillias Walker

Peter Vaughan (born Peter Ewart Ohm; April 4, 1923 – December 6, 2016) was an English actor. He was known for playing many different characters in British movies and TV shows. He also performed a lot on stage.

Many people remember him as Grouty in the TV comedy Porridge. He also played this role in the Porridge movie in 1979. Peter Vaughan also appeared in Citizen Smith, Straw Dogs, Time Bandits, and The Remains of the Day. His last big role was as Maester Aemon in the TV series Game of Thrones from 2011 to 2015.

Early Life and Beginnings

Peter Ewart Ohm was born on April 4, 1923, in Wem, Shropshire, England. His father, Max Ohm, was a bank clerk from Austria. His mother, Eva Wright, was a nurse.

His family later moved to Wellington. Peter started school there. He once said that when he was very young, he recited a poem and felt the joy of applause. This made him want to perform more. From age seven, he lived in Staffordshire and went to Uttoxeter Grammar School.

After school, Peter Vaughan joined the Wolverhampton Repertory Theatre. He gained more acting experience before joining the British Army during World War II. He became a second lieutenant in the Royal Corps of Signals in 1943. He served in Normandy, Belgium, and the Far East. When the war ended, he was in Singapore during the freeing of Changi Prison.

Acting Career

Peter Vaughan first appeared in a movie in 1959. It was a small, uncredited role as a police officer in The 39 Steps. For several years, he continued to play small parts, often as policemen. He was in Village of the Damned and The Victors.

His first main role was in a smaller movie called Smokescreen (1964). He played an insurance investigator. In 1967, he acted with Frank Sinatra in The Naked Runner.

One of his most famous movie roles was as the father of Anthony Hopkins's character. This was in The Remains of the Day (1993). He also worked with director Terry Gilliam in Time Bandits and Brazil. Peter Vaughan played a scary character in Straw Dogs (1971). He was also in The Crucible (1996) and Les Misérables (1998). He even played a Nazi officer, Arthur Nebe, in the 1994 film Fatherland.

He also appeared in the music video for Kate Bush's song "Experiment IV".

Television Roles

Peter Vaughan became very well-known for his TV roles. These included "Genial" Harry Grout in Porridge. He also played Charles Johnson in Citizen Smith. Even though his character in Porridge only appeared in a few episodes, he became very popular.

In 1975, he was Tony Kirby in an episode of the police show The Sweeney. He also played "The Fence" in a funny TV advert for McVities biscuits.

In 1969, Peter Vaughan was in Randall and Hopkirk. He also starred in the TV series The Gold Robbers. In 1972, he appeared in a BBC ghost story called A Warning to the Curious.

He starred as Billy Fox in the TV series Fox (1980). He played many historical figures too. These included Russian minister Alexander Izvolsky in Fall of Eagles (1974). He was also Hermann Göring in Countdown to War (1989). He appeared in TV shows based on books, like Bleak House (1985).

In 1996, Peter Vaughan received praise for his role as Felix Hutchinson. He played a character with Alzheimer's disease in Our Friends in the North. This role earned him a nomination for Best Actor. He also played the clockmaker George Graham in Longitude.

In 2007, he was in the TV series Mobile. He also played Uncle Alfie in the movie Death at a Funeral. His last role was Maester Aemon in the HBO series Game of Thrones from 2011 to 2015.

Radio and Stage Work

Peter Vaughan also performed on the radio. He was Superintendent Kirk in a BBC play of Busman's Honeymoon. He also played Denethor in the 1981 BBC Radio version of The Lord of the Rings.

On stage, his first big role was in 1964. He played Ed in Joe Orton's play Entertaining Mr Sloane.

Personal Life and Passing

Peter Vaughan was married twice. His first wife was actress Billie Whitelaw. They were married in 1952 and divorced in 1966. His second wife was actress Lilias Walker. They lived in Mannings Heath, West Sussex, until his death.

In his later years, Peter Vaughan was partially blind. He passed away peacefully from natural causes on December 6, 2016. He was 93 years old.

Filmography

Vaughan appeared in the following films and television series:

See also

In Spanish: Peter Vaughan para niños