Peter Weller facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Peter Weller
|
|
---|---|
![]() Weller at Paradise City Comic Con in 2016
|
|
Born |
Peter Francis Weller
June 24, 1947 Stevens Point, Wisconsin, U.S.
|
Education | |
Occupation |
|
Years active | 1973–present |
Spouse(s) |
Shari Stowe
(m. 2006) |
Children | 1 |
Scientific career | |
Thesis | Alberti Before Florence: Early Sources Informing Leon Battista Alberti's De Pictura (2014) |
Doctoral advisor | Charlene Villaseñor Black |
Peter Francis Weller (born June 24, 1947) is an American actor and television director. He is famous for playing the main character in the movies RoboCop (1987) and RoboCop 2 (1990). He also appeared in The Adventures of Buckaroo Banzai Across the 8th Dimension (1984) and Star Trek Into Darkness (2013).
Besides acting, Peter Weller has directed many TV shows. He also hosted the show Engineering an Empire on the History Channel. He even has a special degree called a Ph.D. in Italian Renaissance Art History from UCLA.
Contents
Early Life and Education
Peter Weller was born on June 24, 1947, in Stevens Point, Wisconsin. His mother, Dorothy Jean, was a homemaker. His father, Frederick Bradford Weller, was a lawyer, a federal judge, and a helicopter pilot for the United States Army.
Because his father was in the army, Peter lived in different places when he was a kid. He lived in West Germany for several years. Later, his family moved to Texas, where he went to Alamo Heights High School and graduated in 1965.
Peter Weller went to North Texas State University (now the University of North Texas). He played the trumpet in a band there. In 1969, he earned a degree in Theatre. After that, he studied acting at the American Academy of Dramatic Arts.
Later in life, Peter Weller went back to school. In 2004, he got a Master of Arts degree in Roman and Renaissance Art from Syracuse University. He even taught classes about ancient history there sometimes. In 2007, he started working on his Ph.D. at UCLA. He studied Italian Renaissance Art History, which is about art from a very creative time in Italy's past. He earned his doctorate degree in 2014.
Acting Career Highlights
Peter Weller has had a long career in movies, TV, and on stage.
Stage Performances
Peter Weller started his acting career on stage in the 1970s. He performed on Broadway, which is a famous theater district in New York City. One of his early plays was Full Circle. He also became a member of the Actors Studio, a place where actors train and work together.
In 2006, he played the famous architect Frank Lloyd Wright in a play called Frank's Home in Chicago.
Film Roles
Peter Weller has acted in more than 50 movies. He is most famous for playing the main character in the science fiction action film RoboCop (1987). In this movie, he plays a police officer who becomes a cyborg (part human, part robot). He also starred in the sequel, RoboCop 2 (1990).
Other notable film roles include:
- The Adventures of Buckaroo Banzai Across the 8th Dimension (1984)
- Mighty Aphrodite (1995), directed by Woody Allen
- Screamers (1995), a science-fiction film
- Star Trek Into Darkness (2013), where he played Admiral Alexander Marcus
Television Appearances
Peter Weller has appeared in many television series. He was the host of Engineering an Empire on the History Channel from 2005 to 2007. This show explored how ancient civilizations built amazing structures.
He also had important roles in popular TV shows like:
- 24 (2006), where he played Christopher Henderson
- Dexter (2010), as Stan Liddy
- Sons of Anarchy (2013-2014), as Charles "Charlie" Barosky
- Longmire (2012-2017), where he was both an actor and a director
- The Last Ship (2017), as Dr. Paul Vellek
Directing Work
Besides acting, Peter Weller is also a talented director for television. He has directed episodes for many well-known shows, including:
- Homicide: Life on the Street
- Monk
- Sons of Anarchy (eleven episodes)
- Longmire
- Hawaii Five-0
- MacGyver
- Magnum P.I.
Voice Acting
Peter Weller has also lent his voice to animated projects and video games. He voiced Bruce Wayne / Batman in the animated movie The Dark Knight Returns (2012–2013). He also returned to voice RoboCop in commercials for KFC and in the video games Mortal Kombat 11 (2019) and RoboCop: Rogue City (2023).
Personal Life
On June 24, 2006, which was his 59th birthday, Peter Weller married his longtime girlfriend, actress Shari Stowe. They got married in Positano, Italy. Peter and Shari have one son.
Awards and Nominations
Peter Weller has been recognized for his acting work:
- (1988) Nominated for a Saturn Award for Best Actor for RoboCop
- (1994) Nominated for an Academy Award for Best Live Action Short Film for his short film Partners, which he also directed and wrote.
- (2002) Nominated for an Independent Spirit Award for Best Supporting Male for Ivans XTC
Filmography
Feature Film Roles
Year | Title | Role | Notes |
---|---|---|---|
1979 | Butch and Sundance: The Early Days | Joe LeFors | |
1980 | Just Tell Me What You Want | Steven Routledge | |
1982 | Shoot the Moon | Frank Henderson | |
1983 | Of Unknown Origin | Bart Hughes | Paris Film Festival for Best Actor |
1984 | The Adventures of Buckaroo Banzai Across the 8th Dimension | Dr. Buckaroo Banzai | |
Firstborn | Sam | ||
1986 | A Killing Affair | Baston Morris | |
1987 | RoboCop | Alex Murphy / RoboCop | Nominated – Saturn Award for Best Actor |
1988 | The Tunnel | Juan Pablo Castel | |
Shakedown | Roland Dalton | ||
1989 | Leviathan | Steven Beck | |
Cat Chaser | George Moran | ||
1990 | RoboCop 2 | Alex Murphy / RoboCop | |
1991 | Road to Ruin | Jack Sloan | |
1992 | Fifty/Fifty | Jake Wyer | |
1993 | Sunset Grill | Ryder Hart | |
1994 | The New Age | Peter Witner | |
1995 | Beyond the Clouds | Husband | |
Screamers | Commander Joseph A. Hendricksson | ||
Mighty Aphrodite | Jerry Bender | ||
Decoy | Baxter | ||
1998 | Top of the World | Ray Mercer | |
1999 | Diplomatic Siege | Steve Mitchell | |
2000 | Shadow Hours | Stuart Chappell | |
Falling Through | Lou | ||
Contaminated Man | Joseph Müller | ||
Ivans Xtc | Don West | Nominated – Independent Spirit Award for Best Supporting Male | |
2001 | Styx | Nelson | Direct-to-video |
2003 | The Order | Cardinal Driscoll | |
2005 | Man of God | Rabbi | |
Undiscovered | Wick Treadway | ||
2006 | The Hard Easy | Ed Koster | |
2007 | Prey | Tom Newman | |
Dating Vietnam | Jack Newton | ||
2010 | Once Fallen | Eddie | |
2011 | Forced to Fight | Danny "Danny G" | |
2012 | Dragon Eyes | Police Chief Victor "Mr. V" Swan | |
2012–2013 | Batman: The Dark Knight Returns | Bruce Wayne / Batman (voice) | Direct-to-video |
2013 | Repentance | Meyer | |
Star Trek Into Darkness | Admiral Alexander Marcus | ||
2015 | Skin Trade | Captain Costello | |
2017 | Yamasong: March of the Hollows | Brujt | |
2022 | In Search of Tomorrow | Himself | Documentary |
Television Film Roles
Year | Title | Role | Notes |
---|---|---|---|
1973 | The Man Without a Country | Lieutenant Fellows | |
1975 | The Silence | "Red" Sash | |
1983 | Kentucky Woman | Deke Cullover | |
1983 | Two Kinds of Love | Joe Farley | |
1986 | Apology | Rad Hungate | |
1990 | Rainbow Drive | Mike Gallagher | |
1994 | Partners | Doctor | Short film; also Director and Writer Nominated – Academy Award for Best Live Action Short Film |
The Substitute Wife | Martin Hightower | ||
Lakota Woman: Siege at Wounded Knee | Uncredited | ||
1995 | Present Tense, Past Perfect | Charles | |
1997 | End of Summer | Theo Remmington | |
1997 | Gold Coast | — | Director and executive producer |
1998 | Tower of the Firstborn | John Shannon | |
2000 | Dark Prince: The True Story of Dracula | Father Stefan | |
2005 | The Poseidon Adventure | Captain Paul Gallico |
Television Series Roles
Year | Title | Role(s) | Channel | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|
1977 | Lou Grant | Donald Stryker | CBS | Episode: "Nazi" |
1995–1996 | Homicide: Life on the Street | — | NBC | Director Episodes: "Hate Crimes" "White Lies" |
1997 | Michael Hayes | — | CBS | Director Episode: "The Doctor's Tale" |
2002–2003 | Odyssey 5 | Chuck Taggart | Space | 19 (20) episodes |
2005 | Star Trek: Enterprise | John Frederick Paxton | UPN | Episodes:
|
2005–2007 | Engineering an Empire | — | History Channel | Host (14 episodes) |
2006 | Monk | — | USA Network | Director Episode: "Mr. Monk, Private Eye" |
2006 | Monk | Actor Playing Stottlemeyer | USA Network | Episode: "Mr. Monk and the Actor" |
2006 | 24 | Christopher Henderson | Fox | 11 episodes |
2007 | Las Vegas | — | NBC | Director Episode: "A Cannon Carol" |
2010 | Fringe | Scientist Alistair Peck | Fox | Episode: "White Tulip" |
2010 | Psych | Mr. Yin | USA Network | Episode: "Yang 3 in 2D", also provided voice for Yin in "Mr. Yin Presents" |
2010 | Dexter | Stan Liddy | Showtime | 8 episodes |
2013–2014 | Sons of Anarchy | Charlie Barosky | FX | 10 episodes |
2012 | House | Dr. Penza | Fox | Episode: "Post Mortem" Also director |
2012 | The Mob Doctor | — | Fox | Director Episode: "Confessions" |
2012–2017 | Longmire | Lucian Connally | A&E Netflix |
Also director 4 episodes |
2013 | Hawaii Five-0 | Curt Stoner | CBS | Episode: "Hookman" |
2013–2018 | Hawaii Five-0 | — | CBS | Director 15 episodes |
2014 | The Strain | — | FX | Director 3 episodes |
2014–2015 | Under the Dome | — | CBS | Director Episode: "The Red Door" (2014) Episode: "But I'm Not" (2015) |
2015 | Justified | — | FX | Director Episode: "Noblesse Oblige" |
2015–2018 | The Last Ship | Dr. Paul Vellek | TNT | 8 episodes as director Recurring role in season 4 |
2015–2016 | Tyrant | — | FX | Director Episode: "Zanjir" Episode: "Bedfellows" Episode: "How to Live" |
2015 | Sleepy Hollow | — | Fox | Director Episode: "I, Witness" |
2015–2016 | Salem | — | WGN America | Director Episode: "The Dark Wine Sea" Episode: "Wednesday's Child" |
2016 | Rush Hour | — | CBS | Director Episode: "Two Days or The Number of Hours Within the Time Frame" |
2016 | Outsiders | — | WGN America | Director Episode: "Long Live the Bre'lin" |
2016 | Game of Silence | — | NBC | Director Episode: "Road Trip" |
2017 | Shades of Blue | — | NBC | Director Episode: "Fracture" Episode: "House Divided" |
2018–2021 | MacGyver | Elliot Mason | CBS | Director — 3 episodes Actor — 3 episodes |
2018 | Forever | The Traveler | Amazon Prime | 2 episodes |
2018 | Mr. Mercedes | — | Audience | Director Episode: "Andale" |
2018–2019 | Mayans MC | — | FX | Director Episode: "Rata/Ch'o" Episode: "Tohil" |
2018–2021 | Magnum P.I. | — | CBS | Director 5 episodes |
2020 | JJ Villard's Fairy Tales | Sergeant Hardcop | Adult Swim | Voice; 2 episodes |
2022 | Guillermo del Toro's Cabinet of Curiosities | Lionel Lassiter | Netflix | Episode: "The Viewing" |
2023 | Rabbit Hole | Crowley | Paramount+ | 3 episodes |
2024 | Moon Girl and Devil Dinosaur | Dr. Stern (voice) | Disney Channel | Episode: "In the Heist" |
Video Game Voice Roles
Year | Title | Voice role | Note(s) |
---|---|---|---|
2005 | Codename: Panzers – Phase Two | Jeffrey S. Wilson | |
2014 | Family Guy: The Quest for Stuff | RoboCop | |
2016 | Call of Duty: Infinite Warfare | Caleb Thies | "Know your enemy" trailer only, uncredited |
2017 | Wilson's Heart | Robert Wilson | |
2020 | Mortal Kombat 11: Aftermath | RoboCop | |
2023 | RoboCop: Rogue City | RoboCop |
See also
In Spanish: Peter Weller para niños