Peter Firth

Peter Macintosh Firth (born 27 October 1953) is an English actor. He is best known for his role as Sir Harry Pearce in the BBC One programme '' Spooks''; he is the only actor to have appeared in every episode of the programme's ten-series lifespan. He has given many other television and film performances, most notably as Alan Strang in '' Equus'' (1977), earning both a Golden Globe Award and an Academy Award nomination for the role.

Early life, family and education

Firth was born in Bradford, West Riding of Yorkshire, England, the son of publicans Mavis (née Hudson) and Eric Macintosh Firth. He attended Hanson School in Bradford.

Early career

Child actor

Firth was a leading child actor by the middle of 1969, having starred in the first series of ''The Flaxton Boys'' as Archie Weekes and then the following year in the series ''Here Come the Double Deckers'', both of which featured child actors in the leading roles. Firth played Scooper, the leader of the gang. In 1972 he also starred in the ITV (London Weekend Television) series ''The Adventures of Black Beauty'', episode "The Runaway", playing David Abbott.

In July 1973, Firth appeared at Laurence Olivier's National Theatre, starring in the stage version of Peter Shaffer's play '' Equus'' as a teenager being treated by a psychiatrist, and in October 1974 repeated the role in the Broadway production, receiving a Tony Award nomination for his performance as Alan Strang.

Firth starred in an episode of ''The Protectors'', titled “Implicado”, first screened in November 1973. He played Stephen Douglas, an innocent young man, alongside Patrick Mower as a drug-dealer.

Next stage of career

Firth's first major role as an adult was the title part in a BBC Television ''Play of the Month'' adaptation of Oscar Wilde's novel ''The Picture of Dorian Gray'' (1976). The script was based on a stage adaptation by John Osborne, and also starred Jeremy Brett and John Gielgud. That same year saw the release of the World War I film '' Aces High'' which featured Firth as the inexperienced RFC pilot Lt. Stephen Croft.

Firth played the lead role in the film adaptation of Henry Fielding's ''Joseph Andrews'' (1977). That same year he starred with Richard Burton in the film adaptation of '' Equus''. The film was only a moderate box-office success, but earned Firth a nomination for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor and a Golden Globe Award in the same category. Further film work quickly followed, most notably Roman Polanski's ''Tess'' (1979).

Film

Other film work has included roles in ''Diamonds on Wheels'' (1973); ''When You Comin' Back, Red Ryder?'' (1979); '' Lifeforce'' (1985); ''Letter to Brezhnev'' (1985); ''Northanger Abbey'' (1987), playing Henry Tilney; ''The Hunt for Red October'' (1990) playing the Soviet political officer Ivan Putin murdered early in the film; ''White Angel'' (1993), playing mild-mannered dentist Leslie Steckler; '' Amistad'' (1997) playing the strongly anti-slavery Captain Fitzgerald of the Royal Navy; '' Mighty Joe Young'' (1998); ''Pearl Harbor'' (2001); and ''The Greatest Game Ever Played'' (2005), playing Lord Northcliffe.

Television

Along with his film career, Firth has continued to appear in various television productions, with several notable credits in various high-profile dramas. He starred in two science-fiction episodes of the BBC's ''Play for Today'' anthology series as the eponymous time-traveller in the romantic ''The Flipside of Dominick Hide'' (1980), and its sequel, ''Another Flip for Dominick'' (1982). Firth also had a starring role in '' Tales Of The Unexpected'' in 1981. In 1994, in the Fourth Series of '' Heartbeat'', he played Dr. Radcliffe who partnered with Dr. Rowan (Niamh Cusack) in Whitby. He also portrayed the Emperor Vespasian in "The Jewish Revolt" episode of the BBC
...