Peter Evans (May 27, 1950 – May 20, 1989) was an American actor. He won the 1976
Clarence Derwent Award The Clarence Derwent Awards are theatre awards given annually by the Actors' Equity Association on Broadway in the United States and by Equity, the performers' union, in the West End in the United Kingdom.
Clarence Derwent (23 March 1884 – 6 Aug ...
and was nominated for a
Drama Desk Award
The Drama Desk Award is an annual prize recognizing excellence in New York theatre. First bestowed in 1955 as the Vernon Rice Award, the prize initially honored Off-Broadway productions, as well as Off-off-Broadway, and those in the vicinity. Fo ...
for his portrayal of Richie in
David Rabe
David William Rabe (born March 10, 1940) is an American playwright and screenwriter. He won the Tony Award for Best Play in 1972 (''Sticks and Bones'') and also received Tony award nominations for Best Play in 1974 (''In the Boom Boom Room''), 19 ...
's ''
Streamers''.
[ However, he was best known for his role as Russ Merman in the 1980s sitcom '']9 to 5
Working(laboring) time is the period of time that a person spends at paid Wage labour, labor. Unpaid work, Unpaid labor such as personal housework or caring for children or pets is not considered part of the working week.
Many countries regula ...
''.
Early life and education
Evans was born in 1950 in Englewood, New Jersey
Englewood is a city in Bergen County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey, which at the 2020 United States census had a population of 29,308. Englewood was incorporated as a city by an act of the New Jersey Legislature on March 17, 1899, from por ...
, to Dudley and Caroline Evans.[ He had a brother, John Randall, and a sister, Elizabeth Temple.][ He attended ]Phillips Academy, Andover
("Not for Self") la, Finis Origine Pendet ("The End Depends Upon the Beginning") Youth From Every Quarter Knowledge and Goodness
, address = 180 Main Street
, city = Andover
, state = Ma ...
.[ In 1972, he graduated from ]Yale University
Yale University is a private research university in New Haven, Connecticut. Established in 1701 as the Collegiate School, it is the third-oldest institution of higher education in the United States and among the most prestigious in the wo ...
.[ For three years, Evans attended the ]Central School of Speech and Drama
The Royal Central School of Speech and Drama was founded by Elsie Fogerty in 1906, as The Central School of Speech Training and Dramatic Art, to offer a new form of training in speech and drama for young actors and other students. It became a ...
.[
]
Career
Theatre
In 1975, Evans made his debut in the New York theater with David Storey
David Malcolm Storey (13 July 1933 – 27 March 2017) was an English playwright, screenwriter, award-winning novelist and a professional rugby league player. He won the Booker Prize in 1976 for his novel ''Saville''. He also won the MacMillan ...
's ''Life Class''.[ In 1976, ]Mike Nichols
Mike Nichols (born Michael Igor Peschkowsky; November 6, 1931 – November 19, 2014) was an American film and theater director, producer, actor, and comedian. He was noted for his ability to work across a range of genres and for his aptitude fo ...
directed him in David Rabe's ''Streamers'', in which he portrayed Richie.[ His performance as Richie won him the Clarence Derwent Award and garnered him a Drama Desk Award nomination.][ In 1977, he appeared opposite ]Ellis Rabb
Ellis W. Rabb (June 20, 1930 – January 11, 1998) was an American actor and director who in 1959 formed the Association of Producing Artists, a theatre company that brought new works and noteworthy revivals to Broadway and to regional theatres. ...
in David Mamet
David Alan Mamet (; born November 30, 1947) is an American playwright, filmmaker, and author. He won a Pulitzer Prize and received Tony Award, Tony nominations for his plays ''Glengarry Glen Ross'' (1984) and ''Speed-the-Plow'' (1988). He first ...
's ''A Life in the Theatre
''A Life in the Theatre'' is a 1977 play by David Mamet.
It focuses on the relationship between two actors, the play's only characters. One, Robert, is a stage veteran while John is a young, promising actor. As the play goes on they are involve ...
''.[ In 1979, he appeared opposite ]Maggie Smith
Dame Margaret Natalie Smith (born 28 December 1934) is an English actress. With an extensive career on screen and stage beginning in the mid-1950s, Smith has appeared in more than sixty films and seventy plays. She is one of the few performer ...
in Tom Stoppard
Sir Tom Stoppard (born , 3 July 1937) is a Czech born British playwright and screenwriter. He has written for film, radio, stage, and television, finding prominence with plays. His work covers the themes of human rights, censorship, and politi ...
's '' Night and Day''.[ In 1982, Evans played James Leeds in a ]Broadway
Broadway may refer to:
Theatre
* Broadway Theatre (disambiguation)
* Broadway theatre, theatrical productions in professional theatres near Broadway, Manhattan, New York City, U.S.
** Broadway (Manhattan), the street
**Broadway Theatre (53rd Stree ...
production of Mark Medoff
Mark Medoff (March 18, 1940 – April 23, 2019) was an American playwright, screenwriter, film and theatre director, actor, and professor. His play '' Children of a Lesser God'' received both the Tony Award and the Olivier Award. He was nominat ...
's '' Children of a Lesser God''.[
]
Television
In 1977, he appeared in the PBS
The Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) is an American public broadcasting, public broadcaster and Non-commercial activity, non-commercial, Terrestrial television, free-to-air television network based in Arlington, Virginia. PBS is a publicly fu ...
miniseries ''Best of Families''.[ In 1979, Evans reprised his role in a television film adaptation of ''A Life in the Theatre''.] He also portrayed Russ Merman in the 1980s sitcom ''9 to 5
Working(laboring) time is the period of time that a person spends at paid Wage labour, labor. Unpaid work, Unpaid labor such as personal housework or caring for children or pets is not considered part of the working week.
Many countries regula ...
''.[ He was in an episode of '' St. Elsewhere'' in 1984.
]
Film
Evans appeared in the films ''Impostors'' (1979) and ''Arthur
Arthur is a common male given name of Brittonic languages, Brythonic origin. Its popularity derives from it being the name of the legendary hero King Arthur. The etymology is disputed. It may derive from the Celtic ''Artos'' meaning “Bear”. An ...
'' (1981).[
]
Personal life and death
Evans resided in Los Angeles
Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the largest city in the state of California and the second most populous city in the United States after New York City, as well as one of the world' ...
for the last several years of his life.[ He died on May 20, 1989, from complications of ]AIDS
Human immunodeficiency virus infection and acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (HIV/AIDS) is a spectrum of conditions caused by infection with the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), a retrovirus. Following initial infection an individual m ...
at the age of 38 in Century City Hospital in Los Angeles.
References
External links
*
*
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Evans, Peter
1950 births
1989 deaths
American male stage actors
American male television actors
AIDS-related deaths in California
Yale University alumni
Clarence Derwent Award winners
Male actors from New Jersey
People from Englewood, New Jersey
Male actors from Los Angeles
20th-century American male actors