Peter Weller (born June 24, 1947) is an American film and stage actor, television director, and art historian.
He has appeared in more than 70 films and television series, including ''
RoboCop'' (1987) and its sequel ''
RoboCop 2'' (1990), in which he played
the title character; ''
The Adventures of Buckaroo Banzai Across the 8th Dimension'' (1984); and ''
Star Trek Into Darkness'' (2013).
He also appeared in such films as
Woody Allen
Heywood "Woody" Allen (born Allan Stewart Konigsberg; November 30, 1935) is an American film director, writer, actor, and comedian whose career spans more than six decades and multiple Academy Award-winning films. He began his career writing ...
's ''
Mighty Aphrodite'' (1995), the
Oliver Stone-produced ''
The New Age'' (1994), and
David Cronenberg's adaptation of
William Burroughs's novel ''
Naked Lunch'' (1991).
In addition to a
Saturn Award nomination for his ''RoboCop'' role, he received an
Academy Award
The Academy Awards, better known as the Oscars, are awards for artistic and technical merit for the American and international film industry. The awards are regarded by many as the most prestigious, significant awards in the entertainment ind ...
nomination for his 1993 short ''Partners'', in which he also acted. In
television
Television, sometimes shortened to TV, is a telecommunication medium for transmitting moving images and sound. The term can refer to a television set, or the medium of television transmission. Television is a mass medium for advertising, ...
, he hosted the program ''
Engineering an Empire'' on the
History Channel from 2005 to 2007. He played
Christopher Henderson in the
fifth season of ''
24'',
Stan Liddy in the
fifth season of the
Showtime original series ''
Dexter
Dexter may refer to:
Arts and entertainment
* Dexter, the main character of the American animated series '' Dexter's Laboratory'' that aired from 1996 to 2003
* Dexter, a fictional character in the British web series ''Diary of a Bad Man''
* Dext ...
'', and
Charles "Charlie" Barosky in 11 episodes in the
sixth season of
Kurt Sutter's ''
Sons of Anarchy''. From 2012 to 2017, he was involved in the
A&E (now
Netflix
Netflix, Inc. is an American subscription video on-demand over-the-top streaming service and production company based in Los Gatos, California. Founded in 1997 by Reed Hastings and Marc Randolph in Scotts Valley, California, it offers a ...
) series ''
Longmire'' as a director and actor. In 2017, he appeared on ''
The Last Ship'' as Dr. Paul Vellek.
He also holds a
Ph.D. in
Italian Renaissance Art History from
UCLA.
Early life
Weller was born June 24, 1947, in
Stevens Point, Wisconsin, the son of Dorothy Jean ( Davidson; 1924–2002), a
homemaker
Homemaking is mainly an American and Canadian term for the management of a home, otherwise known as housework, housekeeping, housewifery or household management. It is the act of overseeing the organizational, day-to-day operations of a hous ...
, and Frederick Bradford Weller (1922–1986), a
lawyer
A lawyer is a person who practices law. The role of a lawyer varies greatly across different legal jurisdictions. A lawyer can be classified as an advocate, attorney, barrister, canon lawyer, civil law notary, counsel, counselor, solicit ...
,
federal judge Federal judges are judges appointed by a federal level of government as opposed to the state/provincial/local level.
United States
A US federal judge is appointed by the US President and confirmed by the US Senate in accordance with Article 3 ...
, and career
helicopter pilot
A helicopter pilot manipulates the helicopter flight controls to achieve and maintain controlled aerodynamic flight. Changes to the aircraft flight control system transmit mechanically to the rotor, producing aerodynamic effects on the rotor bla ...
for the
United States Army
The United States Army (USA) is the land service branch of the United States Armed Forces. It is one of the eight U.S. uniformed services, and is designated as the Army of the United States in the U.S. Constitution.Article II, section 2, ...
. Weller had a "middle-class
Catholic
The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.3 billion baptized Catholics worldwide . It is among the world's oldest and largest international institutions, and has played a ...
" upbringing and is of
English
English usually refers to:
* English language
* English people
English may also refer to:
Peoples, culture, and language
* ''English'', an adjective for something of, from, or related to England
** English national ...
,
German
German(s) may refer to:
* Germany (of or related to)
**Germania (historical use)
* Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language
** For citizens of Germany, see also German nationality law
**Ge ...
,
French
French (french: français(e), link=no) may refer to:
* Something of, from, or related to France
** French language, which originated in France, and its various dialects and accents
** French people, a nation and ethnic group identified with Franc ...
and
Irish descent.
As a result of his father's army work, Weller spent many years abroad during his childhood. His family lived in
West Germany
West Germany is the colloquial term used to indicate the Federal Republic of Germany (FRG; german: Bundesrepublik Deutschland , BRD) between its formation on 23 May 1949 and the German reunification through the accession of East Germany on 3 ...
for several years before eventually moving to
Texas
Texas (, ; Spanish: ''Texas'', ''Tejas'') is a state in the South Central region of the United States. At 268,596 square miles (695,662 km2), and with more than 29.1 million residents in 2020, it is the second-largest U.S. state by ...
, where he attended
Alamo Heights High School in
San Antonio
("Cradle of Freedom")
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, mapsize = 220px
, map_caption = Interactive map of San Antonio
, subdivision_type = Country
, subdivision_name = United States
, subdivision_type1= State
, subdivision_name1 = Texas
, subdivision_ ...
, graduating in 1965.
Education
While enrolled at North Texas State University (now the
University of North Texas), he played
trumpet
The trumpet is a brass instrument commonly used in classical and jazz ensembles. The trumpet group ranges from the piccolo trumpet—with the highest register in the brass family—to the bass trumpet, pitched one octave below the standard ...
in one of the campus bands. He graduated with a
Bachelor of Arts
Bachelor of arts (BA or AB; from the Latin ', ', or ') is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate program in the arts, or, in some cases, other disciplines. A Bachelor of Arts degree course is generally completed in three or four yea ...
degree in
Theatre
Theatre or theater is a collaborative form of performing art that uses live performers, usually actors or actresses, to present the experience of a real or imagined event before a live audience in a specific place, often a stage. The perfor ...
in 1969, and began his acting career after attending the
American Academy of Dramatic Arts (Class of 1972).
In 2004, Weller completed a
Master of Arts
A Master of Arts ( la, Magister Artium or ''Artium Magister''; abbreviated MA, M.A., AM, or A.M.) is the holder of a master's degree awarded by universities in many countries. The degree is usually contrasted with that of Master of Science. Tho ...
degree in
Roman and Renaissance Art at
Syracuse University, and occasionally taught courses in
ancient history
Ancient history is a time period from the beginning of writing and recorded human history to as far as late antiquity. The span of recorded history is roughly 5,000 years, beginning with the Sumerian cuneiform script. Ancient history cove ...
at the university. In 2007, he began a
Ph.D. at
UCLA, in
Italian Renaissance Art History. In October 2013 he filed his dissertation,
Alberti Before Florence: Early Sources Informing Leon Battista Alberti’s ''De pictura'', and was awarded his
doctorate
A doctorate (from Latin ''docere'', "to teach"), doctor's degree (from Latin ''doctor'', "teacher"), or doctoral degree is an academic degree awarded by universities and some other educational institutions, derived from the ancient formalism ''l ...
in 2014.
Career
Stage
Weller's stage career began in the 1970s with appearances on Broadway in ''Full Circle'', directed by
Otto Preminger, and ''
Summer Brave
''Summer Brave'' is a play by William Inge, a revision of his Pulitzer Prize-winning 1953 play ''Picnic''. Set in Independence, Kansas, a small town in Kansas in the early 1950s, it focuses on Hal Carter, an attractive young stranger who drifts in ...
'',
William Inge's rewrite of his play ''Picnic''. About this time, he became a member of the
Actors Studio.
In December 2006, Weller starred as architect
Frank Lloyd Wright
Frank Lloyd Wright (June 8, 1867 – April 9, 1959) was an American architect, designer, writer, and educator. He designed more than 1,000 structures over a creative period of 70 years. Wright played a key role in the architectural movements o ...
at Chicago's
Goodman Theatre in ''Frank's Home'', a new play by
Richard Nelson.
Film
Weller appeared in the 1984 film ''
Firstborn'' with
Corey Haim, where he played the abusive boyfriend of Haim's mother (played by
Teri Garr).
Weller has appeared in more than 50 films and television series, including turns as the title characters in ''
The Adventures of Buckaroo Banzai Across the 8th Dimension'', and blockbuster hits ''
RoboCop'' and ''
RoboCop 2'',
he portrayed Starfleet Admiral Alexander Marcus in ''
Star Trek Into Darkness'' in 2013. He has also appeared in such critically acclaimed films as
Woody Allen
Heywood "Woody" Allen (born Allan Stewart Konigsberg; November 30, 1935) is an American film director, writer, actor, and comedian whose career spans more than six decades and multiple Academy Award-winning films. He began his career writing ...
's ''
Mighty Aphrodite'', the
Oliver Stone-produced ''
The New Age'' and
David Cronenberg's movie of
William Burroughs's novel ''
Naked Lunch''.
In 1995, he appeared in ''
Screamers'', a science-fiction film based on the short story "
Second Variety
"Second Variety" is a science fiction novelette by American writer Philip K. Dick, first published in ''Space Science Fiction'' magazine, in May 1953. Set in a world where war between the Soviet Union and United Nations has reduced most of the ...
" by
Philip K. Dick and directed by
Christian Duguay.
Television
In a 1977 episode of the television series ''
Lou Grant'', he played Donald Sterner/Stryker, a tragically disillusioned
Jewish-American Neo-Nazi leader who later committed suicide off-screen when his heritage was discovered.
On television, he played the shuttle captain in the short-lived series ''
Odyssey 5'' and made guest appearances as
Terran supremacist John Frederick Paxton in the ''
Star Trek: Enterprise'' episodes "
Demons", "
Terra Prime
"Terra Prime" is the 21st episode of the fourth season of the American science fiction television series '' Star Trek: Enterprise'', and originally aired on May 13, 2005. The story was developed by Judith and Garfield Reeves-Stevens, along wi ...
" and in ''
Fringe'' as the character Alistair Peck.
Weller was a contributor to the
History Channel in several productions, particularly as the host for the series ''
Engineering an Empire''. He was credited as "Peter Weller,
Syracuse University", where he was an adjunct faculty member. He was later a graduate student in art history at
UCLA, focusing on the
Italian Renaissance
The Italian Renaissance ( it, Rinascimento ) was a period in Italian history covering the 15th and 16th centuries. The period is known for the initial development of the broader Renaissance culture that spread across Europe and marked the trans ...
.
In 2005, Weller co-starred as the Captain in a made-for-television remake of ''
The Poseidon Adventure''.
In 2006, Weller joined the cast of ''
24'' as terrorist collaborator Christopher Henderson. Weller received a "cheer" in ''
TV Guide
TV Guide is an American digital media company that provides television program listings information as well as entertainment and television-related news.
The company sold its print magazine division, TV Guide Magazine LLC, in 2008.
Corporat ...
s "Cheers & Jeers" section for his performance.
On January 15, 2010, Weller was seen in a teaser trailer for the companion documentary ''God of War: Unearthing the Legend'' that was featured in the game ''
God of War III
''God of War III'' is an action-adventure hack and slash video game developed by Santa Monica Studio and published by Sony Computer Entertainment. First released for the PlayStation 3 on March 16, 2010, it is the fifth installment in the ''God ...
'' which Weller also hosted.
On April 15, 2010, Weller guest-starred in an episode of the science fiction drama ''
Fringe''. He also guest-starred on the
Showtime original series ''
Dexter
Dexter may refer to:
Arts and entertainment
* Dexter, the main character of the American animated series '' Dexter's Laboratory'' that aired from 1996 to 2003
* Dexter, a fictional character in the British web series ''Diary of a Bad Man''
* Dext ...
'', and had a guest appearance in the December 22, 2010 episode of ''
Psych'' where he played villain "Yin"
Since 2012, he is appearing in a recurring role as Lucien Connally on the crime drama television series ''
Longmire''.
In 2013, he played the part of the villain in the remake of the "Hookman" episode of the original ''
Hawaii Five-O''. The part was originally played in 1973 by
J. J. Armes. In seasons six and seven of ''
Sons of Anarchy'', he plays the ruthless ex-cop Charles Barosky, a boss at the Stockton port and has dealings with the SAMCRO motorcycle club.
In 2017, Weller began appearing as Dr. Paul Vellek, a scientist, on ''
The Last Ship''.
Directing
Weller has also directed various projects for television, including episodes of ''
Homicide: Life on the Street'', ''
Monk
A monk (, from el, μοναχός, ''monachos'', "single, solitary" via Latin ) is a person who practices religious asceticism by monastic living, either alone or with any number of other monks. A monk may be a person who decides to dedic ...
'' and three episodes of the aforementioned ''Odyssey 5''. He directed a 1997 adaptation of
Elmore Leonard's ''Gold Coast'' starring
David Caruso and
Marg Helgenberger after previously starring in a version of Leonard's thriller ''
Cat Chaser''. He has directed eleven episodes of the series ''
Sons of Anarchy'', two in season 4, titled "Dorylus" (air date 9/20/11) and "Hands", three in season 5, titled "Authority Vested", "Toad's Wild Ride" and "Darthy", three in season 6, titled "One One Six", "Los Fantasmas" and "Aon Rud Pearsanta", and three in season 7, titled "Some Strange Eruption", "What a Piece of Work Is Man" and "Suits of Woe". He has directed one episode each season of ''Longmire'' since 2012.
Most recently since 2018, Weller has directed episodes "Guts + Fuel + Hope" and "Banh Bao + Sterno + Drill + Burner + Mason" of ''
MacGyver'', and episodes "Cry Murder" and "Whispers of Death" of ''
Magnum P.I.
''Magnum, P.I.'' is an American crime drama television series starring Tom Selleck as Thomas Magnum, a private investigator (P.I.) living on Oahu, Hawaii. The series ran from December 11, 1980 to May 8, 1988 during its first-run broadcast on t ...
''.
Voice acting
Weller voiced the character of
Bruce Wayne / Batman in the two-part 2012–13
animated adaptation of ''
The Dark Knight Returns
''The Dark Knight Returns'' (alternatively titled ''Batman: The Dark Knight Returns'') is a 1986 four-issue comic book miniseries starring Batman, written by Frank Miller, illustrated by Miller and Klaus Janson, with color by Lynn Varley, and pub ...
'', and the titular character in the video game ''
Wilson's Heart''. He returned to voice RoboCop in a series of commercials for
KFC in 2019 and ''
Mortal Kombat 11''.
Personal life
In 1980, Weller met
Ali MacGraw, during the making of ''
Just Tell Me What You Want
''Just Tell Me What You Want'' is a 1980 American comedy film directed by Sidney Lumet. It stars Ali MacGraw, Peter Weller and Alan King, and was also Myrna Loy's final film.
The screenplay by Jay Presson Allen, adapted from her novel, won he ...
''. They had an on-off relationship for several years.
On June 24, 2006, on his 59th birthday, Weller married his longtime girlfriend, actress Shari Stowe, at the Santa Maria Assunta church in
Positano
Positano (Campanian: ) is a village and '' comune'' on the Amalfi Coast ( Province of Salerno), in Campania, Italy, mainly in an enclave in the hills leading down to the coast.
Climate
The climate of Positano is very mild, of the Mediterrane ...
,
Italy
Italy ( it, Italia ), officially the Italian Republic, ) or the Republic of Italy, is a country in Southern Europe. It is located in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea, and its territory largely coincides with the homonymous geographical ...
. Among the guests attending the wedding were
Carrie Fisher and
Marg Helgenberger.
Awards and nominations
* (1988)
Saturn Award for Best Actor – ''
RoboCop'' (Nominated)
* (1992)
Genie Award for Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role The Academy of Canadian Cinema and Television presents an annual award for Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role to the best performance by a lead actor in a Canadian film.Maria Topalovich, ''And the Genie Goes To...: Celebrating 50 Years o ...
– ''
Naked Lunch'' (Nominated)
* (1994)
Academy Award for Best Live Action Short Film – ''Partners'' (Nominated)
* (2002)
Independent Spirit Award for Best Supporting Male – ''
Ivans XTC
''ivansxtc'' is an American independent drama film co-written by Bernard Rose and Lisa Enos, produced by Lisa Enos and directed by Bernard Rose, the first of several Enos-Rose collaborations, including ''Snuff-Movie'' (2005), ''Kreutzer Sonata'' ...
'' (Nominated)
Filmography
Feature film
Television film
Television series
Video games
References
External links
*
*
*
*
*
History Channel's ''Engineering an Empire'' site''New York Daily News''
''Wired News''
"RoboCop speaks to Detroit"''Funny Or Die''
{{DEFAULTSORT:Weller, Peter
Living people
20th-century American male actors
21st-century American male actors
Alamo Heights High School alumni
American Academy of Dramatic Arts alumni
American male film actors
American male television actors
American people of English descent
American people of French descent
American people of German descent
American people of Irish descent
American television directors
Male actors from San Antonio
Male actors from Wisconsin
People from Stevens Point, Wisconsin
Syracuse University alumni
University of North Texas alumni
University of California, Los Angeles alumni
1947 births