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 (titled MI-5 in some countries); 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, for which he won a Golden Globe Award and received an Academy Award nomination.

Early life Firth was born on 27 October 1953 in Bradford, West Riding of Yorkshire, the son of publicans Mavis (née Hudson) and Eric Macintosh Firth. He attended Hanson School in Bradford.

Career

Child actor and early roles 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.

Later roles 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).

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.

Along with his film career, Firth has continued to appear in 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 series Ancient Rome: The Rise and Fall of an Empire.

For many years he had played a primary role as senior MI5 officer Harry Pearce in the BBC's popular spy drama series Spooks (2002–2011), and played Fred Hoyle in Hawking, a BBC dramatisation of the early career of Stephen Hawking. He was also Snaith in the three-part series South Riding in 2011. Firth has also appeared on American and Canadian television, on programmes such as Law & Order: Special Victims Unit and Total Recall 2070, as well as in television films such as The Incident starring Walter Matthau.

In 2014, Firth played the part of the character Andrew Rawlins in Undeniable, a two-part series made for the ITV network. In 2015, he played Jacob Marley in four episodes of the BBC television series Dickensian. In 2016, he played the part of Ernest Augustus, Duke of Cumberland and King of Hanover, in ITV's drama series Victoria. In 2018, he played Milos Borisovich, a Belarusian drug lord, in the action series Strike Back: Retribution.

Audiobooks Firth is also a narrator of audiobooks. He has been responsible for performances reading Pat Barker's Regeneration, The Ghost Road and The Eye in the Door, Suspicion by Robert McCrum, Maurice by E. M. Forster, Brave New World by Aldous Huxley, Sebastian Faulks' Birdsong and Thomas Hardy's Tess of the d'Urbervilles.

Honours and awards In July 2009, Firth was awarded an honorary degree by the University of Bradford as a Doctor of Letters for his services to acting, having been nominated by the School of Computing, Informatics & Media; he received his award during the school's degree ceremony.

Personal life Firth lodged with Peter Shaffer throughout the Broadway run of Equus, in a father–son relationship.

Firth was interviewed with his Letter to Brezhnev co-star Alexandra Pigg on BBC Breakfast in April 2017, during which Firth explained that they dated briefly after making the film and that they have been in a relationship since 2010. They married in London on Christmas Eve 2017.

Filmography

Film

Year Title Role Notes 1972 Brother Sun, Sister Moon Daniel and Maria 1975 King Arthur, the Young Warlord Corin 1976 Aces High Lt Stephen Croft 1977 Joseph Andrews Joseph Andrews Equus Alan Strang 1979 When You Comin' Back, Red Ryder? Stephen Ryder Tess Angel Clare 1981 Fire and Sword Dinas Original title: "Feuer und Schwert - Die Legende von Tristan und Isolde" 1984 Sword of the Valiant: The Legend of Sir Gawain and the Green Knight Sir Gawain Voice: uncreditedWhite Elephant Peter Davidson 1985 Lifeforce Col Colin Caine Letter to Brezhnev Peter 1986 Kenneth Parrish 1987 Born of Fire Paul Bergson Science Fiction 1987 Northanger Abbey Henry Tilney 1988 Prisoner of Rio Clive Ingram 1989 Tree of Hands Terence Trouble in Paradise Adriaan 1990 Senior Lieutenant Ivan Putin The political officer of the Red October Burndown Jake Stern Red Voice 1992 Dick 1993 El marido perfecto Franz Shadowlands Dr Craig 1994 White Angel Leslie Steckler 1995 An Awfully Big Adventure Bunny 1996 Merisairas 1st Officer Ronald Jensen 1997 Marco Polo: The Missing Chapter Rusticello Gaston's War Major Smith Amistad Captain Fitzgerald 1998 Woundings Louise's Attacker Mighty Joe Young Garth 1999 Chill Factor Colonel Andrew Brynner 2001 Pearl Harbor Capt. Mervyn Bennion 2005 Lord Northcliffe 2010 World Without End Sir Roland 2015 Spooks: The Greater Good Harry Pearce Film adaptation of BBC TV series. 2016 Risen Pontius Pilate Happily Ever After Walt

Television

Year Title Role Notes 1969 How We Used to Live Urchin Episode: "At the Seaside" The Flaxton Boys Archie Weeks 13 episodes 1970–1971 Here Come the Double Deckers! Scooper 17 episodes The Doctors Charlie Higson 7 episodes 1972 The Magistrate Cis Farringdon BBC Play of the Month The Adventures of Black Beauty David Abbott Episode: "Runaway" 1972–1973 Country Matters Roger Blackburn/Tommy Adams 2 episodes1973 Owen, M.D. David Redman Episode: "The Love Game" Scene Ben Bagot Episode: "The Ballad of Ben Bagot" The Protectors Stephen Douglas Episode: "Implicado" Her Majesty's Pleasure Arsenic BBC1 Play for Today Arthur of the Britons Corin Episode: "The Pupil" Diamonds on Wheels Robert 'Bobby' Stewart TV film - Disney 1976 The Picture of Dorian Gray Dorian Gray BBC Play of the Month The Lady of the Camellias Armand Duval 2 episodes 1980 Tales of the Unexpected Hardy Episode: "The Man at the Top"1980-1982 Play for Today Dominick Hide 2 episodes, including The Flipside of Dominick Hide 1983 The Aerodrome Roy TV film 1987 Tickets for the Titanic Michael Episode: "The Way, the Truth, the Video" Northanger Abbey Henry Tilney BBC Screen Two 1990 The Incident Geiger TV film Children Crossing Joe BBC Screen Two Blood Royal: William the Conqueror William Rufus TV film 1991 Murder in Eden Kenneth PotterMiniseries The Laughter of God Steve Clemant BBC Screen Two Prisoner of Honor Major Henry TV film 1993 The Young Indiana Jones Chronicles Stefan Episode: "Istanbul, September 1918" 1994 Anna Lee Peter Wainwright Episode: "Stalker" Highlander: The Series Arthur Drake, aka Drakov Episode: "Warmonger" Heartbeat Dr. James Radcliffe 7 episodes 1995 Resort to Murder Peter Dennigan TV mini series Soldier Soldier Major Ben Collins Episode: "Leaving" 1996 The Witch's Daughter Mr Jones TV film Band of Gold Brian Roberts 4 episodes And the Beat Goes On Francis 4 episodes1997 Holding On Mick TV mini series The Broker's Man Alex 'Godzilla' Turnbull 4 episodes Kavanagh QC Charlie Beck Episode: "Ancient History" Nazi Commandant TV film 1998 Dead Man's Gun Det. Insp. Archibald McCann Episode: "The Ripper"1999 The Magnificent Seven Federal Marshal Walter Bryce Episode: "The New Law" Cracker Mitchell Grady Episode: "Best Boys" Total Recall 2070 Vincent Nagle 3 episodes 2000 Simon Magus TV film 2000–2001 That's Life Victor Leski 20 episodes2002 Me & Mrs Jones Benedict TV film The Vice Keith Beaumont Episode: "No Man's Land" 2002–2011 Spooks Harry Pearce 86 episodes (only actor to appear in all episodes) 2004 Hawking Sir Fred Hoyle TV film 2005 Law & Order: Special Victims Unit Preston Blair Episode: "Identity" 2006 Ancient Rome: The Rise and Fall of an Empire Vespasian TV mini series documentaryThe Battle for Rome Vespasian TV mini series 2011 South Riding Anthony Snaith TV mini series 2012 World Without End Sir Roland 2013 Mayday Malcolm Spicer 2014 Undeniable Andrew Rawlins Lives of the Infamous Comedy Blaps Narrator TV mini series 2015–2016 Dickensian Jacob Marley 2016 Victoria Duke of Cumberland 2018 Strike Back: Retribution Milos Borisovich TV series 2019 Cheat Michael Summer of Rockets Tezler 2024 Shardlake Thomas Howard, 3rd Duke of Norfolk

Video games

YearTitleRole Notes 2000Star Wars: Force Commander Capt. Beri Tulon Real-time strategy video game

Audiobooks

Year Title Author Un-/Abridged Notes 1996 After HannibalBarry UnsworthUnabridged 1997 Brave New WorldAldous HuxleySuspicionRobert McCrum 2005 Tess of the d'UrbervillesThomas Hardy 2 hrs and 49 mins 2008 14 hrs and 42 mins 2009 WitnessNick Warburton One of four narrators 2010 MauriceE. M. Forster 2011 BirdsongSebastian Faulks 2015 Amok: An Audible Original DramaSebastian FitzekOne of six narrators 2019 RegenerationPat Barker Regeneration Trilogy - Book 1The Eye in the DoorRegeneration Trilogy - Book 2The Ghost RoadRegeneration Trilogy - Book 3