Peter Whitford

Peter Whitford (born 1939) is an Australian former radio, theatre, television and film character actor known for numerous roles particularly as wealthy businessmen and members of the aristocracy.

Early life Peter Whitford was born in Adelaide, South Australia. He studied at Sydney's National Institute of Dramatic Art (NIDA), graduating in 1963 with a Diploma of Dramatic Art (Acting).

Career Whitford is an actor, playwright, director and singer, who started his career in radio roles and then in theatre, beginning in 1958.

From the 1960s, Whitford then began appearing in film and television roles, which he continued up until 2010. When he graduated from NIDA in 1963, Whitford performed in ABC Radio play, King of Hearts.

Whitford's theatre credits are numerous. His early stage roles were in university theatre at NIDA, in plays such as Julius Caesar, Hamlet, The Crucible, Waiting for Godot and The Cherry Orchard.

Whitford had main roles in television beginning with the titular bachelor, Peter Prentice in Logie Award-winning ABC sitcom I've Married A Bachelor in 1968, and followed by racing car driver and Vera Collins' husband, Guy Sutton in soap opera Number 96 in 1976. Otherwise, he mostly took on guest roles in his early television career, in series including Ryan, Division 4, A Country Practice and Mother and Son. He then played the regular role of ruthless businessman and would-be developer, Ashley Wheeler in 1985 children's series, The Henderson Kids, also starring Kylie Minogue, Ben Mendelsohn and Nadine Garner.

During this time, Whitford also appeared in several films, including 1979 period drama My Brilliant Career starring Judy Davis and Sam Neill, 1983 biopic Phar Lap about the famed racing horse and 1986 Ozploitation film Dead End Drive-In.

Whitford then featured alongside Rebecca Gibney and Kerry Armstrong in 1990 miniseries Come in Spinner, as Mr Sharlton. He played a recurring role on Home and Away as Doctor Worthington from 1994 to 1995. He then had an ongoing role as retirement village resident Johnno Johnstone, in comedy series Bullpitt! from 1997 to 1998. He had guest roles throughout the late 1980s and 1990s in Rafferty's Rules, The Flying Doctors, G.P., Police Rescue, E Street, Blue Heelers.

Whitford starred as dancing official Les Kendall in Baz Luhrmann’s first film, the 1992 dance extravaganza Strictly Ballroom. and Oscar and Lucinda (1997) alongside Cate Blanchett and Ralph Fiennes. That same year he had a part in comedy film The Man Who Sued God, opposite Judy Davis and Billy Connolly. The following year he appeared in legal drama Black and White, alongside Robert Carlyle, Charles Dance, Colin Friels and Ben Mendelsohn.

Television guest roles in the 2000s included Farscape, All Saints

Filmography

Film Year Title Role Notes 1977 The Tichborne Affair Cubitt TV movie 1978 Cass Frank TV movie 1979 My Brilliant Career Uncle Julius 1983 Phar Lap Bert Wolfe Careful, He Might Hear You George With Prejudice Bodor 1984 Who Killed Hannah Jane? James Gannon TV movie 1986 Dead End Drive-In Thompson 1987 Running from the Guns Terry 1988 Warm Nights on a Slow Moving Train Steward Computer Ghosts Uncle Oscar 1992 Strictly Ballroom Les Kendall The Time Game Mr Green TV movie 1993 The Burning Piano: A Portrait of Patrick White Self 1995 Dad and Dave: On Our Selection Mr Todd 1997 Oscar and Lucinda Mr Ahearn 1909 Passion Tour Manager The Three Stooges Dell Henderson (Administrator) TV movie2001 Moulin Rouge! Stage Manager The Man Who Sued God Moderator 2002 Black and White Justice Windeyer 2006 Unfolding Florence: The Many Lives of Florence Broadhurst Voice Docudrama 2008 Fool’s Gold Judge

Television Year Title Role Notes 1966 66 and All That Self / Various 1967 Australian Playhouse Anthology series, 1 episode 1967–1968 Contrabandits Doorman / Waiter / Bingo 2 episodes 1968–1969 I've Married A Bachelor Peter Prentice 14 episodes 1968–1973 Homicide Ward / Johnny Tate 2 episodes1970 The Link Men Seaman 1 episode The Rovers Rogers 1 episode Mrs. Finnegan Clarrie Mooresfield 1 episode 1970–1975 Division 4 Brian Doherty / Neil Henderson / Peter Johnson 3 episodes 1971 The Godfathers Dusty Rhodes 1 episode 1973 Ryan Billy Maxwell 1 episode 1975 The Company Men Miniseries, 1 episode 1976 Number 96 Guy Sutton 40 episodes 1977 The Restless Years Maurice Brown 1978 Chopper Squad Poof 1 episode Case for the Defence Institution Director 1 episode 1979 Skyways Nigel Forsythe 1 episode 1980 Home Sweet Home Mike Furnont Miniseries, 1 episode Water Under the Bridge T.C. Shallicott Miniseries, 3 episodes 1980; 1984 Kingswood Country Hayden De Witt / Bill the Salesman 3 episodes 1981 Prisoner Det Sgt Gordon 1 episode Cop Shop Father Daniel Monahan 2 episodes 1982; 1984 A Country Practice Roger McLean / Alwyn Watson 8 episodes 1983–1984 Carson's Law Don Randall / Inspector Hudson 10 episodes 1984 Five Mile Creek Mr Anderson 1 episode Sweet and Sour Audition Director 1 episode The Last Bastion H. V. Evatt Miniseries, 3 episodes Bodyline Robertson Miniseries, 2 episodes 1985 Mother and Son Minister 1 episode Butterfly Island Fred 6 episodes Winners Mr Donaldson 1 episode Special Squad Stan Episode 1: "Trojan Horses" The Henderson Kids Ashley Wheeler 22 episodes 1986 Prime Time Charles Garrett 1 episode 1987 Flight into Hell Miniseries 1987; 1989 Rafferty's Rules William Walker / Harmon 2 episodes 1988 Australians Mr Crosby Miniseries, episode 6: "Lola Montez" 1989; 1994–1995 Home and Away Mick O’Reilly / Doctor Worthington 12 episodes 1990 The Flying Doctors Robert Bell 1 episode Come In Spinner Mr Sharlton Miniseries, 4 episodes G.P. James/Jane Kennedy 1 episode 1992 Police Rescue Russell Season 2, episode 6: "Stakeout"1993 Under the Skin 1 episode E Street Dr John Halliday 1 episode Blood Brothers TV movie series 1997 Blue Heelers Bernie Lochren 1 episode 1997–1998 Bullpitt! John Cazaley 'Johnno' Johnstone 26 episodes 1998 Children's Hospital Surgical Specialist 1 episode 1999; 2009 All Saints Walter Elliott / Russell Woods 2 episodes 2001 Escape of the Artful Dodger Father O’Brien 1 episode 2002 Backberner Henry Tinkwhistle 1 episode Farscape Jabula, Clan Chieftain 1 episode 2010 Rake Judge Keddie 1 episode

Radio Year Title Role Notes Ref. 1963 King of Hearts ABC Radio play 1985 The Club Ted ABC Radio play

Stage Source:

As actor

As director