Actor
Peter Cushing
Born 26 May 1913 · Kenley, Surrey, England, UK — died 11 August 1994
Peter Cushing (1913–1994) was an English actor best known for Hammer Horror films, where he played Baron Frankenstein and Dr. Van Helsing, often opposite Christopher Lee. He also played Sherlock Holmes and Grand Moff Tarkin in Star Wars. He remains one of British horror cinema's defining figures.
Key films
The Curse of Frankenstein (1957)
Hammer's breakthrough colour horror film, establishing Cushing as Baron Frankenstein and launching his long partnership with Christopher Lee.
Dracula (1958)
Introduced his definitive Van Helsing, opposite Christopher Lee's Count, and became a landmark of Hammer horror.
The Hound of the Baskervilles (1959)
Showcased his Sherlock Holmes, one of his best-known roles outside the Hammer horror cycle.
Hamlet (1948)
An early major screen role in Laurence Olivier's celebrated adaptation, before his horror stardom.
Star Wars (1977)
As Grand Moff Tarkin, he reached a vast new audience in one of cinema's biggest hits.
Key awards
No major awards are documented here.
On Cinespective
Full filmography · 130
- 1939The Man in the Iron Mask · as Second OfficerActor
- 1940A Chump at Oxford · as StudentActor
- 1940The Howards of Virginia · as Leslie StephensActor
- 1940Vigil in the Night · as Joe ShandActor
- 1940Laddie · as Robert PryorActor
- 1940Women in War · as Capt. EvansActor
- 1940Dreams · as First DreamerActor
- 1940The Hidden Master · as Robert Clive of IndiaActor
- 1941They Dare Not Love · as Sub-Lieutenant BlacklerActor
- 1942The Woman in the House · as Man Waking Up (archive footage)Actor
- 1946It Might Be You · as The doctorActor
- 1948Hamlet · as OsricActor
- 1951When We Are Married · as Gerald ForbesActor
- 1952Moulin Rouge · as Marcel de la VoisierActor
- 1953Anastasia · as Piotr PetrovskyActor
- 1953Number Three · as SimpsonActor
- 1954Nineteen Eighty-Four · as Winston SmithActor
- 1954The Black Knight · as Sir PalamidesActor
- 1955The End of the Affair · as Henry MilesActor
- 1955Magic Fire · as Otto WesendonkActor
- 1955The Creature · as Dr. John RollasonActor
- 1955The Moment of Truth · as The Prime MinisterActor
- 1956Alexander the Great · as MemmonActor
- 1957The Curse of Frankenstein · as Baron Victor FrankensteinActor
- 1957The Abominable Snowman · as Dr. John RollasonActor
- 1957Time Without Pity · as Jeremy ClaytonActor
- 1958Dracula · as Doctor Van HelsingActor
- 1958The Revenge of Frankenstein · as Dr. Victor SteinActor
- 1958Violent Playground · as Father LaidlawActor
- 1959The Hound of the Baskervilles · as Sherlock HolmesActor
- 1959The Mummy · as John BanningActor
- 1959John Paul Jones · as Captain Richard PearsonActor
- 1960The Brides of Dracula · as Dr. J. Van HelsingActor
- 1960The Flesh and the Fiends · as Dr. Robert KnoxActor
- 1960Sword of Sherwood Forest · as Sheriff of NottinghamActor
- 1960Cone of Silence · as Capt. Clive JuddActor
- 1960Suspect · as Professor SewellActor
- 1960Look at Life: Model World · as SelfActor
- 1961Cash on Demand · as Harry FordyceActor
- 1961The Naked Edge · as Mr. Evan WrackActor
- 1961Fury at Smugglers' Bay · as Squire TrevenyanActor
- 1961The Hellfire Club · as Mr. MerryweatherActor
- 1962Captain Clegg · as Reverend Dr. BlyssActor
- 1963The Man Who Finally Died · as Doctor Peter von BrechtActor
- 1964The Gorgon · as Dr. NamaroffActor
- 1964The Evil of Frankenstein · as Baron FrankensteinActor
- 1964The Caves of Steel · as Elijah BaleyActor
- 1965Dr. Terror's House of Horrors · as Dr. Sandor Schreck aka "Dr. Terror"Actor
- 1965Dr. Who and the Daleks · as Doctor WhoActor
- 1965The Skull · as Dr. Christopher MaitlandActor
- 1965She · as HollyActor
- 1966Dracula: Prince of Darkness · as Doctor Van Helsing (archive footage)Actor
- 1966Island of Terror · as Dr. Brian StanleyActor
- 1966Daleks' Invasion Earth: 2150 A.D. · as Doctor WhoActor
- 1967Frankenstein Created Woman · as Baron FrankensteinActor
- 1967Torture Garden · as Lancelot Canning (segment 4 "The Man Who Collected Poe")Actor
- 1967Night of the Big Heat · as Dr. Vernon StoneActor
- 1967Some May Live · as John MeredithActor
- 1968The Blood Beast Terror · as Detective Inspector QuennellActor
- 1968Corruption · as Sir John RowanActor
- 1969Frankenstein Must Be Destroyed · as Baron Victor FrankensteinActor
- 1970The Vampire Lovers · as General von SpielsdorfActor
- 1970Scream and Scream Again · as Major Heinrich BenedekActor
- 1970One More Time · as Dr. FrankensteinActor
- 1971The House That Dripped Blood · as Philip Grayson (segment 2 "Waxworks")Actor
- 1971Twins of Evil · as Gustav WeilActor
- 1971I, Monster · as Frederick UttersonActor
- 1971Blood Suckers · as Dr. Walter GoodrichActor
- 1972Tales from the Crypt · as Arthur Edward GrimsdykeActor
- 1972Horror Express · as Dr. WellsActor
- 1972Asylum · as SmithActor
- 1972Dracula A.D. 1972 · as Professor Van HelsingActor
- 1972Dr. Phibes Rises Again · as Ship's CaptainActor
- 1972Fear in the Night · as Michael CarmichaelActor
- 1973The Satanic Rites of Dracula · as Prof. Lorrimer Van HelsingActor
- 1973The Creeping Flesh · as Emmanuel HildernActor
- 1973And Now the Screaming Starts! · as Dr. PopeActor
- 1973Nothing But the Night · as Sir Mark AshleyActor
- 1974From Beyond the Grave · as The ProprietorActor
- 1974The Legend of the 7 Golden Vampires · as Professor Lawrence Van HelsingActor
- 1974Madhouse · as Herbert FlayActor
- 1974Frankenstein and the Monster from Hell · as Baron Victor Frankenstein aka Dr. Carl VictorActor
- 1974The Beast Must Die · as Dr. Christopher LundgrenActor
- 1974Shatter · as Paul RattwoodActor
- 1974Tender Dracula · as MacGregorActor
- 1975The Ghoul · as Dr. LawrenceActor
- 1975Legend of the Werewolf · as Prof. PaulActor
- 1975Fists of Fire · as SelfActor
- 1976At the Earth's Core · as Dr. Abner PerryActor
- 1976The Devil's Men · as Baron CorofaxActor
- 1976The Great Houdinis · as Conan DoyleActor
- 1976Trial by Combat · as Sir Edward GiffordActor
- 1977Star Wars · as Grand Moff TarkinActor
- 1977Shock Waves · as SS CommanderActor
- 1977The Uncanny · as Wilbur Gray (segment "Montreal 1977")Actor
- 1977The Standard · as Baron HackenbergActor
- 1979Arabian Adventure · as Wazir Al WuzaraActor
- 1979Son of Hitler · as Heinrich HaussnerActor
- 1979The Horror Show · as (archive footage)Actor
- 1979A Touch of the Sun · as Commissioner PottsActor
- 1979The Detour · as NarratorActor
- 1980A Tale of Two Cities · as Dr. Alexander ManetteActor
- 1981Mystery on Monster Island · as William T. KolderupActor
- 1981Black Jack · as Sir Thomas BedfordActor
- 1983House of the Long Shadows · as Sebastian GrisbaneActor
- 1984Top Secret! · as Bookstore ProprietorActor
- 1984Sword of the Valiant: The Legend of Sir Gawain and the Green Knight · as SeneschalActor
- 1984The Masks of Death · as Sherlock HolmesActor
- 1984Helen Keller: The Miracle Continues · as Professor Charles CopelandActor
- 1985The Many Faces of Sherlock Holmes · as Sherlock Holmes (archive footage)Actor
- 1986Biggles · as Air Commodore Colonel William RaymondActor
- 1987Hammer: The Studio That Dripped Blood · as SelfActor
- 1989Peter Cushing: A One Way Ticket to Hollywood · as HimselfActor
- 1991Frankenstein: A Cinematic Scrapbook · as Victor Frankenstein / Dr. Carl Victor (archive footage)Actor
- 1991Halloween Monster Bash · as Dr. Wells (archive footage)Actor
- 1992Innocent Blood · as Van Helsing (archive footage)Actor
- 1992Dracula in the Movies · as (archive footage)Actor
- 1993Frankenstein Reborn · as Victor's Grandfather (photo) (uncredited)Actor
- 1994Flesh and Blood: The Hammer Heritage of Horror · as Narrator (voice) / SelfActor
- 1995Dalekmania · as Doctor Who (archive footage)Actor
- 2004The Story of Star Wars · as Grand Moff Tarkin (archive footage)Actor
- 2007Famous Monster: Forrest J Ackerman · as Self (archive footage)Actor
- 2008Fanex Files: Hammer Films · as SelfActor
- 2010Attack of the Octopus People · as Doctor Welles (archive footage)Actor
- 2014Electric Boogaloo: The Wild, Untold Story of Cannon Films · as Sebastian Grisbane (archive footage) (uncredited)Actor
- 2017Dark Glamour: The Blood and Guts of Hammer Productions · as Self - Actor / Various Roles (archive footage)Actor
- 2020Peter Cushing: In His Own Words · as HimselfActor
- 2020AGFA Mystery Mixtape #2: Later in L.A. · as (archive footage)Actor
- 2020The AGFA Mystery Mixtape Vault · as (archive footage)Actor
- 2024Hammer: Heroes, Legends and Monsters · as Self (archive footage)Actor
Filmography data from TMDB. The profile text is a draft written for Cinespective.