Peter Childs: Difference between revisions

Childs was born at [[Eastbourne]], East Sussex, on 31 August 1939, and was educated at the local grammar school before training to be an actor. He trained at the [[Birmingham Theatre School]], toiling 10 years doing repertory work before breaking into television, playing a small role in the [[Anton Rodgers]] crime series, ''Zodiac''. Later Childs gained valuable experience working with the Manchester 59 company, appearing in ''Erb'', a show whichthat transferred to the[[London's West End]]. He also played a comical undertaker in [[Joe Orton]]'s ''[[Loot (play)|Loot]]'' to great effect.

A regular performer at the [[Theatre Royal, inStratford [[LondonEast]]'s Stratford East, Childs gave an outstanding performance in [[Joan Littlewood]]'s last performance there, ''[[So You Want to Be in Pictures]]''. During this time he showed considerable gifts for comedy and improvisation. Childs also appeared in the [[Royal Court Theatre]] (and later in the West End) in [[David Storey]]'s play ''[[The Changing Room]]'', which was directed by [[Lindsay Anderson]], who also cast him in the 1973 film, ''[[O Lucky Man]]''.

On television, ChildChilds's familiar features were seen in ''[[The Sweeney]]'', ''[[The Onedin Line]]'', ''[[Rumpole of the Bailey]]'', ''[[Bergerac (TV series)|Bergerac]]'', ''[[Juliet Bravo]]'' and ''[[Ever Decreasing Circles]]''. ''[[ Blakes 7 (episode 3 series 1)]]. He had also appeared in a host of other dramas, including the first series of spin-off series to BBC children's series ''[[Grange Hill]]'', ''[[Tucker's Luck]]''. Also Childs featured in two separate appearances in [[Granada TV]]'s popular [[soap opera]], ''[[Coronation Street]]''. Childs had made his name on television a number of years earlier, as Detective Ron Gash in the final series of ''[[Public Eye (TV series)|Public Eye]]'', transmitted in 1975. The following year he was cast as Det. Sgt Donald Grant in the final series of the long -running BBC Policepolice series, ''[[Softly, Softly: TaskforceTask Force]]''. But it was the programme ''[[Minder (TV series)|Minder]]'' that made Childs a household name{{Dubious|date=August 2010}} in [[Great Britain]]. In the hugely popular series, his character had a burning desire to see [[Arthur Daley]], played by [[George Cole (actor)|George Cole]], behind bars.

His otherOther movie appearances by Childs include ''[[Sweeney!]]'', ''[[Ellis Island]]'', ''[[If You Go Down in the Woods Today]]'', ''[[An Officer and a Car Salesman]]'' and most memorably ''[[Minder on the Orient Express]]'', where he reprised his role as Ronnie Rycott.

HeChilds died of [[leukaemia]] inaged 198950, aton the1 ageNovember of 501989.

[[Category:PeopleMale actors from Eastbourne]]