Peter Cook

:This article is about the British comedian Peter Cook. For other people called Peter Cook, see Peter Cook (disambiguation).

Hollywood

In 1980, spurred by Dudley Moore's growing film star status, Cook moved to Hollywood. He appeared as an uptight English butler in a short-lived sitcom and made cameo appearances in a couple of undistinguished films. Always a favourite on the chat show circuit, his own effort at hosting a chat show lasted two programmes. In 1986 he played the role of sidekick to Joan Rivers on her UK chat show - a role that disappointed many of his fans who felt that the position did not benefit Cook.

Related Topics:
Sitcom - Joan Rivers

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In 1987 Cook appeared in The Comic Strip's Mr Jolly Lives Next Door and spent time working with producer Martin Lewis on a political satire about the upcoming 1988 US presidential elections. The project was written for HBO. Co-writer was John Lloyd producer of "Not The 9 O'Clock News" "Black Adder" and "Spitting Image." (The HBO script remained unproduced.) During a trip to Los Angeles to work on the script, Lewis suggested that Cook team up with Dudley Moore for the US "Comic Relief" telethon for the homeless. Cook and Moore successfully reunited and performed their classic "One Leg Too Few" skit about a one-legged aspirant Tarzan. Contrary to popular misconception and media speculation, close friends recall that Cook and Moore maintained contact through the years and though there was always sparring between them the bond was unbroken. Moore attended Cook's memorial service in London in May 1995 and Moore and Lewis teamed up to present a two-night memorial for Cook in Los Angeles the following November - scheduled to mark the anniversary of Cook's birth.

Related Topics:
The Comic Strip - Mr Jolly Lives Next Door

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Cook was an avid media follower, reading nearly all the British newspapers every day and following TV and radio programmes with vigour. He even gained a regular slot on a night-time London radio programme, where he would phone in using a pseudonym (Sven from Swiss Cottage) and entertain listeners with his complaints and musings. In the last few years of his life, Cook had a much lower public profile but maintained a robust social life with his friends. He was more concerned with enjoying his life than in pursuing traditional career goals. "I ran out of ambition at the age of 27..." he famously said.

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