Peter Davison

Peter Davison (born April 13, 1951) is a British actor, best known for his roles as Tristan to Robert Hardy's Siegfried in All Creatures Great and Small and as the fifth incarnation of the Doctor in Doctor Who, which he played from 1981 to 1984.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Davison was born Peter Moffett in London, his father being originally from Guyana. He studied at the Central School of Speech and Drama, and appeared in several stage productions and some minor television roles before he got his big break in 1978. His performance as the ne'er-do-well Tristan Farnon in All Creatures Great and Small made him a household name. He married American actress Sandra Dickinson in the same year, but they eventually divorced in 1994. He and Dickinson had previously appeared together in an episode of the television series The Tomorrow People (1975). He made a cameo appearance alongside Dickinson as the Dish of the Day in the television version of The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy (1981), whose producers considered it humorous for an actor known for playing a veterinary surgeon to appear as a cow. Davison also appeared in some British sitcoms, including Holding the Fort, Sink or Swim and Ain't Misbehavin', as well as appearing in dramatic roles.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

In 1981, Davison signed a contract to play the Doctor for three years, succeeding Tom Baker (the Fourth Doctor). Attracting such a high-profile actor was as much of a coup for the programme's producers as getting the role was for him, but he did not renew his contract because he feared being typecast. Reportedly, Patrick Troughton (who had played the Second Doctor) had recommended to Davison that he leave the role after three years, and Davison followed his advice.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

It was not until 1986 that Davison worked on another very popular series. He played Dr Stephen Daker, the ingenuous hero of A Very Peculiar Practice, written by Andrew Davies. The surreal comedy-drama was revived several years later as A Very Polish Practice. Davison also played the lead in Campion, a series based on the period whodunnits of Margery Allingham. This, and the opportunity to play Tristan Farnon again in 1985 and 1990, kept Davison busy until the early 1990s, when he gradually faded from the public eye. He continued to appear occasionally on television, including an appearance on the American show Magnum, P.I., but it was not until 2000 that he returned in another major role, that of David Braithwaite in At Home with the Braithwaites.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

In 1999 he appeared as the outgoing headteacher in Hope And Glory.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

He has also starred in the television series The Last Detective (2003-date) and Distant Shores (2005) for ITV, the latter where he coincidentally also played a doctor. His daughter with Dickinson, Georgia Moffett, is also an actress.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Davison returned to play the Doctor in the 1993 charity special Dimensions in Time. He has also reprised the role in a series of audio plays by Big Finish Productions.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Davison is reported to make a guest appearance in the second series of the BBC Radio 4 science fiction comedy series Nebulous, due to be broadcast in Spring 2006.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

1951: 1951 was a common year starting on Monday; see its calendar....

Actor: An actor is a person who acts, or plays a role, in an artistic production. The term commonly refers to someone working in movies, television, live theatre, or radio, and can occasionally denote a street entertainer. Besides playing dramatic roles, actors may also sing or dance or work only on radio ...

Robert Hardy: Timothy Sydney Robert Hardy (born October 29, 1925) is one of Britain's best-known and most popular actors, and also an acknowledged expert on the longbow. He was born in Cheltenham, Gloucestershire and began his career as a classical actor, appearing as Shakespeare's Henry V on stage and in televi...

Peter Davison related Images and Photos (experimental)

Peter Pan	Peter Pan	Peter Falk	Peter Cook
Ex-Lady Bette Davis on Midget Window Card 1933	Peter Fonda	Peter Budaj	Peter Lupus
Peter Finch	Peter Andre	Peter Budaj	Peter Noone