Eric Peterson
Encyclopedia
Eric Neal Peterson, C.M.
(born October 2, 1946) is a Canadian stage and television actor, known for his roles in three major Canadian series – Street Legal
, Corner Gas
and This is Wonderland
.
, Canada.
He is married to fellow actor and People for Education executive director Annie Kidder, who is the sister of Margot Kidder
. Peterson and his wife continue to live in Toronto, Ontario with their two daughters, although he still frequents his home province of Saskatchewan
, where he owns a cottage on Katepwa Lake in the Qu'Appelle Valley near his hometown of Indian Head
.
Tamahnous Theatre in Vancouver
, British Columbia. There he received major roles in versions of The Bacchae
and Nijinsky, both directed by John Gray.
In 1974, he moved to Toronto, Ontario and joined Theatre Passe Muraille
, a leading collective ensemble in Canada. He had main roles in productions of The Farm Show The West Show, Them Donnelly’s and 1837: The Farmers' Revolt. It was in this latter Rick Salutin
production that he gained the greatest recognition, playing William Lyon Mackenzie
and Lady Backwash.
In 1976, Peterson began to collaborate with John Gray again, writing Billy Bishop Goes to War
. The play, which premiered in Vancouver in 1978, went on tour internationally, garnering positive reviews on Broadway, where Peterson won the Clarence Derwent Award for most promising performer, in London's West End
. He was also nominated for Best Actor ) at the Edinburgh
Festival Mainstage. In 1998, Peterson acted in the play once more at the Canadian Stage
in Toronto.
Peterson's more recent stage appearances include Love and Anger at the Factory Theatre
, Health (another collaboration with John Gray) at the Vancouver Playhouse
and the lead role in Richard Ill at the Young People’s Theatre. In October 2000, he performed in Hysteria at the Canadian Stage and in January 2001, he appeared in Clout at the National Arts Centre
in Ottawa
.
Between November 20 and December 13, 2008, Peterson starred as family patriarch and business man Helge Klingenfeldt in The Company Theatre http://www.companytheatre.ca's production of Festen at the Berkeley Street Theatre in Toronto, Canada.
Between August 8 and 29, 2009, Peterson reprised the lead role in Billy Bishop Goes to War
at the Soulpepper Theatre Company
in Toronto. The company announced that the production was planned to return in 2010.
and This Is Wonderland
. He also appeared as Hank Stewart in the Hippocratic Oath episode of Alfred Hitchcock Presents
for AHF Film Productions.
In total, Peterson has appeared in fifty-two movie and television productions. He also appeared in an infomercial
for Amnesty International
.
Peterson's most famous television role was that of Oscar Leroy on the Canadian television
program Corner Gas. Peterson played the father of Brent Leroy (played by Brent Butt
), who inherited the gas station after his father decided to retire. Much to the dismay of his son and his wife Emma (played by Janet Wright
), he uses his new-found free time to unwittingly annoy his family and the town at large.
Peterson most recently appeared on the show Dan For Mayor, which ex-Corner Gas co-star Fred Ewanuick
stars in.
Since January 2007, he has been performing in Half Life, a play by John Mighton
, at the Canadian Stage. According to The Canadian Encyclopedia
, "his fresh, energetic, natural acting style has made him popular with Canadian audiences, and he continues to be a mainstay of Canadian television."
(for Adderly
) the first year and won in outright the next two. He has also been nominated twice under Best Ensemble Performance in a Comedy Program or Series with Corner Gas at the Gemini Awards and once for Best Performance by an Actor in a Featured Supporting Role in a Dramatic Series for Episode 4 of This is Wonderland for his portrayal of Judge Malone His fourth Gemini Award came in 2001 for Best Performance in a Pre-School Program.
He has also twice been nominated for Canadian Comedy Awards
for his role on Corner Gas. In 2004, he was nominated (alongside fellow Corner Gas actor Brent Butt
) in the "Pretty Funny Television Performance – Male" category. In 2007, he was nominated for "Best Male Performance."
In addition, on May 21, 1996, Peterson received an honorary Doctor of Letters
in drama from the University of Saskatchewan; the head of the drama department, Henry Woolf
, made the presentation. In 1999, the 20th Anniversary edition of his play Billy Bishop Goes To War won him Dora Awards for Best Play, Best Direction and Best Performance. He had previously received a Dora Award nomination for his role in Escape From Happiness. A 1982 CBC
television adaptation garnered him an ACTRA
award nomination.
Order of Canada
The Order of Canada is a Canadian national order, admission into which is, within the system of orders, decorations, and medals of Canada, the second highest honour for merit...
(born October 2, 1946) is a Canadian stage and television actor, known for his roles in three major Canadian series – Street Legal
Street Legal (TV series)
Street Legal is a Canadian television series, which aired on CBC Television from 1987 to 1994.-Synopsis:A spinoff from the 1985 television movie Shellgame, Street Legal focused on the professional and private lives of the partners in a small Toronto, Ontario law firm, Barr, Robinovitch and Tchobanian...
, Corner Gas
Corner Gas
Corner Gas is a Canadian television sitcom created by Brent Butt. The series ran for six seasons from 2004 to 2009. Re-runs still air on CTV and The Comedy Network in Canada; it formerly aired on WGN America in the United States....
and This is Wonderland
This Is Wonderland
This Is Wonderland was a Canadian television series which aired on CBC Television. The series is a legal drama with comedic elements, or a comedy-drama. It was created by playwright George F...
.
Personal life
Peterson was born in Indian Head, SaskatchewanIndian Head, Saskatchewan
Indian Head is a town in southeast Saskatchewan, Canada, east of Regina. The town is directly north of the Trans-Canada Highway. The town is known for its federally-operated Prairie Farm Rehabilitation Administration experimental farm and tree nursery that produces seedlings for shelter...
, Canada.
He is married to fellow actor and People for Education executive director Annie Kidder, who is the sister of Margot Kidder
Margot Kidder
Margaret Ruth "Margot" Kidder is a Canadian-born American actress. She is perhaps best known for playing Lois Lane in the four Superman movies opposite Christopher Reeve, a role that brought her to widespread recognition....
. Peterson and his wife continue to live in Toronto, Ontario with their two daughters, although he still frequents his home province of Saskatchewan
Saskatchewan
Saskatchewan is a prairie province in Canada, which has an area of . Saskatchewan is bordered on the west by Alberta, on the north by the Northwest Territories, on the east by Manitoba, and on the south by the U.S. states of Montana and North Dakota....
, where he owns a cottage on Katepwa Lake in the Qu'Appelle Valley near his hometown of Indian Head
Indian Head, Saskatchewan
Indian Head is a town in southeast Saskatchewan, Canada, east of Regina. The town is directly north of the Trans-Canada Highway. The town is known for its federally-operated Prairie Farm Rehabilitation Administration experimental farm and tree nursery that produces seedlings for shelter...
.
Stage
In 1971, Peterson began his acting career when he helped found the collective theatre companyArtist collective
An artist collective is an initiative that is the result of a group of artists working together, usually under their own management, towards shared aims...
Tamahnous Theatre in Vancouver
Vancouver
Vancouver is a coastal seaport city on the mainland of British Columbia, Canada. It is the hub of Greater Vancouver, which, with over 2.3 million residents, is the third most populous metropolitan area in the country,...
, British Columbia. There he received major roles in versions of The Bacchae
The Bacchae
The Bacchae is an ancient Greek tragedy by the Athenian playwright Euripides, during his final years in Macedon, at the court of Archelaus I of Macedon. It premiered posthumously at the Theatre of Dionysus in 405 BC as part of a tetralogy that also included Iphigeneia at Aulis, and which...
and Nijinsky, both directed by John Gray.
In 1974, he moved to Toronto, Ontario and joined Theatre Passe Muraille
Theatre Passe Muraille
Theatre Passe Muraille is a theatre company in Toronto, Canada.-Brief history:One of Canada's most influential alternative theatres, Theatre Passe Muraille was founded in 1968 by director and playwright Jim Garrard, who started the company out of Rochdale College.Its radical intention was create a...
, a leading collective ensemble in Canada. He had main roles in productions of The Farm Show The West Show, Them Donnelly’s and 1837: The Farmers' Revolt. It was in this latter Rick Salutin
Rick Salutin
Rick Salutin is a Canadian novelist, playwright, journalist, and critic and has been writing for more than forty years....
production that he gained the greatest recognition, playing William Lyon Mackenzie
William Lyon Mackenzie
William Lyon Mackenzie was a Scottish born American and Canadian journalist, politician, and rebellion leader. He served as the first mayor of Toronto, Upper Canada and was an important leader during the 1837 Upper Canada Rebellion.-Background and early years in Scotland, 1795–1820:Mackenzie was...
and Lady Backwash.
In 1976, Peterson began to collaborate with John Gray again, writing Billy Bishop Goes to War
Billy Bishop Goes to War
Billy Bishop Goes to War is a Canadian musical, written by John MacLachlan Gray and Eric Peterson. One of the most famous and widely-produced plays in Canadian theatre, it dramatizes the life of Canadian World War I fighter pilot Billy Bishop....
. The play, which premiered in Vancouver in 1978, went on tour internationally, garnering positive reviews on Broadway, where Peterson won the Clarence Derwent Award for most promising performer, in London's West End
West End theatre
West End theatre is a popular term for mainstream professional theatre staged in the large theatres of London's 'Theatreland', the West End. Along with New York's Broadway theatre, West End theatre is usually considered to represent the highest level of commercial theatre in the English speaking...
. He was also nominated for Best Actor ) at the Edinburgh
Edinburgh
Edinburgh is the capital city of Scotland, the second largest city in Scotland, and the eighth most populous in the United Kingdom. The City of Edinburgh Council governs one of Scotland's 32 local government council areas. The council area includes urban Edinburgh and a rural area...
Festival Mainstage. In 1998, Peterson acted in the play once more at the Canadian Stage
Canadian Stage
Nationally and internationally acclaimed, The Canadian Stage Company is Canada's third largest not-for-profit contemporary theatre company. Founded in 1987 with the merger of CentreStage and Toronto Free Theatre, the Company is dedicated to programming international contemporary theatre and to...
in Toronto.
Peterson's more recent stage appearances include Love and Anger at the Factory Theatre
Factory Theatre
Factory Theatre is a theatre in Toronto, Ontario, founded as Factory Theatre Lab in 1970 by Ken Gass and Frank Trotz.Factory was the first theatre to announce that it would exclusively produce Canadian plays, but it soon became a widely emulated policy by other theatre companies...
, Health (another collaboration with John Gray) at the Vancouver Playhouse
Vancouver Playhouse (theatre venue)
The Vancouver Playhouse is a civic theatre venue in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. Owned by the City of Vancouver and overseen by its Civic Theatres Board, the venue is situated at the corner of Hamilton and Dunsmuir and seats 668...
and the lead role in Richard Ill at the Young People’s Theatre. In October 2000, he performed in Hysteria at the Canadian Stage and in January 2001, he appeared in Clout at the National Arts Centre
National Arts Centre
The National Arts Centre is a centre for the performing arts located in Ottawa, Ontario, between Elgin Street and the Rideau Canal...
in Ottawa
Ottawa
Ottawa is the capital of Canada, the second largest city in the Province of Ontario, and the fourth largest city in the country. The city is located on the south bank of the Ottawa River in the eastern portion of Southern Ontario...
.
Between November 20 and December 13, 2008, Peterson starred as family patriarch and business man Helge Klingenfeldt in The Company Theatre http://www.companytheatre.ca's production of Festen at the Berkeley Street Theatre in Toronto, Canada.
Between August 8 and 29, 2009, Peterson reprised the lead role in Billy Bishop Goes to War
Billy Bishop Goes to War
Billy Bishop Goes to War is a Canadian musical, written by John MacLachlan Gray and Eric Peterson. One of the most famous and widely-produced plays in Canadian theatre, it dramatizes the life of Canadian World War I fighter pilot Billy Bishop....
at the Soulpepper Theatre Company
Soulpepper Theatre Company
Soulpepper Theatre Company is a Toronto, Ontario-based theatre company dedicated to presenting classic plays.-History:Soulpepper was founded in 1998 by twelve Toronto artists who dreamed of a company that would produce lesser known theatrical classics. Soulpepper has since become an important part...
in Toronto. The company announced that the production was planned to return in 2010.
Television
Until Corner Gas, his most famous role on television was his award-winning role as Leon Robinovitch, a left-wing lawyer, on Street Legal. His more notable television work includes 1998's Nothing Sacred (a movie for which he also co-produced and appeared in the stage version), Night HeatNight Heat
Night Heat is a Canadian police drama series, which aired on CTV from 1985 to 1991. The show also aired on CBS in the United States from 1987 to 1993 and was the first Canadian-produced drama series to air on an American network...
and This Is Wonderland
This Is Wonderland
This Is Wonderland was a Canadian television series which aired on CBC Television. The series is a legal drama with comedic elements, or a comedy-drama. It was created by playwright George F...
. He also appeared as Hank Stewart in the Hippocratic Oath episode of Alfred Hitchcock Presents
Alfred Hitchcock Presents
Alfred Hitchcock Presents is an American television anthology series hosted by Alfred Hitchcock. The series featured dramas, thrillers, and mysteries. By the premiere of the show on October 2, 1955, Hitchcock had been directing films for over three decades...
for AHF Film Productions.
In total, Peterson has appeared in fifty-two movie and television productions. He also appeared in an infomercial
Infomercial
Infomercials are direct response television commercials which generally include a phone number or website. There are long-form infomercials, which are typically between 15 and 30 minutes in length, and short-form infomercials, which are typically 30 seconds to 120 seconds in length. Infomercials...
for Amnesty International
Amnesty International
Amnesty International is an international non-governmental organisation whose stated mission is "to conduct research and generate action to prevent and end grave abuses of human rights, and to demand justice for those whose rights have been violated."Following a publication of Peter Benenson's...
.
Peterson's most famous television role was that of Oscar Leroy on the Canadian television
Television in Canada
Television in Canada officially began with the opening of the nation's first television stations in Montreal and Toronto in 1952. As with most media in Canada, the television industry, and the television programming available in that country, are strongly influenced by the American media, perhaps...
program Corner Gas. Peterson played the father of Brent Leroy (played by Brent Butt
Brent Butt
Brent Butt is a Canadian stand-up comedian actor and writer. He is best known for his role as Brent Leroy on the CTV sitcom Corner Gas, which he also created. The series was an instant hit when it made its debut in 2004....
), who inherited the gas station after his father decided to retire. Much to the dismay of his son and his wife Emma (played by Janet Wright
Janet Wright
Janet Wright is a Canadian actress and theatre director. She is best known for her role as Emma Leroy on the hit Canadian sitcom Corner Gas. She won a 2003 Gemini Award for Best Performance by an Actress in a Featured Supporting Role in a Dramatic Program or Mini-Series for her role in Betrayed...
), he uses his new-found free time to unwittingly annoy his family and the town at large.
Peterson most recently appeared on the show Dan For Mayor, which ex-Corner Gas co-star Fred Ewanuick
Fred Ewanuick
Fred Ewanuick is a Canadian actor of Ukrainian and Italian heritage, known for his role in the television series Corner Gas as Hank Yarbo. He was also a regular in a CTV anthology series, Robson Arms.-Early life:...
stars in.
Since January 2007, he has been performing in Half Life, a play by John Mighton
John Mighton
John Mighton, OC is a Canadian author and mathematician. He is the founder of JUMP , a charitable organization that works to educate students in mathematics. He is the author of The Myth of Ability and The End of Ignorance...
, at the Canadian Stage. According to The Canadian Encyclopedia
The Canadian Encyclopedia
The Canadian Encyclopedia is a source of information on Canada. It is available online, at no cost. The Canadian Encyclopedia is available in both English and French and includes some 14,000 articles in each language on a wide variety of subjects including history, popular culture, events, people,...
, "his fresh, energetic, natural acting style has made him popular with Canadian audiences, and he continues to be a mainstay of Canadian television."
Awards
Peterson has won numerous awards over his career. For his portrayal of Leon Robinovitch on Street Legal, he was nominated for the Gemini Award for Best Performance by a Lead Actor in a Continuing Dramatic Role six times in 1987, 1989 and every year from 1992 through 1995. He tied for the win with Winston RekertWinston Rekert
Winston Rekert is a Canadian actor from Vancouver, British Columbia. He won 2 Gemini Awards, one for Best Performance by an Actor in a Guest Role in a Dramatic Series for the TV Series: Blue Murder in 2003 and one for Best Performance by a Lead Actor in a Continuing Dramatic Role for the TV Series...
(for Adderly
Adderly
Adderly is a Canadian television drama series, first aired in 1986.-Cast:* Winston Rekert as V.H. Adderly* Jonathan Welsh as Melville Greenspan* Dixie Seatle as Mona Ellerby* Ken Pogue as Major Jonathan B. Clack-Plot:...
) the first year and won in outright the next two. He has also been nominated twice under Best Ensemble Performance in a Comedy Program or Series with Corner Gas at the Gemini Awards and once for Best Performance by an Actor in a Featured Supporting Role in a Dramatic Series for Episode 4 of This is Wonderland for his portrayal of Judge Malone His fourth Gemini Award came in 2001 for Best Performance in a Pre-School Program.
He has also twice been nominated for Canadian Comedy Awards
Canadian Comedy Awards
The Canadian Comedy Awards, founded by , are an annual awards ceremony celebrating notable English speaking Canadian comedians for achievements in Live, Radio, Film, Television and Internet media over the previous year...
for his role on Corner Gas. In 2004, he was nominated (alongside fellow Corner Gas actor Brent Butt
Brent Butt
Brent Butt is a Canadian stand-up comedian actor and writer. He is best known for his role as Brent Leroy on the CTV sitcom Corner Gas, which he also created. The series was an instant hit when it made its debut in 2004....
) in the "Pretty Funny Television Performance – Male" category. In 2007, he was nominated for "Best Male Performance."
In addition, on May 21, 1996, Peterson received an honorary Doctor of Letters
Doctor of Letters
Doctor of Letters is a university academic degree, often a higher doctorate which is frequently awarded as an honorary degree in recognition of outstanding scholarship or other merits.-Commonwealth:...
in drama from the University of Saskatchewan; the head of the drama department, Henry Woolf
Henry Woolf
Henry Woolf ,is a British actor, theatre director, and teacher of acting, drama, and theatre who lives in Canada, and a longtime friend and collaborator of 2005 Nobel Laureate Harold Pinter, having stimulated Pinter to write his first play, The Room in 1956...
, made the presentation. In 1999, the 20th Anniversary edition of his play Billy Bishop Goes To War won him Dora Awards for Best Play, Best Direction and Best Performance. He had previously received a Dora Award nomination for his role in Escape From Happiness. A 1982 CBC
Canadian Broadcasting Corporation
The Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, commonly known as CBC and officially as CBC/Radio-Canada, is a Canadian crown corporation that serves as the national public radio and television broadcaster...
television adaptation garnered him an ACTRA
ACTRA
The Alliance of Canadian Cinema, Television and Radio Artists is a Canadian labour union representing performers in English-language media. It has 22,000 members working in film, television, radio, and all other recorded media....
award nomination.
Filmography
| Year | Film | Role | Other notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1984 | The Painted Door | Stephen | |
| 1985 | The King of Friday Night | ||
| 1986 | The Last Season | Father Schula | |
| The Park is Mine The Park Is Mine (1986 film) The Park Is Mine, is a 1986 made-for-TV movie directed by Steven Hilliard Stern,starring Tommy Lee Jones as a Vietnam War veteran. Mitch takes control of Central Park in New York City, in what many would call an act of domestic terrorism, to honor those who died and served in the Vietnam War and... |
Mike | ||
| 1991 | Thick as Thieves | Judge Head | |
| 1994 | Henry & Verlin | Lovejoy | |
| 1995 | Bach's Fight for Freedom Bach's Fight for Freedom Bach's Fight for Freedom is a 1995 film created by David Devine and Richard Mozer for HBO Original Films of New York and directed by Stuart Gillard.It stars Ted Dykstra, Kyle Labine, Ian D. Clark, Rosemary Dunsmore, Kevin Jubinville, and Eric Peterson.... |
Duke Wilhelm Ernst | |
| 1996 | Spill | Eric Black | |
| 1998 | Zack and Reba | Todd Simpson | |
| The Sleep Room | Sal Rothenberg | ||
| Sleeping Dogs Lie Sleeping Dogs Lie (1998 film) Sleeping Dogs Lie is a 1998 film produced by Sullivan Entertainment and based on the true-life story of Ambrose Small, a Toronto millionaire who went missing after selling his chain of burlesque theatres for $1.7 million to Loew’s movie theatres. The film is inspired by the book The Strange Case of... |
Jack Doughty | ||
| 2001 | Brigham City Brigham City (film) Brigham City is a 2001 murder mystery film. It was written, directed by and starring Richard Dutcher in the main role. It is an independent film and was financed by private investors.... |
Scott | |
| 2002 | Fairytales and Pornography | Kyle |
External links
- Eric Peterson at Northern Stars