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Peter Baldwin | |
|---|---|
| Born | Peter Francis Baldwin (1933-07-29)29 July 1933 |
| Died | 21 October 2015(2015-10-21) (aged 82) Hampstead, London, England |
| Occupation | Actor |
| Years active | 1956–2009, 2012 (acting) 2008–2015 (business) |
| Television | Coronation Street |
| Spouse | |
| Children | 2 |
Peter Francis Baldwin (29 July 1933 – 21 October 2015) was an English actor. He was best known for his role asDerek Wilton in the Britishsoap operaCoronation Street.[1][2]
Peter was born inChidham, nearChichester,Sussex, where his father was a primary school headmaster and his mother a teacher. He attendedHorsham Grammar School and then didNational Service in the army.[3] His introduction to the theatre came during theSecond World War when his parents took him to see aChichester Festival Theatre production ofPeter Pan starringAnn Todd andAlastair Sim.[4]
After training to be an actor at theBristol Old Vic Theatre School, Baldwin joined the West of England Theatre Company, in which he worked with futureCoronation Street partnerThelma Barlow.[2] He later toured with theOld Vic and joined theBristol Old Vic.[2] Baldwin made several appearances in films (in bit parts and extras) until he landed a main role in the television comedyGirls About Town, which ran from 1969 to 1971. He also made guest appearances on other television series such asMenace,The New Dick Van Dyke Show andSpy Trap, and had several roles inWest End theatre. He appeared on ITV as the Hotel Manager, Mr Humfries, in an adaptation of Agatha Christie's, At Bertram's Hotel in 1986. He appeared as a Desk Clerk in theTales of the Unexpected (TV series) episode (9/6) "Wink Three Times" (1988).
In 1976 he joined the cast ofCoronation Street, intermittently playing the character of Derek Wilton, eventually returning as a regular character in 1988.[2] Derek wooed and then let downMavis Riley for many years, but eventually the two got married. It was reported that Derek was one of the favourite characters among a certain segment of viewers of the show, but in 1997 the character was killed off.[5]
For the year after this, Baldwin made many appearances on talk shows and quiz shows in the UK such asGMTV,This Morning andCrosswits and also returned to the stage for the first time in a decade inA Month of Sundays, as well as touring in the musicalSummer Holiday. He then joined the cast of the TV showOut Of Sight as Uncle Gus until 1999.
He continued to appear in TV series, includingThe Court Room andDoctors. In 2005 he was a panelist on theChannel 4 quiz showCountdown.
In 1988 Baldwin took over the ownership ofBenjamin Pollock's Toy Shop in London'sCovent Garden, where he had previously worked between acting jobs[1] and could often be found serving behind the counter.[6]
He was married to the formerPlay School presenter and actressSarah Long until her death in 1987.[2] They met in 1961 when they appeared together in a production ofRomeo and Juliet which toured Europe and America. The couple married in 1965.[4] Baldwin made an appearance on the 1978 Boxing Day edition ofPlay School, which Long was co-presenting withDon Spencer.[7]
Baldwin died at home inHampstead in north London aged 82, after a short battle with cancer. He was survived by his children Julia and Matthew.[4][8][9]
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