Peter Cushing Appreciation Thread

My favourite actor without doubt. Cushing was the greatest Van Helsing of them all. He completely reinvented that character and in many ways created the modern day Vampire hunter that we know and love.

So many characters from Mr Vampire, to Rupert Giles, to Peter Vincent all come from his Van Helsing.

His Victor Frankenstein was also just as groundbreaking, influential and original too, and then of course there is his iconic turns as Sherlock Holmes and Winston Smith, and as Grand Moff Tarkin, the main villain from Star Wars.

In spite of being better known for playing charismatic villains and heroes, I think his best performance might be as the quiet, unassuming, ultimately tragic Grymsdake in Tales from the Crypt however.

Ah yes. Peter Cushing. One of the best British actors of all time.

Star Wars, Hammer Horror and even the two AARU Dalek movies wouldn't be as good as they were without this legend. Tales Of The Crypt was made even better by him alone.

I am really starting to come to appreciate him of late.

I've never seen a bad performance by Cushing in anything.
And he's made plenty of average films much better for his presence.

burrunjor wrote:I think his best performance might be as the quiet, unassuming, ultimately tragic Grymsdake in Tales from the Crypt however.

Good call.

What a great thread - the wonderful Peter Cushing - a childhood hero of mine - yet it's so hard to choose a favourite performance:

The creepy/funny Yorkshire antique shop-keeper in From Beyond The Grave (one of the better Amicus anthologies).

Dr Rollason in The Abominable Snowman.

Winston Smith in the BBC production of 1984 (highly recommended- search this out if you haven't seen it yet - Mr. Cushing alongside Donald Pleasance!).

The Very Doctor-ish Dr. Abner Perry in At The Earth's Core.

A sadistic pet shop owner in The Silent Scream - an episode of the superb Hammer House of Horror Anthology series.

I could go on...

Brilliant actor.

He always gave first rate performances. He never looked like he was acting which was part of the joy of watching him on screen

His Dr Frankenstein, Helsing and Holmes were the best for me.