Eric Neal Peterson CM (born October 2, 1946)[1] is a Canadian stage, television, and film actor, known for his roles in three major Canadian television series – Street Legal (1987–1994), Corner Gas (live-action 2004–2009 and film 2014, animated 2018–2021), and This is Wonderland (2004–2006).[2]
Eric Peterson | |
|---|---|
| Born | October 2, 1946 Indian Head, Saskatchewan, Canada |
| Nationality | Canadian |
| Occupation | Actor |
| Years active | 1971 – present |
| Spouse | Annie Kidder |
| Children | 2 |
| Awards | Best Ensemble Performance in a Comedy Program or Series 2007 Corner Gas (shared) Best Performance by an Actor in a Continuing Leading Dramatic Role 1992 Street Legal Best Performance by an Actor in a Continuing Dramatic Role 1989 Street Legal Best Performance by an Actor in a Continuing Dramatic Role 1987 Street Legal 2008 ACTRA Toronto Award of Excellence For a significant body of work and union activism 2013 Governor General's Performing Arts Award |
Career
editStage
editIn 1971, Peterson began his acting career when he helped found the collective theatre company Tamahnous Theatre in Vancouver, British Columbia.[3] There he received major roles in versions of The Bacchae and Nijinsky, both directed by John Gray.[4]
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.[4]
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,[4] in London's West End. He was also nominated for Best Actor[4] at the Edinburgh Festival Mainstage. In 1998, Peterson acted in the play once more at the Canadian Stage in Toronto.[3]
Peterson's later 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.[4] 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.[3]
Between November 20 and December 13, 2008, Peterson starred as family patriarch and business man Helge Klingenfeldt in The Company Theatre's production of Festen at the Berkeley Street Theatre in Toronto, Ontario, 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.[5] In the same year, he played Wiff Roach in Soulpepper's revival of David French's 1973 play Of the Fields, Lately.[6]
In the early to mid 2010s he played the role of Percy Schmeiser in the docu-drama play Seeds.[7][8][9]
Television
editUntil Corner Gas, his most famous role on television was his award-winning role as Leon Robinovitch, a left-wing lawyer, on Street Legal.[3] 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 Heat and This Is Wonderland. He also appeared as Hank Stewart in the Hippocratic Oath episode of Alfred Hitchcock Presents for AHF Film Productions.[4]
In total, Peterson has appeared in fifty-two movie and television productions.[2] He also appeared in an infomercial for Amnesty International.[10] He also appeared in the Goosebumps episode "Shocker on Shock Street" as Mr. Wright
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.[11] Following the end of that show's run, Peterson made a guest appearance on the show Dan for Mayor, a show starring his former Corner Gas co-star Fred Ewanuick.[12] As of 2014 he appears in The Best Laid Plans as Jerry Stockton.
Since January 2007, he has been performing in Half Life, a play by John Mighton, at the Canadian Stage.[11] 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."[3]
Personal life
editPeterson was born in Indian Head, Saskatchewan, Canada. He is married to fellow actor and People for Education executive director Annie Kidder, who is the sister of Margot Kidder.[13] Peterson and his wife 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.
Awards
editPeterson 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 Rekert (for Adderly) the first year, and won the next two outright. 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.[14] His fourth Gemini Award came in 2001 for Best Performance in a Pre-School Program.[11]
He has also been nominated four times 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.[15] In 2007, he was nominated for "Best Male Performance."[16]
In 1996, Peterson received an honorary Doctor of Letters in drama from the University of Saskatchewan; the head of the drama department, Henry Woolf,[4] 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.[11] He had previously received a Dora Award nomination for his role in Escape from Happiness.[4] A 1982 CBC television adaptation garnered him an ACTRA award nomination.[3] In May 2013 he received a Governor General's Performing Arts Award for his work for his lifetime contributions to Canadian theatre.[17] For his lifelong contributions to the arts he received an Honorary Doctorate of Fine Arts from the University of Regina (2019).[18]
Filmography
editFilm
edit| Film | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
| 1974 | The Visitor | Michael Tyler | |
| 1983 | The Kid Who Couldn't Miss | Billy Bishop / Walter Bourne | Writer |
| 1984 | The Painted Door | Steven | Short |
| 1985 | The King of Friday Night | ||
| 1986 | The Last Season | Father Schula | |
| 1987 | Docudrama: Fact and Fiction | Billy Bishop / Walter Bourne | Archive footage |
| 1991 | Thick as Thieves | Judge Head | |
| 1994 | Henry & Verlin | Lovejoy | |
| 1995 | Bach's Fight for Freedom | Duke Wilhelm Ernst | |
| 1996 | Spill | Eric Black | |
| 1998 | The Sleep Room | Sal Rothenberg | |
| Earth | Mr. Rogers | ||
| Sleeping Dogs Lie | Jack Doughty | ||
| 2001 | Franklin's Magic Christmas | Grandfather Turtle | Voice Direct-to-video |
| 2002 | Fairytales and Pornography | Kyle | |
| 2013 | Cas & Dylan | Jack | |
| Canadian Famous | Himself | Documentary short | |
| 2014 | Corner Gas: The Movie | Oscar Leroy | |
| 2015 | Canadian Star | Himself | Documentary short |
| Painted Land: In Search of the Group of Seven | A.Y. Jackson | Voice | |
| 2016 | Where the Universe Sings | A.Y. Jackson | Voice |
| 2018 | His Master's Voice | Hogarth | |
| 2020 | You Will Still Be Here Tomorrow | Frank | Short film |
| The Death of Father Christmas | Father Riley | ||
| 2021 | Defining Moments | Edward | |
| Sprite Fright | Elder Sprite | Voice Short film | |
| 2022 | Junior's Giant | Junior | Short film |
| 2023 | Jerry Rigged | Gerald Slate | Short film |
| TBA | Cut the Painter | Pre-production | |
Television
edit| Television | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
| 1982 | Billy Bishop Goes to War | Billy Bishop / Various | TV film |
| 1985 | Tramp at the Door | Lemieux | TV film |
| The Park is Mine | Mike | TV film | |
| Ewoks | Teebo | Voice 5 episodes | |
| Star Wars: Droids | Voice 6 episodes | ||
| 1986 | Mr. Belvedere | Season 2, episode 18: "Valentines Day" | |
| The Care Bears Family | Noble Heart Horse | Voice 13 episodes | |
| 1987–1994 | Street Legal | Leon Robinovitch | 126 episodes |
| 1988 | Night Heat | Matt Semple | Season 4, episode 3: "Ain't No Cure for Love" |
| Alfred Hitchcock Presents | Hank Stweart | Season 3, episode 7: "Hippocritic Oath" | |
| 1994–1995 | The Adventures of Dudley the Dragon | The Leprechaun | Season 2, episode 6: "Dudley and the Leprachaun" Season 3 episode 3: "The Tree House" |
| 1994 | Scales of Justice | Judge | Episode "L'Affaire Belshaw" |
| 1995 | Deadly Love | Elliott | TV film |
| 1996 | Captive Heart: The James Mink Story | Reverend Eli Brennemen | TV film |
| Kung Fu: The Legend Continues | Season 4, episode 12: "Escape" | ||
| Dangerous Offender: The Marlene Moore Story | Dr. Spring | TV film | |
| 1997 | PSI Factor: Chronicles of the Paranormal | O.S.I.R. Psychologist Owen Wiliston | Season 1, episode 18: "The Fog/House on Garden Street" |
| Goosebumps | Mr. Wright | Season 3, episode 1: "A Shocker on Shock Street" | |
| La Femme Nikita | Zoran Bruner | Season 1, episode 21: "Verdict" | |
| I'll Be Home for Christmas | Dave | TV movie | |
| Traders | Joe Fitzpatrick | 3 episodes | |
| 1998 | Lost Universe | Jess | Voice English version |
| Nothing Sacred | TV film | ||
| 1999 | Big Wolf on Campus | Mr. Tock | Season 1, episode 16: "Time and Again" |
| Win, Again! | Cliff | ||
| 2000 | The Moving of Sophia Myles | Lester | TV film |
| 2001 | A Colder Kind of Death | Howard Downey | TV film |
| Canada: A People's History | William Lyon MacKenzie King | 3 episodes | |
| A Wind at My Back Christmas | Professor Coburn | TV film | |
| 2002 | The Many Trials of One Jane Doe | Dr. Daniels | TV film |
| The Stork Derby | Max MacLeod | TV film | |
| Trudeau | Tommy Douglas | TV film | |
| Street Time | Monty | Season 1, episode 12: "Betrayal" | |
| Puppets Who Kill | Mr. Quigley | Season 1, episode 12: "Mr. Quigley, the Asshole Next Door" | |
| 2003 | Sounder | Vet | TV film |
| Do or Die | Henry Chesser | TV film | |
| Jasper, Texas | Old Mr. King | TV film | |
| Tom Stone | Professor Vernon Day | Season 1, episode 12: "Now You See Him" | |
| Doc | Kyle's Dad | Season 4, episode 8: "Swing Shift" | |
| 2004 | Blue Murder | Phillip Carlyle | Season 4, episode 8: "Upstairs Downstairs" |
| 2004–2006 | This Is Wonderland | Judge Malone | 39 episodes |
| 2004–2009 | Corner Gas | Oscar Leroy | Main role; 107 episodes |
| 2005 | Untold Stories of the ER | Reenactment | Season 1, episode 8: "I Need Some Help Here" |
| Slings & Arrows | Gavin Gilchrist | 6 episodes | |
| Trudeau II: Maverick in the Making | Tommy Douglas | TV film | |
| Microkillers | Captain Wilcox | Episode: "Ebola" | |
| 2009–2014 | The Ron James Show | 'Black' Amos / Sir John A. MacDonald | 4 episodes |
| 2009 | It's Been a Gas | Himself / Oscar Leroy | |
| 2010 | Republic of Doyle | Eli Kent | Season 1, episode 7: "The Woman Who Knew Too Little" |
| Murdoch Mysteries | Hershey Dillard | Season 3, episode 11: "Hangman" | |
| Billy Bishop Goes to War | Billy Bishop | TV film Writer | |
| Eco Home Adventures | Himself | Documentary short | |
| 2011 | Dan for Mayor | Lenny-Man | Season 2, episode 7: "The Art of Gambling" |
| Wingin' It | Charles Dickens | Season 2, episode 9: "Carl+Alt+Delete" | |
| Wishing Well | TV film | ||
| The Casting Room | Himself | Season 1, episode 1: "Eric Peterson" | |
| 2012 | Sunshine Sketches of a Little Town | Jeff Thorpe | TV film |
| 2013 | Copper | Reverend William Remington | 2 episodes |
| Rookie Blue | Archie | Season 4, episode 8: "For Better, for Worse" | |
| Cracked | Ed Janoski | Season 2, episode 5: "The Hold Out" | |
| 2014 | The Best Laid Plans | Jerry Stockton | Miniseries |
| 2015 | Young Drunk Punk | Rudolph | Season 1, episode 9: "First Date Funeral" |
| The Plateaus | Mick Donald | Episode #1.7 | |
| 2016 | Valentine Ever After | George | TV film |
| 2017 | What Would Sal Do? | Harold | Episode "Vince's Uncle" |
| 2017–2019 | True and the Rainbow Kingdom | Rainbow King | Voice 13 episodes |
| 2017–2018 | Hard Rock Medical | Dr. Kesler | 7 episodes |
| 2018–2021 | Corner Gas Animated | Oscar Leroy | Voice Main role; 48 episodes |
| 2019 | The Umbrella Academy | Al | 2 episodes |
| Sydney to the Max | Don | 2 episodes | |
| American Gods | The Caretaker | 4 episodes | |
| Dino Dana | Grandpa | 2 episodes | |
| Street Legal | Leon Robinovitch | 2 episodes | |
| Claws of the Red Dragon | James McAvoy | TV film | |
| 2020 | True: Terrific Tales | Rainbow King | 2 episodes |
| True: Friendship Day | TV movie | ||
| 2021 | Private Eyes | Jasper Dazzle | Season 4, episode 12: "Drop Dead Carny" |
| Chapelwaite | Samuel Gallup | 7 episodes | |
| 2022 | Ruby and the Well | Lou Aberlard | Season 2, episode 9: "I Wish I Could Stop Hurting" |
| 2023 | SurrealEstate | Andrew Tolliver | Season 2, episode 3: "The Butler Didn't" |
| Twas the Text Before Christmas | Carter | TV film | |
Awards and nominations
edit
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| Wins | 12 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Nominations | 29 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
References
edit- ^ "Canadian Theatre Encyclopedia".
- ^ a b Eric Peterson at IMDb
- ^ a b c d e f "Eric Peterson at The Canadian Encyclopedia". Archived from the original on September 30, 2007. Retrieved September 30, 2007.
- ^ a b c d e f g h "Eric Peterson's profile at the University of Saskatchewan archives". Archived from the original on September 30, 2012. Retrieved August 18, 2017.
- ^ Soulpepper Theatre Company website page for 2009 production of Billy Bishop Goes to War, "Soulpepper - Billy Bishop Goes to War". Archived from the original on December 12, 2009. Retrieved December 7, 2010.
- ^ J. Kelly Nestruck, "Worthy of revival but too sentimental". The Globe and Mail, July 3, 2009.
- ^ Schmidt, Joff (February 12, 2016). "Eric Peterson delivers stellar performance in Schmeiser docudrama Seeds". CBC. Retrieved June 14, 2024.
- ^ "Theatre Review: Annabel Soutar's Seeds a brilliant docudrama". Ottawa Citizen. March 30, 2014. Retrieved June 14, 2024.
- ^ Cushman, Robert (February 25, 2012). "Theatre Review: Seeds is an impressive retelling of Monsanto court case". National Post. Retrieved June 14, 2024.
- ^ Eric Peterson's other work on the Internet Movie Database
- ^ a b c d "Biography at Corner Gas Online". Archived from the original on November 4, 2016. Retrieved December 25, 2018.
- ^ 'Gas' star guests on 'Dan For Mayor'. Toronto Sun, July 14, 2011.
- ^ Biography for Annie Kidder on the Internet Movie Database
- ^ Eric Peterson's Awards at the Internet Movie Database
- ^ "Corner Gas Online". Archived from the original on March 11, 2014. Retrieved December 25, 2018.
- ^ 'Corner Gas' nabs a leading six nominations for Canadian Comedy Awards[permanent dead link]
- ^ "Eric Peterson". Award Recipients. Governor General's Performing Arts Awards. 2013. Retrieved August 14, 2013.
- ^ Communications, University. "Eric Peterson to receive the University of Regina's highest honour". Communications and Marketing. University of Regina. Retrieved March 7, 2022.
- ^ "2004 Canadian Comedy Awards". Canadian Comedy Awards. Archived from the original on January 10, 2023. Retrieved April 6, 2018.
- ^ "2006 Canadian Comedy Awards". Canadian Comedy Awards. Archived from the original on May 15, 2021. Retrieved April 6, 2018.
- ^ "2006 Canadian Comedy Awards". Canadian Comedy Awards. Archived from the original on June 14, 2023. Retrieved April 6, 2018.
- ^ "2008 Canadian Comedy Awards". Canadian Comedy Awards. Archived from the original on August 2, 2018. Retrieved April 6, 2018.
- ^ "2012 Nominees Announced - 10th Anniversary ACTRA Awards in Toronto" (PDF). ACTRA Toronto. Archived from the original (PDF) on May 12, 2012. Retrieved April 6, 2018.
- ^ "2012 ACTRA Awards Recap". Notable Life. March 1, 2012. Retrieved April 6, 2018.
- ^ Kelly Townsend, "Babysitter wins Best Feature at 2023 Canadian Film Fest". Playback, April 3, 2023.
- ^ Ahmed Dirie, "CBC’s Sort Of cast among ACTRA Award recipients". Playback, April 27, 2023.
External links
edit- Eric Peterson at IMDb
- Eric Peterson at Northern Stars