Peter Baldwin (actor)
| Peter Baldwin | |
|---|---|
Peter Baldwin as Derek Wilton in Coronation Street
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|
| Born |
29 July 1933 Chidham, Sussex, England |
| Died | 21 October 2015 (aged 82) Hampstead, North London, England |
| Nationality | British |
| Occupation | Actor/Entrepreneur |
| Years active | 1956–2009 (acting) 2008–2015 (business) |
| Television | Coronation Street |
| Spouse(s) | Sarah Long (m. 1965–1987) (her death) |
| Children | 2 |
Peter Baldwin (29 July 1933 – 21 October 2015) was an English actor best known for his role of Derek Wilton in the British soap opera Coronation Street.
He was born in Chidham, near Chichester, Sussex where his father was a primary school headmaster and his mother a teacher. He attended Horsham Grammar School and then did National Service in the army. His introduction to the theatre came during World War II when his parents took him to see a Chichester Festival Theatre production of Peter Pan starring Ann Todd and Alastair Sim.
After training to be an actor at the Bristol Old Vic Theatre School, Baldwin joined the West of England Theatre Company, where he worked with future Coronation Street partner Thelma Barlow. He later toured with the Old Vic and joined the Bristol Old Vic. Baldwin made several appearances in films (in bit parts and extras) until he landed a main role in the television comedy Girls About Town which ran from 1969 to 1971. He also made guest appearances on other television series such as Menace, The New Dick Van Dyke Show and Spy Trap and had several roles in West End Theatre.
In 1976 he joined the cast of Coronation Street, playing the character of Derek Wilton on and off, eventually returning as a regular character in 1988. Derek wooed but let down Mavis Riley for many years but eventually the two got married. It was reported that Derek Wilton was one of the favourite characters among a certain segment of viewers of the show, but in 1997 the character was killed off.
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