Peter Coke
| Peter Coke | |
|---|---|
| Born |
3 April 1913 Southsea, Hampshire, England |
| Died | 30 July 2008 (aged 95) Sharrington, Norfolk, England |
| Alma mater | Royal Academy of Dramatic Art |
| Occupation | Actor, playwright, artist |
| Years active | 1937–1988 |
| Partner(s) | Fred Webb (died 2003) |
| Military career | |
| Allegiance |
 United Kingdom
|
| Service/branch |
 British Army
|
| Rank | Major |
| Unit | Royal Artillery |
| Battles/wars | World War II |
Peter John Coke (/ˈkʊk/; 3 April 1913 – 30 July 2008) was an English actor, playwright and artist.
Peter John Coke was born in Southsea, Hampshire on 3 April 1913. His father was a commander in the Royal Navy, who took his family to Kenya to run a linen plantation, however, this venture failed and he began to run a coffee plantation. Coke was educated at Stowe School and later lived with his maternal grandmother in Menton, France.
Coke returned to England and took acting lessons from an elderly actress. He was later won a scholarship to study at RADA.
Coke graduated from RADA aged 24 and was named one of the Daily Mail's 'Stars of the Future'. He was also reportedly offered a seven-year contract in Hollywood, though declined as he "will be a better actor in a few years, and Hollywood will still want him. If he goes now, he will be forgotten." Coke made his film debut in the comedy Missing, Believed Married (1937) and later starred in The Return of Carol Deane and Keep Smiling (both 1938).
During World War II, he served with the Royal Artillery in Italy and reached the rank of major. He was demobbed in 1944 and found that his time away from the cameras had affected his performance. He opened an antiques stall on Portobello Market, later progressing to a shop on New King's Road. He returned to theatre in the 1940s, and in 1950 he started writing plays as a sideline. His first play, The Isle of Umbrellas (co-written with Mabel L. Tyrell) was produced at the Embassy. Coke portrayed the role of William in the film The Blakes Slept Here released in 1953. In 1954, he became the seventh actor to take the role of Paul Temple in the long-running radio drama series written by Francis Durbridge. The first serial he starred in was Paul Temple and the Gilbert Case. He played the role until 1968, when he appeared in Paul Temple and the Alex Affair. Those programmes which survive have been repeated on BBC Radio 4 Extra.
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