Peter Egan

Peter Joseph Egan (born 28 September 1946) is a British actor known for his television roles, including Hogarth in Big Breadwinner Hog, the future George IV of the United Kingdom in Prince Regent (1979); smooth neighbour Paul Ryman in the sitcom Ever Decreasing Circles (1984–89); and Hugh "Shrimpie" MacClare, Marquess of Flintshire, in Downton Abbey (2012–15). He is married to retired actress Myra Frances.

This article is about the British actor. For the American columnist, see Peter Egan (columnist).
Peter Egan
Born (1946-09-28) 28 September 1946
Hampstead, London, England
OccupationActor
Years active1967–present
Spouse(s)Myra Frances (m. 1977)
ChildrenRebecca Egan
Websitepeter-egan.co.uk

Early life

Egan was born in Hampstead, London, the son of Doris (née Pick) and Michael Thomas Egan, who is of Irish descent.[1][2] He was educated at St George's Catholic School, Maida Vale. He also attended the London Oratory School and the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art.

Life and career

Egan's first stage performance was in Charlie Girl. His first television role was as the sex-and-cinema-obsessed Seth Starkadder in a BBC serialisation of Cold Comfort Farm (1968). In 1969, he had come to notoriety as the acid-throwing gangster Hogarth in the controversial Granada series Big Breadwinner Hog. Later, he had other starring roles: as John Everett Millais in the BBC serial The Love School (1975); as Oscar Wilde in the serial Lillie (1978), starring Francesca Annis as Lillie Langtry; as Magnus Pym in the BBC dramatisation of John le Carré's A Perfect Spy (1987) and another BBC sitcom, Joint Account (1989–90).

Egan played the title role in the BBC series Prince Regent (1979), and was a sinister immortal Knight Templar in Michael J. Bird's BBC series The Dark Side of the Sun (1983). Egan also played Fothergill in the television series Reilly, Ace of Spies (1983). In 1986, he had the role of Henry Simcox in the television dramatization of John Mortimer's Paradise Postponed. In 1988, he narrated the Video 125 drivers eye view 1066DC, which was a cab ride in a Network Southeast class 411 4CEP EMU from Hastings to London. He also guest-starred in episodes of The Ruth Rendell Mysteries ("A New Lease of Death," 1991) and A Touch of Frost ("Private Lives," 1999).

Other roles have included the character Michael Cochrane in the programme The Ambassador (1998), and (on film) as the suave secret agent Meres in television spin-off Callan (1974), and the Duke of Sutherland in Chariots of Fire (1981). In 2007, Egan took the role of Victor in the film Death at a Funeral. In 2009, he toured as lead Sir Hugo Latymer in Nikolai Foster's revival of Noël Coward's A Song at Twilight.[3] He is the narrator for the US and UK versions of Forza Motorsport 3 and its sequel, Forza Motorsport 4.

In 2012, Egan first appeared as Hugh "Shrimpie" MacClare, Marquess of Flintshire, in the Christmas special episode of ITV's Downton Abbey. For the drama's fifth series, Shrimpie became a recurring character; he also briefly appeared in series six. Later that same year, Egan appeared in Alan Bennett's People, alongside Frances de la Tour, at the National Theatre.

Also in 2012, he narrated a new recording of Rick Wakeman's album, Journey to the Centre of the Earth, based on the story by Jules Verne.[4]

Animal rights activism

Egan is a longtime animal lover and vegan. Starting in 2010, he began to campaign publicly on behalf of animal rights and animal welfare.[5]

Egan is an ambassador for the dog rescue Saving Suffering Strays in Sarajevo, Bosnia. He and his wife Myra adopted their Bosnian dog Tidus from this dog rescue. They continue to give support to stray street dogs of Sarajevo and their lone rescuer Milena Malesevic.[6]

Egan is an active ambassador for the Animals Asia Foundation, which is a charity that works to end cruelty to animals in Asia.[7] He is also patron of "All Dogs Matter", a dog rescue and rehoming charity in and around London and Norfolk.[8]

In May 2015, Egan became Patron of Chaldon Animal Sanctuary, a charity that offers homes for life for dogs and cats. Egan personally took one of the Bosnian dogs now named Crusoe to the sanctuary in May.[9] Three months later, Egan was announced as patron of the science-based campaign For Life On Earth (FLOE), which fights against animal testing in the field of human medical research.[10]

In January 2016, Egan participated in Veganuary, and has remained vegan.[11]

Filmography
Year Title Role Notes
1971One Brief SummerBill Denton
1971Elizabeth REarl of Southamptonepisode: "Sweet England's Pride"
1972The OrganizationPershore7 episodes
1973The HirelingCaptain Hugh CantripBAFTA Award for Most Promising Newcomer to Leading Film Roles
1974CallanToby Meres
1975HennessyWilliams
1981Chariots of FireDuke of Sutherland
1983The Dark Side of the SunRaoul Lavallière6 episodes
1984A Woman of SubstanceAdam Fairley3 episodes
1984To Catch a KingReinhard Heydrich
1987A Perfect SpyMagnus Pym5 episodes
1997BeanLord Walton
20002001: A Space TravestyGriffin Pratt
2002The King's BeardKing Cuthbertvoice
2004The I InsideDoctor Truman
2005The Wedding DateVictor Ellis
2005Man to ManGyllenhaal
2007Death at a FuneralVictor
2011The Witcher 2: Assassins of KingsKing Henseltvoice (video game, English version)
2012National Theatre Live: PeopleTheodore
2012 - 2015Downton AbbeyHugh 'Shrimpie' MacClare, Marquess of Flintshire4 episodes
2014GrantchesterArchie Johnson1 episode
2015 - 2020UnforgottenMartin Hughes24 episodes
2018-presentHold the SunsetDr Dugdale12 episodes
2020After LifePaul
2020The Spanish PrincessThomas Howard, 2nd Duke of Norfolk3 episodes

References
  1. "findmypast.co.uk". search.findmypast.co.uk.
  2. "Peter Egan Film Reference biography". Filmreference.com. Retrieved 20 June 2014.
  3. Cavendish, Dominic (2 March 2009). "A Song at Twilight, review". The Daily Telegraph. Retrieved 20 June 2014.
  4. "Rick Wakeman: Journey to the Centre of the Earth Tour 2014 | The Devon Daily". www.thedevondaily.co.uk. Retrieved 16 December 2020.
  5. PETER EGAN ON ACTING AND ANIMALS, Compassion in World Farming, 17 August 2015
  6. "Saving Suffering Strays - Sarajevo". savingsufferingstrays.com.
  7. "Animals Asia". peter-egan.co.uk. Archived from the original on 10 September 2014. Retrieved 20 June 2014.
  8. "All Dogs Matter".
  9. "Chaldon Animal Sanctuary". chaldonanimalsanctuary.co.uk.
  10. West, Bradley. "FLOE's Patron Peter Egan". www.forlifeonearth.org. Retrieved 9 September 2015.
  11. "Veganuary Chats to Downton Abbey's Peter Egan". veganuary.com.
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