Peter Sumner
{{Short description|Australian actor}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=March 2019}}
{{Use Australian English|date=March 2019}}
{{Infobox person
| name = Peter Sumner
| image =
| alt =
| caption =
| birth_name = Peter Malcolm Sumner-Potts
| birth_date = {{Birth date|df=yes|1942|1|29}}
| birth_place = Waverley, New South Wales, Australia
| death_date = {{Death date and age|df=yes|2016|11|22|1942|1|29}}
| death_place = Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
| nationality = Australian
| other_names =
| occupation = {{hlist|Actor|director|writer}}
| years_active = 1965–2015
| spouse = Lynda Stoner
| notable_works =
}}
Peter Malcolm Sumner-Potts (29 January 1942 – 22 November 2016), professionally known as Peter Sumner, was an Australian actor, director, and writer. He had a long career in theatre, television, and film.
Career
His credits include parts in such films as Color Me Dead (1969), Ned Kelly (1970), The Chant of Jimmie Blacksmith (1978), The Survivor (1981) and Bush Christmas (1983), as well as a starring role in television series Spyforce along with his portrayal of Bill Hayden in The Dismissal. In an interview in 1978 for the Sir Joseph Banks High School newspaper, he revealed that he had an uncredited role off stage, controlling the Dianoga (garbage compactor monster) in Star Wars, as well as playing the role of Lieutenant Pol Treidum in that film. Sumner played Arnie in the first series of the British science fiction drama television series Jeopardy in 2002, filmed in Australia.
His other local television acting work included regular roles as Bruce Jefferson in Tickled Pink (1978–81), Phillip Seymour in All the Way (1988), Reverend Green in Cluedo (1992), and Les Bailey in Heartbreak High (1997–99), along with numerous guest roles in series including Homicide, Division 4, Matlock Police, Boney, The Sullivans, Cop Shop, Neighbours, E Street, The Flying Doctors, and Home and Away.
Sumner was a follower of Meher Baba and directed a TV documentary, Baba's Birthday, shot in India, produced by Sensory Image, with music by Pete Townshend. The documentary follows Sumner's son, Luke Sumner, as he journeys to India in search of spiritual meaning.{{Cite web |url=http://www.sensoryimage.net/meher_baba/ |title=Baba's Birthday |access-date=23 August 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140126162741/http://www.sensoryimage.net/meher_baba/ |archive-date=26 January 2014 |url-status=dead }}
Sumner was a high-school teacher before he started acting. His wife Lynda Stoner and he remained married until his death.{{Cite web |url=http://animal-lib.org.au/get-active/personalities/64-lynda-stoner.html |title=Animal Liberation - Lynda Stoner |access-date=6 October 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110807160947/http://animal-lib.org.au/get-active/personalities/64-lynda-stoner.html |archive-date=7 August 2011 |url-status=dead }}
Sumner also served a stint as a presenter on Play School, mainly acting as a stand-in for John Hamblin.{{Cite web|url=http://maartenbouw.blogspot.com.au/2010/06/interview-with-peter-sumner.html|title=Straight 2 DVD: Interview with... Peter Sumner|date=16 June 2010}}
He died aged 74, after a long illness on 22 November 2016.[http://tributes.smh.com.au/obituaries/smh-au/obituary.aspx?n=peter-malcolm-sumner&pid=182781018&fhid=32543 Sydney Morning Herald: Tributes, 26 November 2016]. Retrieved 26 November 2016
Filmography
=Film=
| class="wikitable sortable" |
| Year
! Film ! Role ! class="unsortable" | Type |
|---|
| 1966
| Bit Part (uncredited) | Feature film |
| 1969
| Stanley Phillips | Feature film |
| 1970
| Tom Lloyd | Feature film |
| 1972
| | TV movie |
| 1973
| Dixie Hart | TV movie |
| rowspan="2"| 1974
| Eye of the Spiral | | TV movie |
| Human Target
| | TV movie |
| 1976
| Sergeant McManus | TV movie |
| rowspan="2"| 1977
| Lieutenant Pol Treidum (uncredited) | Feature film |
| Kiss and the Ride Ferry
| | TV movie |
| rowspan="2"| 1978
| The Chant of Jimmie Blacksmith | Dowie Steed | Feature film |
| The King of the Two Day Wonder
| Jim Delaney | Feature film |
| 1979
| Reg | Feature film |
| rowspan="2"| 1980
| Simon Harris | TV movie |
| The Department
| Robby | TV movie |
| rowspan="2"| 1981
| Mr. Dimitros | Feature film |
| The Survivor
| Tewson | Feature film |
| 1983
| Ben Thompson | Feature film |
| 1984
| The Secret Discovery of Australia | George Collingridge | TV movie |
| rowspan="2"| 1986
| Cooper | TV movie |
| Army Wives
| Grant's Father | Feature film |
| 1987
| Hot Ice | Joe Carpenter | TV movie |
| rowspan="2"| 1992
| Survive the Savage Sea | Buzz | TV movie |
| Seeing Red
| Gorman | Feature film |
| 1999
| Lieutenant Pol Treidum | Short film - Star Wars fan film |
| 2006
| Who Killed Dr Bogle and Mrs Chandler? | Legal Representative 2 | TV movie |
| 2011
| Ektopos | Zebediah | |
| 2012
| Ryder Country | Professor Ed Woodman | |
| 2015
| Dr. Henry Dickenson | Final film role |
=Television=
| class="wikitable sortable" |
| Year
! Film ! Role ! class="unsortable" | Type |
|---|
| 1965
| My Brother Jack | | Miniseries, 1 episode |
| 1969, 1970
| Delta | Bill Keegan / Dr Brian Doyle | TV series, 2 episodes |
| rowspan="2"| 1970
| | TV series, season 2, episode 13: A Dress to Die For |
| Dynasty
| Jim Westlake | TV series, 1 episode |
| 1971-73
| Spyforce | Gunthar Haber | TV series, 41 episodes |
| 1972-73
| Lieutenant Allison | TV series, 4 episodes |
| rowspan="2"| 1973
| Boney | Sergeant Peter Fuller | TV series, 1 episode |
| The Comedy Game
| | TV series, 1 episode |
| 1973, 1974
| Richard | TV series, 2 episodes |
| 1973-74
| Carl Faber | TV series, 15 episodes |
| rowspan="5"| 1974
| Dennis Reid | TV series, 1 episode |
| Homicide
| Kenny Sutton | TV series, 1 episode |
| A Touch of Reverence
| | Miniseries |
| Silent Number
| Ted Grant / Clifton | TV series, 2 episodes |
| Play School
| Presenter | TV series |
| rowspan="2"| 1975
| Ron Slater | TV series, 1 episode |
| The Sullivans
| | |
| rowspan="2"| 1976
| Karl Walthausen | Miniseries, 1 episode |
| The Lost Islands
| Christian Dobler | TV series, 2 episodes |
| 1977
| Bluey | Ronald Hamlin | TV series, 1 episode |
| 1977-83
| Cop Shop | Detective Tom Foster | TV series, 7 episodes |
| rowspan="2"| 1978
| Scott Brady | TV series, 2 episodes |
| Catspaw
| Flight Lieutenan Harry Sewell | TV series, 7 episodes |
| 1978, 1979
| Tickled Pink | Jason Jones / Bruce Jefferson | TV series, 2 episodes |
| 1979
| Skyways | Bob Cusack | TV series, 2 episodes |
| 1980
| Bob Marshall | TV series, 1 episode |
| 1980-82
| Trial by Marriage | Bruce Jefferson | TV series, 13 episodes |
| 1983
| Treasurer Bill Hayden | Miniseries, 2 episodes |
| rowspan="3"| 1984
| Lucas Morgan | 1 episode |
| Special Squad
| Nick Hardy | TV series, 1 episode |
| Carson's Law
| John Meadows | TV series, 2 episodes |
| 1984, 1992
| Ray Lennox / Max Wellings / Dr Kenrich | TV series, 6 episodes |
| 1986, 1992
| Harry Grant / Phil Buchanan | TV series, 2 episodes |
| 1988
| Phillip Seymour | Miniseries, 3 episodes |
| 1989
| E Street | Jonathan Bromley | TV series, 10 episodes |
| 1989, 1995
| G.P. | Dr Vince Fisher / Rod | TV series, 4 episodes |
| 1990
| Ewan O'Brien | TV series, 6 episodes |
| rowspan="2"| 1991
| Max | 1 episode |
| Sex
| Commercial voice | TV special |
| 1992
| Cluedo | Reverend Green | TV series, 21 episodes |
| 1995
| Mr Kennett | TV series, 5 episodes |
| 1997-99
| Les Bailey | TV series, 36 episodes |
| rowspan="2"| 1998
| Captain Gardiner | Miniseries, 1 episode |
| Murder Call
| Bette Fidler / Vic Bamford | TV series, season 2, episode 13: “A Dress to Die For” |
| 1998, 2001
| Carl Sexton / John Barnes | TV series, 2 episodes |
| 1999, 2008
| Tom Grieve / Miles Bannock / Errol Baumann | TV series, 3 episodes |
| 2000
| Edward Dunglass Snr | TV series, 1 episode |
| 2001
| Bud Sattler | 4 episodes |
| rowspan="3"| 2002
| Jeopardy | Arnie | TV series, episodes |
| Blue Heelers
| Joshua Grieves | TV series, 1 episode |
| BackBerner
| Professor Norman Twigg | TV series - 1 episode |
| 2003
| Snobs | Doctor | Miniseries, 1 episode |
| 2004
| Jessica | Rennie | Miniseries (2 part) |
| 2006
| Teacher | TV series, 1 episode |
| 2014
| Rake | Archbishop Thomas | TV series, 1 episode |
References
{{reflist}}
External links
- {{IMDb name|0838891}}
- {{YouTube|EIDDrqQY6og|Baba's Birthday – Preview}}
{{authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Sumner, Peterl}}
Category:Australian male film actors