-
Name: Pete Postlethwaite
-
Date of Birth:
February 16, 1946
-
Place of Birth:
Warrington, Cheshire, England,
Mini-bio:
An esteemed veteran of British theater and television, Pete Postlethwaite entered feature films in 1984, and thereafter gained international recognition as one of the best character actors of the 1990... read mores, noted for his reliable and often powerful performances. On stage, he performed with such prestigious groups as the Manchester Royal Exchange and the Liverpool Everyman, as well as the Royal Shakespeare Company. Postlethwaite entered film in the chaotic comedy A Private Function (1984). His first big break came when he played the tyrannical patriarch in Terence Davies's Distant Voices, Still Lives (1988). Notable subsequent film credits include Oscar-nominated supporting turns as Guiseppe Conlon in In the Name of the Father (1993), the Player King in Hamlet (1990), and a nicely over-the-top villain in Jurassic Park: The Lost World (1997). Later that same year, Postlethwaite set sail with Spielberg one again, only this time in decidedly more grim capacity, in the historical slave drama Amistad. Though many moviegoers may not have necessarily pegged Postlethwaite as leading man material, his role as a man who experiences a strange transformation in the 2000 family comedy Rat proved him well capable of holding his own for an hour-and-a-half. His supporting roles becoming ever more prominant as the decade wore on, Postlethwaite navigated multiple genres with ease by turning up as a crusty building supervisor in the psychological horror thriller Dark Water, the keeper of a great conspiracy in the sci-fi action entry Ĉon Flux, and a shady drug company man in The Constant Gardener, a dramatic thriller detailing a determined widower's efforts to solve the mystery of his wife's murder. A scenery-chewing turn as an ill-fated priest attempting to save his soul in the high-profile 2006 remake The Omen preceded yet another trip into dark territory in Lamberto Bava's Ghost Son. Occasionally, Postlethwaite also tackled starring roles such as that of Danny in the upbeat British outing Brassed Off (1996) or the crazed Thomas Smithers in The Serpent's Kiss (1997). Postlethwaite died of cancer at age 64 in early 2011. ~ Sandra Brennan, Rovi
Pete Postlethwaite mini-bio: An odd-looking but quite fascinating bloke with prominent, bony cheeks and a rawboned figure, distinguished character actor Pete Postlethwaite was born in 1946 and grew up in Cheshire, England amid middle-class surroundings. He went to college and while completing his studies developed an interest in theatre, to the chagrin of his family. His father, a laborer, wanted him to find a more secure position in life.
A drama teacher initially, he decided to follow his acting instincts full-time and gradually built up an impressive array of classical stage credits via repertory, including the Bristol Old Vic Drama School and stints with Liverpool Everyman, Machester Royal Exchange and Royal Shakespeare Company. By the 80s he was ready to branch out into film and TV, giving a startling performance as a wife abuser in the British film Distant Voices, Still Lives (1988). His highly distinctive features were subsequently put to good use in a number of versatile roles, usually menacing but sometimes humble, and most frequently as working-class types.
By 1993 he had crossed over into Hollywood parts and earned his first Oscar nomination for his superb role as Daniel Day-Lewis' father in In the Name of the Father (1993). Other quality roles came his way with The Usual Suspects (1995), Brassed Off (1996), and Amistad (1997). Television has been a creative and positive venue as well with such fine work in "Sharpe's Company" (1994), Lost for Words (1999) and The Sins (2000). Working equally both here and abroad these days, Postlethwaite avoids the public limelight for the most part and lives quietly in England.
