Donald Cummins (2 June 1931 – 4 October 2024), better known as Peter Cummins, was an Australian actor of stage and screen and chorister who was especially prominent in the 1970s and appeared in some of the most famous Australian films of the period.
Early life Peter Cummins was born on 2 June 1931, in Melbourne, Victoria. Before becoming an actor, he was a plumbing teacher.
Career Cummins was part of the Carlton group that were influential in Australian theatre of the early 1970s, which also included David Williamson, Max Gillies, Graeme Blundell and Bruce Spence.'Graeme Blundell', Talking Heads, 29 June 2009, accessed 9 Oct 2012 He performed extensively for the stage, working for all of Australia's major theatre companies, including the Melbourne Theatre Company for whom he appeared in The Christian Brothers, The Threepenny Opera, Glengarry Glen Ross, Trumpets and Raspberries, The One Day of the Year, Heartbreak House, The Servant of Two Masters, Romeo and Juliet, As You Like, And the Big Men Fly and A Respectable Wedding.
He also undertook a two year contract with Adelaide's Lighthouse Theatre (now State Theatre Company of South Australia) under the artistic direction of Jim Sharman from 1982 to 1984, alongside fellow actors Geoffrey Rush, Melissa Jaffer, Gillian Jones, Melita Jurisic, Russell Kiefel, Robert Menzies, Robert Grubb, Kerry Walker and John Wood.
Cummins won the Sammy Award for Best Actor for his performance in 1976 Australian film The Removalists, based on the 1971 play of the same name by David Williamson. which he had also performed on stage several times. That same year he also starred in the film adaptation of Colin Thiele's Australian literary classic Storm Boy. Other film credits include Stork (1971), Between Wars (1974), Sunday Too Far Away (1975), Mad Dog Morgan (1976), and Blue Fire Lady (1977), Twelfth Night (1986), Ground Zero (1987) and The Man from Snowy River II (1988).
Cummins has also appeared in numerous television series, including miniseries Power Without Glory, children's series Come Midnight Monday, police procedural series' Division 4 and Cop Shop, Australian classic The Sullivans, legal drama Carson's Law, miniseries' Against the Wind and The Great Bookie Robbery and medical drama A Country Practice.
Personal life and death Cummins was a long-term resident of Fitzroy, Victoria. He died on 4 October 2024, at the age of 93. He was survived by nieces Jane and Juliet.
Awards Year Work Award Category Result 1976 The Removalists Sammy Award Best Actor
Filmography
Film Year Title Role Notes 1970 Dead Easy Stranger 2 1970 Nothing Like Experience 1971 Country Town First Lair Bonjour Balwyn TV repairman Stork Sculptor Carson's Watermelons Short film The Hot Centre of the World Short film1973 Dalmas Plastic Man Alvin Purple Cab Driver 1974 Between Wars Steele 1975 The Firm Man Gerald Baxter Sunday Too Far Away Arthur Black The Great Macarthy Rerk The Removalists Sergeant Simmonds 1976 The Dreamers God Knows Why, But it Works Father / The Hospital Super / The Judge / The Public Servant Mad Dog Morgan Thomas Gibson Storm Boy Hideaway Tom 1977 High Rolling Bus Driver Blue Fire Lady McIntyre 1983 Double Deal Detective Mills 1985 I Live with Me Dad Sergeant 1986 Sky Pirates Colonel Brien Frog Dreaming Neville Kangaroo Struthers Devil in the Flesh Brother 1987 The Umbrella Woman (aka The Good Wife) Ned Hopper Slate, Wyn & Me Old Man Downer Ground Zero Ballantyne 1988 The Man from Snowy River II Jake Rikky and Pete Delahunty
Television Year Title Role Notes 1970–1975 Division 4 Various 8 episodes 1970–1975 Homicide Various 6 episodes1973 Frank and Francesca 6 episodes Brumby Innes Jack Carey TV play Dimboola: The Stage Play Horrie McAdam TV play 1973–1976 Matlock Police Various 3 episodes1974 Marion Bus Driver 3 episodes Who Killed Jenny Langby? Frank Langby TV movie1976 Tandarra Elliot Bjornstrom Miniseries, 1 episode Solo One Rod Hudson 1 episode Power Without Glory Detective Sgt O'Flaherty Miniseries, 4 episodes The Outsiders Mick Dunn 1 episode1977 Bluey Detective Sgt Stoner 1 episode Trial of Ned Kelly Sergeant McIntyre TV movie 1977–1981 Cop Shop Various 15 episodes 1978 The Lion's Share Sam Jackson TV movie Against the Wind Isaac Nichols Miniseries, 1 episode The Sullivans Colonel Walker 8 episodes1979 Twenty Good Years Tom Evans 3 episodes Skyways Les Mitchell / Raymond Dixon 2 episodes 1980 Water Under the Bridge Rumbolt Miniseries, 1 episode1981 Mortimer's Patch Johnny Morgan 1 episode Prisoner Hartman 2 episodes Holiday Island Robert Porter 1 episode The Homicide Squad Harry TV movie 1982 Come Midnight Monday Albert Spack 7 episodes1984 Special Squad Dixie Hanrahan 1 episode Carson's Law Dr James West 2 episodes 1985 Robbery Under Arms Moran TV movie1986 A Fortunate Life Stepfather Miniseries, 1 episode The Fish Are Safe Ned Foley Miniseries The Great Bookie Robbery Father Moore Miniseries, 3 episodes The Local Rag Phil Bonnard TV movie Twelfth Night Malvolio TV movie 1988; 1990 The Flying Doctors 2 episodes 1989 Beyond Innocence 1990 A Country Practice Father Moore 2 episodes 1991 Turn It Up Mr Banks TV movie 1992 Fast Forward Additional cast 1 episode 1992–1993 Phoenix Superintendent Wallace 26 episodes 1993 R.F.D.S. Reg Matthews 1 episode 2003 The Forest David TV movie
Theatre credits Year Title Role Notes Ref. 1965 Oklahoma! 1968 Commitment 1969 Escape La Mama, Melbourne I Don't Know Who to Feel Sorry For May Day Dimboola The Kitchen Table Mr Big the Big Big Pig The Elephant Calf / The Exception and the Rule Whatever Happened to Realism? 1970 Customs and Excise University of Melbourne The Front Room Boys La Mama, Melbourne The Coming of Stork The Man from Chicago 1971 Life of Galileo 1971; 1977 The Removalists Sergeant Dan Simmonds La Mama, Melbourne with MTC 1972 Bastardy Pram Factory, Melbourne with APG Brumby Innes Jack Carey 1972; 1973 A Stretch of the Imagination Monk O'Neill Pram Factory, Melbourne with APG, Newtown Theatre, Sydney 1973 One of Nature's Gentlemen / O / Just Before the Honeymoon / Mrs Thally F Pram Factory, Melbourne with APG Waltzing Matilda: a national pantomime with tomato sauce Dimboola Horace 'Horrie' McAdam 1974 The Floating World 1976 Chidley Chidley Grant St Theatre, Melbourne The Overcoat Kak Pram Factory, Melbourne Waiting for Godot Monash University Alexander Theatre, Melbourne 1977 Memories of a Carlton Bohemian: Revival La Mama, Melbourne Ravages: Heels Over Head / Dropping In Three Old Friends 1977 Dimboola 1978 Oh / Let Me In Playbox Theatre, Melbourne 1979 Errol Flynn's Great Big Adventure Book for Boys Flexitime The Club Jack 'Jacko' Holbrook St Martins Theatre, Melbourne The Hypothetical End of Bert Brecht Russell St Theatre, Melbourne 1980 A Month in the Country The Seagull Monash University Alexander Theatre, Melbourne The Ship's Whistle The One Day of the Year Alf MTC 1981 Fanchen Price Theatre, Adelaide I Sent a Letter to My Love Stan Evans Playbox Theatre, Melbourne True West 1982 Lighthouse Playreading Lighthouse Theatre, Adelaide Mother Courage and Her Children Royal Show Silver Lining Signal Driver Being Spellbound The Prince Of Homburg 1982; 1983 A Midsummer Night's Dream Lighthouse Theatre, Adelaide 1983 Pal Joey Sunrise The Blind Giant Is Dancing Doug Fitzgerald STCSA with Belvoir Theatre Company The Marriage of Figaro Lighthouse Theatre, Adelaide Twelfth Night 1983; 1984 Netherwood Harry 1984 The Christian Brothers The Threepenny Opera Tiger Brown 1985 Glengarry Glen Ross Levene Russell St Theatre, Melbourne, with MTC Trumpets and Raspberries Antonio Beradi Playhouse, Melbourne with MTC 1986 The One Day of the Year Alf Cook Heartbreak House The Servant of Two Masters STCSA 1987 Away 1988 And the Big Men Fly Wally Sloss Russell St Theatre, Melbourne, with MTC Romeo and Juliet / As You Like It Capulet / Corin Playhouse, Melbourne with MTC A Marriage Proposal / A Respectable Wedding 1989 Little Murders The Cherry Orchard A Respectable Wedding Russell St Theatre, Melbourne, with MTC Top End Dolly 1990 On Top of the World Clive 1991 Diving for Pearls Den On Our Selection Abe Pettigrew Playhouse, Melbourne with MTC The Crucible Giles Corey The Taming of the Shrew 1993 Coriolanus 1995 The Floating World Merlyn Theatre, Melbourne, with Playbox Theatre Company 2001 Nowhere Josh Playbox Theatre, Melbourne 2021 The Boy from Oz Greg Connell Australian national tour
References
External links