Peter Joseph Egan (born 28 September 1946) is an English actor and activist. He is known for television roles including Hogarth in Big Breadwinner Hog (1969), the future King George IV in Prince Regent (1979); Paul Ryman in the sitcom Ever Decreasing Circles (1984–89); Hugh "Shrimpie" MacClare, Marquess of Flintshire, in Downton Abbey (2012–15); and Martin Hughes in Unforgotten (2015–2021).

Early life Egan was born on 28 September 1946 in Hampstead, London, the son of Doris (née Pick) and Michael Thomas Egan, who was of Irish descent. 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.

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 (the role which introduced him to American audiences) 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.

Egan also guest-starred in episodes of The Ruth Rendell Mysteries ("A New Lease of Death," 1991) and A Touch of Frost ("Private Lives," 1999).

Egan's 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. 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, Egan narrated a new recording of Rick Wakeman's album, Journey to the Centre of the Earth, based on the story by Jules Verne.

In 2024, Egan appeared in the British documentary film I Could Never Go Vegan.

Animal rights activism Egan is a longtime animal lover and vegan. Starting in 2010, he began to campaign publicly on behalf of animal rights.PETER EGAN ON ACTING AND ANIMALS , Compassion in World Farming, 17 August 2015

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

Egan is an active ambassador for the Animals Asia Foundation, which is a charity that works to end cruelty to animals in Asia. He is also patron of "All Dogs Matter", a dog rescue and rehoming charity in and around London and Norfolk. He is also an ambassador for the Limbe Wildlife Centre in Cameroon, a wildlife sanctuary for animals rescued from the illegal bushmeat and pet trades.

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. 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.

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

In 2018 Peter Egan joined Animal Equality UK inside a foie gras farm in France to document the process of force-feeding. Since then, he has supported the animal protection organisation on its campaign to ban the import of foie gras made by force-feeding in the UK.

Personal life Egan was married to the actress Myra Frances for 49 years until her death from cancer on 30 March 2021. His stepdaughter is Rebecca Egan.

Filmography YearTitleRoleNotes 1971 One Brief Summer Bill Denton 1973 The Hireling Captain Hugh Cantrip BAFTA Award for Most Promising Newcomer to Leading Film Roles 1974 Callan Toby Meres 1975 Hennessy Williams 1981 Chariots of Fire Duke of Sutherland 1997 Bean Lord Walton 2000 2001: A Space Travesty Dr. Griffin Pratt 2002 The King's Beard King Cuthbert voice 2004 The I Inside Doctor Truman 2005 The Wedding Date Victor Ellis Man to Man Gyllenhaal 2007 Death at a Funeral Victor 2012When The Lights Went OutPeter 2013 National Theatre Live: People Theodore 2024And MrsDerek I Could Never Go Vegan As "Executive Producer"

Television +YearTitleRoleNotes1967The Troubleshooters ReporterEpisode: "Who Buys Who?"1968ITV PlayhousePeter MorrisEpisode: "Murder: An Even Chance"1969Big Breadwinner HogHogMiniseries1970-1974BBC Play of the MonthFreddie/Faukland2 episodes1971Elizabeth REarl of SouthamptonEpisode: "Sweet England's Pride"1972The OrganizationPeshoreMiniseriesPathfinders F/O Mike O'FarrellEpisode: "Our Daffodils Are Better Than Your Daffodils"1975The Love SchoolJohn Everett Millais3 episodes1977Leap in the DarkJohn GodleyEpisode: "Dream Me a Winner"The Cedar TreeRalph Marsh2 episodes1978LillieOscar Wilde9 episodes1978-1984Crown CourtNigel Steed QC2 serials1979Prince Regent George IVMiniseries1981Play for TodayPurdieEpisode: "Dear Brutus"1982Tales of the UnexpectedKeithEpisode: "Pattern of Guilt"1983Reilly, Ace of SpiesFothergill4 episodesThe Dark Side of the SunRaoul LavallièreMiniseries1984To Catch a KingReinhard HeydrichTV movie1984–1989Ever Decreasing CirclesPaul Ryman1985A Woman of SubstanceAdam Fairley3 episodes1986Paradise PostponedHenry SimcoxMiniseries1987A Perfect SpyMagnus Pym5 episodes1989–1990Joint AccountDavid Braithwaite1989A Day in SummerJack RuskinTV movie1990Frederick Forsyth PresentsDennis GauntEpisode: "The Price of the Bride"1991-1994The Ruth Rendell MysteriesRev. Henry Archery/Harry Blunden2 serials1994The Chief Simon Duval1 episodeMacGyver: Trail to DoomsdayFrederick MoranTV movie1995ChillerRichard CramerEpisode: "The Man Who Didn't Believe in Ghosts"1996The Peacock SpringEdwardTV movieGobbleMr. Villiers1998The Cater Street HangmanEdward Ellison1999A Touch of FrostRichard DarrowEpisode: "Private Lives"The Ambassador Michael Cochrane3 episodes2003 The Inspector Lynley MysteriesDr. TrenarrowEpisode: "A Suitable Vengeance"2004My FamilyGeoffrey DuttonEpisode: "Going Dental"2005Jericho Philip PickeringEpisode: "The Hollow Men"Whatever Love MeansPrince PhilipTV movie2006Home Again Graham2011-2018Midsomer MurdersGrady Palmerston/Norman Swanscombe2 episodes2012-2015Downton AbbeyHugh 'Shrimpie' MacClare, Marquess of Flintshire4 episodes2013Mount PleasantParty Attendee1 episode2014GrantchesterArchie Johnson2014Moving OnEricEpisode: "Madge"2017-18, 2021-23UnforgottenMartin Hughes24 episodes2018–2019Hold the SunsetDr. Dugdale13 episodes2019Four Weddings and a FuneralSidney Thorpe-BloodEpisode: "The Winner Takes It All"2020–2022After LifePaul6 episodes2020The Spanish PrincessThomas Howard, 2nd Duke of Norfolk3 episodes2024TrueloveDavidMiniseries

Video games +YearTitleRoleNotes2009Forza Motorsport 3Narrator2010Dante's Inferno King Richard I/The Bishop of Florence/Background Shade2011Warhammer 40,000: Kill TeamChapter MasterThe Witcher 2: Assassins of KingsKing Henselt/Silgrat/AmerigoEnglish DubForza Motorsport 4Narrator2012Blades of TimeVicar of Chaos/Gateguard/Skyguard Lieutenant/Dismal Swamp DLCProfessor Layton vs. Phoenix Wright: Ace AttorneyThe JudgeEnglish version2014Dragon Age: InquisitionLord Esmeral Abernache

References

External links

Peter Egan Interview