John Edward Cater (17 January 1932 – 21 March 2009) was an English actor.[2]

John Cater
Born
John Edward Cater

(1932-01-17)17 January 1932
Hendon, London, England
Died21 March 2009(2009-03-21) (aged 77)[1]
London, England
OccupationActor
Years active1958–2008
Spouse
Wendy Gifford
(m. 1963)
Children2

Early life

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John Edward Cater was born 17 January 1932 in Hendon, north London.[3] His father, like his grandfather, was a florist. His mother was a violinist who performed with the dance trio The Piroinos. He was diagnosed with hereditary haemochromatosis, which led his body to absorb too much dietary iron, but it caused him few problems for most of his life.[3]

Cater was just four years old when he enrolled in dance school. He was attending Hendon Preparatory School when, in 1939, he and his entire class were evacuated from London to Devon. He remained in Devon until he was 16 years old, graduating from Shebbear College.[3]

Upon graduation, he was called up for his national service, in which he served in the Royal Army Educational Corps.[3]

After leaving the army, Cater enrolled at RADA in 1948.[3]

Cater made his professional acting debut with the Dundee Repertory Theatre after graduating from RADA. He was hired by his friend, the actor Herbert Wise. For the next several years, Cater acted in repertory theatre and summer stock in Aberdeen, Cork, Edinburgh, Guildford, and Nottingham. In 1961, he joined Peter Hall newly-formed Royal Shakespeare Company first London RSC at the Aldwych Theatre. He made his debut with the RSC (and on the West End) in The Duchess of Malfi.[3]

He married fellow RSC actor Wendy Gifford in 1963.[3]

His television credits include: Danger Man; Z-Cars; The Avengers; The Baron; Doctor Who; Follyfoot; Softly, Softly; Department S; Up Pompeii!; Dad's Army; The Naked Civil Servant; I, Claudius; Alcock and Gander; The Duchess of Duke Street; Thriller (1975), The Sweeney; Inspector Morse; Bergerac; One Foot in the Grave; Lovejoy; Jeeves and Wooster; Midsomer Murders and Doctors.[4]

His film appearances include: The Abominable Dr. Phibes, Dr. Phibes Rises Again and Captain Kronos – Vampire Hunter.[5]

Death

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Late in life, Cater's haemochromatosis led to severe arthritis, which significantly inhibited his acting career.[3]

John Cater died of liver cancer on 21 March 2009. He was survived by his wife, Wendy, and his daughters Emma and Harriet.[3]

Filmography

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Film

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Year Title Role Notes
1966 Alfie Siddie's Husband Uncredited
1968 Decline and Fall... of a Birdwatcher Blackall
1970 Loot Meadows
1971 The Abominable Dr. Phibes Superintendent Waverley
1972 Dr. Phibes Rises Again
1974 Captain Kronos – Vampire Hunter Grost
1978 News from Nowhere Richard Grosvenor
1980 Rising Damp Bert
1980 Little Lord Fauntleroy Thomas
1995 Savage Hearts Bernie
2002 Fogbound Older man
2005 The Trial of the King Killers Mr. Beaver
2005 Room 36 Bert
2006 Alien Autopsy Maurice

Television

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Year Title Role Notes
1966 Doctor Who Professor Krimpton Episode: "The War Machines" part: 1-4
1966 Take a Pair of Private Eyes Lyall Sankey 2 episodes
1967 The Avengers Olliphant Episode: "The Living Dead"
1970 Dad's Army George Clarke Episode: "The Two and a Half Feathers"
1972 Alcock and Gander Ernest 6 episodes
1973 Seven of One Horace Episode: "Spanner's Eleven"
1976-1977 The Duchess of Duke Street Joseph Starr 24 episodes
1975 Thriller Murchison Episode: "If it's a Man, Hang Up".
1975 Madame Bovary Lheureux 3 episodes
1975 The Naked Civil Servant Psychiatrist TV movie
1976 Nobody's House Mr Jacobs Episode: "There's Nobody There"
1976 I, Claudius Tiberius Claudius Narcissus 3 episodes
1978 The Sweeney Alec Slemen Episode: "Money, Money, Money"
1978-1981 Rosie Merv 5 episodes
1979 The Glums Burglar 1 episode
1980-1981 The Other 'Arf George Watts 14 episodes
1982 Anyone for Denis? Maurice Picarda TV movie
1983 Jack of Diamonds Foxwell 5 episodes
1987 Theatre Night Uncle Titus Dudgeon Episode: "The Devil's Disciple"
1987 Still Crazy Like a Fox Rockhill TV movie
1989 The Woman in Black Arnold Pepperell TV movie
1991 Prisoner of Honor New War Minister TV movie
1993 Full Stretch Doorman Episode: "Ivory Tower"
1993 Maigret Porter Episode: "Maigret on the Defensive"
1998 Goodnight Mister Tom Dr. Little TV movie
2004 Chucklevision Maurice
2005 Bad Girls Solicitor 1 episode

References

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  1. ^ "Death Notices - John Cater". The Guardian. Guardian Newspapers. 4 April 2009.
  2. ^ "John Cater". BFI. Archived from the original on 10 March 2016.
  3. ^ a b c d e f g h i Coveney, Michael (13 May 2009). "Obituary: John Cater". The Guardian. Retrieved 19 January 2024.
  4. ^ "John Cater". TV.com. CBS Interactive. Archived from the original on 20 May 2016. Retrieved 4 March 2016.
  5. ^ "John Cater - Movies and Filmography - AllMovie". AllMovie.
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