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Eric Neal Peterson CM (born October 2, 1946) is a Canadian stage, television, and film actor, known for his roles in three major Canadian television series – Street Legal (1987–1994), Corner Gas (live-action 2004–2009 and film 2014, animated 2018–2021), and This is Wonderland (2004–2006).

Career

Stage

In 1971, Peterson began his acting career when he helped found the collective theatre company Tamahnous Theatre in Vancouver, British Columbia. There he received major roles in versions of The Bacchae and Nijinsky, both directed by John Gray.

In 1974, he moved to Toronto, Ontario, and joined Theatre Passe Muraille, a leading collective ensemble in Canada. He had main roles in productions of The Farm Show, The West Show, Them Donnelly’s, and 1837: The Farmers' Revolt. It was in this latter Rick Salutin production that he gained the greatest recognition, playing William Lyon Mackenzie and Lady Backwash.

In 1976, Peterson began to collaborate with John Gray again, writing Billy Bishop Goes to War. The play, which premiered in Vancouver in 1978, went on tour internationally, garnering positive reviews on Broadway, where Peterson won the Clarence Derwent Award for most promising performer, in London's West End. He was also nominated for Best Actor at the Edinburgh Festival Mainstage. In 1998, Peterson acted in the play once more at the Canadian Stage in Toronto.

Peterson's later stage appearances include Love and Anger at the Factory Theatre, Health (another collaboration with John Gray) at the Vancouver Playhouse and the lead role in Richard Ill at the Young People’s Theatre. In October 2000, he performed in Hysteria at the Canadian Stage and in January 2001, he appeared in Clout at the National Arts Centre in Ottawa.

Between November 20 and December 13, 2008, Peterson starred as family patriarch and business man Helge Klingenfeldt in The Company Theatre's production of Festen at the Berkeley Street Theatre in Toronto, Ontario, Canada.

Between August 8 and 29, 2009, Peterson reprised the lead role in Billy Bishop Goes to War at the Soulpepper Theatre Company in Toronto. The company announced that the production was planned to return in 2010. In the same year, he played Wiff Roach in Soulpepper's revival of David French's 1973 play Of the Fields, Lately.

In the early to mid 2010s he played the role of Percy Schmeiser in the docu-drama play Seeds.

Television

Until Corner Gas, his most famous role on television was his award-winning role as Leon Robinovitch, a left-wing lawyer, on Street Legal. His more notable television work includes 1998's Nothing Sacred (a movie for which he also co-produced and appeared in the stage version), Night Heat and This Is Wonderland. He also appeared as Hank Stewart in the Hippocratic Oath episode of Alfred Hitchcock Presents for AHF Film Productions.

In total, Peterson has appeared in fifty-two movie and television productions. He also appeared in an infomercial for Amnesty International. He also appeared in the Goosebumps episode "Shocker on Shock Street" as Mr. Wright

Peterson's most famous television role was that of Oscar Leroy on the Canadian television program Corner Gas. Peterson played the father of Brent Leroy (played by Brent Butt), who inherited the gas station after his father decided to retire. Much to the dismay of his son and his wife Emma (played by Janet Wright), he uses his new-found free time to unwittingly annoy his family and the town at large. Following the end of that show's run, Peterson made a guest appearance on the show Dan for Mayor, a show starring his former Corner Gas co-star Fred Ewanuick. As of 2014 he appears in The Best Laid Plans as Jerry Stockton.

Since January 2007, he has been performing in Half Life, a play by John Mighton, at the Canadian Stage. According to The Canadian Encyclopedia, "his fresh, energetic, natural acting style has made him popular with Canadian audiences, and he continues to be a mainstay of Canadian television."

Personal life

Peterson was born in Indian Head, Saskatchewan, Canada. He is married to fellow actor and People for Education executive director Annie Kidder, who is the sister of Margot Kidder. Peterson and his wife live in Toronto, Ontario, with their two daughters, although he still frequents his home province of Saskatchewan, where he owns a cottage on Katepwa Lake in the Qu'Appelle Valley near his hometown.

Awards

Peterson has won numerous awards over his career. For his portrayal of Leon Robinovitch on Street Legal, he was nominated for the Gemini Award for Best Performance by a Lead Actor in a Continuing Dramatic Role six times: in 1987, 1989, and every year from 1992 through 1995. He tied for the win with Winston Rekert (for Adderly) the first year, and won the next two outright. He has also been nominated twice under Best Ensemble Performance in a Comedy Program or Series with Corner Gas at the Gemini Awards, and once for Best Performance by an Actor in a Featured Supporting Role in a Dramatic Series for Episode 4 of This is Wonderland for his portrayal of Judge Malone. His fourth Gemini Award came in 2001 for Best Performance in a Pre-School Program.

He has also been nominated four times for Canadian Comedy Awards for his role on Corner Gas. In 2004, he was nominated (alongside fellow Corner Gas actor Brent Butt) in the "Pretty Funny Television Performance – Male" category. In 2007, he was nominated for "Best Male Performance."

In 1996, Peterson received an honorary Doctor of Letters in drama from the University of Saskatchewan; the head of the drama department, Henry Woolf, made the presentation. In 1999, the 20th anniversary edition of his play Billy Bishop Goes To War won him Dora Awards for Best Play, Best Direction, and Best Performance. He had previously received a Dora Award nomination for his role in Escape from Happiness. A 1982 CBC television adaptation garnered him an ACTRA award nomination. In May 2013 he received a Governor General's Performing Arts Award for his work for his lifetime contributions to Canadian theatre. For his lifelong contributions to the arts he received an Honorary Doctorate of Fine Arts from the University of Regina (2019).

Filmography

Film

Television

Awards and nominations

References

1. "Canadian Theatre Encyclopedia".
2. ^ Eric Peterson at IMDb
3. ^ "Eric Peterson at The Canadian Encyclopedia". Archived from the original on September 30, 2007. Retrieved September 30, 2007.
4. ^ "Eric Peterson's profile at the University of Saskatchewan archives". Archived from the original on September 30, 2012. Retrieved August 18, 2017.
5. Soulpepper Theatre Company website page for 2009 production of Billy Bishop Goes to War, "Soulpepper - Billy Bishop Goes to War". Archived from the original on December 12, 2009. Retrieved December 7, 2010.
6. J. Kelly Nestruck, "Worthy of revival but too sentimental". The Globe and Mail, July 3, 2009.
7. Schmidt, Joff (February 12, 2016). "Eric Peterson delivers stellar performance in Schmeiser docudrama Seeds". CBC. Retrieved June 14, 2024.
8. "Theatre Review: Annabel Soutar's Seeds a brilliant docudrama". Ottawa Citizen. March 30, 2014. Retrieved June 14, 2024.
9. Cushman, Robert (February 25, 2012). "Theatre Review: Seeds is an impressive retelling of Monsanto court case". National Post. Retrieved June 14, 2024.
10. Eric Peterson's other work on the Internet Movie Database
11. ^ "Biography at Corner Gas Online". Archived from the original on November 4, 2016. Retrieved December 25, 2018.
12. 'Gas' star guests on 'Dan For Mayor'. Toronto Sun, July 14, 2011.
13. Biography for Annie Kidder on the Internet Movie Database
14. Eric Peterson's Awards at the Internet Movie Database
15. "Corner Gas Online". Archived from the original on March 11, 2014. Retrieved December 25, 2018.
16. 'Corner Gas' nabs a leading six nominations for Canadian Comedy Awards
17. "Eric Peterson". Award Recipients. Governor General's Performing Arts Awards. 2013. Retrieved August 14, 2013.
18. Communications, University. "Eric Peterson to receive the University of Regina's highest honour". Communications and Marketing. University of Regina. Retrieved March 7, 2022.
19. "2004 Canadian Comedy Awards". Canadian Comedy Awards. Archived from the original on January 10, 2023. Retrieved April 6, 2018.
20. "2006 Canadian Comedy Awards". Canadian Comedy Awards. Archived from the original on May 15, 2021. Retrieved April 6, 2018.
21. "2006 Canadian Comedy Awards". Canadian Comedy Awards. Archived from the original on June 14, 2023. Retrieved April 6, 2018.
22. "2008 Canadian Comedy Awards". Canadian Comedy Awards. Archived from the original on August 2, 2018. Retrieved April 6, 2018.
23. "2012 Nominees Announced - 10th Anniversary ACTRA Awards in Toronto" (PDF). ACTRA Toronto. Archived from the original (PDF) on May 12, 2012. Retrieved April 6, 2018.
24. "2012 ACTRA Awards Recap". Notable Life. March 1, 2012. Retrieved April 6, 2018.
25. Kelly Townsend, "Babysitter wins Best Feature at 2023 Canadian Film Fest". Playback, April 3, 2023.
26. Ahmed Dirie, "CBC’s Sort Of cast among ACTRA Award recipients". Playback, April 27, 2023.

External links

• Eric Peterson at IMDb
• Eric Peterson at Northern Stars

• Biography
• Film

• 1946 births
• Living people
• Male actors from Saskatchewan
• Canadian male film actors
• Canadian male stage actors
• Canadian male television actors
• Canadian male voice actors
• Clarence Derwent Award winners
• Dora Mavor Moore Award winners
• Best Actor in a Drama Series Canadian Screen Award winners
• Members of the Order of Canada
• University of British Columbia alumni
• Canadian Comedy Award winners
• Male actors from Toronto
• Governor General's Award winners