Peter John Adams (18 May 1938 – 13 December 1999) was a

New Zealand New Zealand () is an island country in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. It consists of two main landmasses—the North Island () and the South Island ()—and List of islands of New Zealand, over 600 smaller islands. It is the List of isla ...

-born Australian actor, best remembered for his performances on Australian television in soap operas and serials. Born in

Taumarunui Taumarunui is a small town in the King Country of the central North Island of New Zealand. It is on an alluvial plain set within rugged terrain on the upper reaches of the Whanganui River, 65 km south of Te Kūiti and 55 km west of T� ...

, King Country, North Island, New Zealand, Adams later emigrated to Australia. He was married to actress Kirsty Child.

Career

Adams appeared in the Australian

soap opera A soap opera (also called a daytime drama or soap) is a genre of a long-running radio or television Serial (radio and television), serial, frequently characterized by melodrama, ensemble casts, and sentimentality. The term ''soap opera'' originat ...

Number 96 96 (ninety-six) is the natural number following 95 and preceding 97. It is a number that appears the same when rotated by 180 degrees. In mathematics 96 is: * an octagonal number. * a refactorable number. * an untouchable number. * a semiper ...

'' as Andy Marshall in 1974-75 and had a five-week stint in medical soap opera ''

The Young Doctors ''The Young Doctors'' is an Australian early-evening soap opera originally broadcast on the Nine Network and produced by the Reg Grundy Organisation, it aired from Monday 8 November 1976 until Wednesday 30 March 1983. The series is primarily s ...

'' as comedian, Clarrie Baker in 1977. Adams' defining role came in 1977 when he was cast as a leading character, Detective Jeff Johnson, in the police procedural series ''

Cop Shop ''Cop Shop'' is a long-running Australian police drama television series produced by Crawford Productions that ran for seven seasons between 28 November 1977 and 23 July 1984. It comprised 582 one-hour episodes. Synopsis The show revolved arou ...

''. His character "JJ" became a hit with audiences, winning Adams several

Logies The TV Week Logie Awards (known colloquially as The Logies) is an annual ceremony celebrating and honouring the best shows and stars in Australian television, sponsored and organised by the magazine ''TV Week''. The event is telecast live and b ...

. In 1980 he won Best Lead Actor in a Series and in 1981, the Silver Logie for Most Popular Actor. He left that series for a role in musical theatre, but later returned, staying until the series was cancelled in December 1983. He subsequently appeared in ''

Prisoner A prisoner, also known as an inmate or detainee, is a person who is deprived of liberty against their will. This can be by confinement or captivity in a prison or physical restraint. The term usually applies to one serving a Sentence (law), se ...

'' as the tough Acting Governor Bob Moran, for three months in 1986. In 1994 he appeared in the television movie '' Halifax f.p. – The Feeding'' with

Rebecca Gibney Rebecca Catherine Gibney is a New Zealand actress known for her roles on Australian television in '' The Flying Doctors'', '' Halifax f.p.'', ''Packed to the Rafters'', ''Winter'' and '' Wanted''. She has also featured in a number of Australia ...

. While predominantly known for his television roles, Adams also worked in theatre. In 1985 he toured Victoria appearing in

Warwick Moss Warwick Tennant Moss is an Australian actor, television personality and presenter and dramatist and playwright as well as New South Wales Premier's Literary Award winning writer for the stage. Early life Moss was born in Sydney and attended N ...

' two-man play ''Down An Alley Filled With Cats''. Adams directed the 1995 Geelong Lyric Theatre Society production of ''

Les Misérables ''Les Misérables'' (, ) is a 19th-century French literature, French Epic (genre), epic historical fiction, historical novel by Victor Hugo, first published on 31 March 1862, that is considered one of the greatest novels of the 19th century. '' ...

''. In 1987 he appeared in the Darwin Theatre Company production of ''

Trumpets and Raspberries ''Trumpets and Raspberries'' ( Italian title: ''Clacson, trombette e pernacchi'') is a satirical play by Dario Fo, first performed in 1981. Plot summary The fictional plot revolves around a real political figure, Gianni Agnelli, head of the Fia ...

''.

Death

Adams died from cancer, aged 61, on 13 December 1999.

Partial filmography

* ''

Alfred Hitchcock Presents ''Alfred Hitchcock Presents'' is an American television anthology series created, hosted and produced by Alfred Hitchcock, airing on CBS and NBC, alternately, between 1955 and 1965. It features dramas, thrillers, and mysteries. Between 1962 ...

'' (1955) (Season 1 Episode 6: "Salvage") – Tim Grady * ''

'' (1974–75) – Andy Marshall * ''

'' (1977) – Clarrie Baker * ''

'' (1977–83) – Detective Jeff 'J.J.' Johnson * '' Bellamy'' (1981) * ''

'' (1986) – Acting Governor Bob Moran * '' Halifax f.p. – The Feeding'' (1994)

References

External links

* 1938 births 1999 deaths 20th-century Australian male actors Australian male film actors Australian male soap opera actors Australian male stage actors Deaths from cancer in Victoria (state) Logie Award winners 20th-century New Zealand male actors New Zealand emigrants to Australia New Zealand male film actors New Zealand male soap opera actors New Zealand male stage actors New Zealand male television actors {{NewZealand-tv-actor-stub