While a majority of people know him for his menacing and iconic role as Grand Moff Tarkin (see below), it should come as a surprise to no one that Peter Cushing is one of the finest and most versatile actors to ever grace the screen. Mostly known, along with his counterpart in Christopher Lee, for horror movies during the ’60s and ’70s, Cushing displays an array of talents born out of his upbringing in theater. His versatility is on full display for the bevy of characters he played, from confused scientists to Machiavellian ones. Here are some of his best performances.
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6 Star Wars (1977)
20th Century Fox Distribution
Unquestionably his most famous role, Cushing was cast as the primary antagonist for the legendary space opera, thanks in large part to George Lucas’ love of British horror films. His role as commander of the Death Star gave him the right to reap havoc throughout the galaxy with impunity, firmly establishing the Galactic Empire as the supreme force. The aura and respect he embodies was masterfully interpreted by Cushing; calm, cool, and collected; he let his actions do the talking, using his status as a form of subjugation and loyalty. No better scene exemplifies this than the one where he orders Darth Vader to release another officer from his force-choke. Anyone who can boss around the most terrifying man in the galaxy is a force (pun intended) to be reckoned with.
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5 The Creeping Flesh (1973)
Columbia Pictures Distribution
Playing a mad doctor looking for the cure to eternity, Cushing’s Professor Emmanuele Hildern serves as a tragic and emblematic figure for what lurks in the corner of every achievement. Upon discovering a very large and human-like skeleton on a New Guinea expedition, and taking it to his laboratory for further studies, strange and unexplainable things begin to occur, made even more compounded by the skeleton slowly becoming sentient, as more water is poured on its surface. The movie serves as a cautionary tale on the dangers of obsession and lunacy, presenting a broken man who went further over the edge the more he began to inquire in practices bordering on the pseudo-scientific. The film ends in a twist, where the viewer is left to interpret where the truth actually lies.
4 The Flesh and the Fiends (1960)
Valiant Distributions
Originally a box office failure, The Flesh and the Fiends quickly grew a reputation as one of Cushing’s best, showcasing his talents and presence with short, but poignant scenes. Cushing plays Dr. Robert Knox, an anatomist professor at the University of Edinburgh, engaging in very illegal practices of smuggling murdered bodies into his chambers for studies and experimentation. It follows the journey of the two men responsible for delivering bodies to the doctor, and the moral and ethical implications it involves. The film gathered its reputation due in large part to its brilliant pacing and acting performances, but it is Cushing who ties the film together with his magnetic charisma. It touches upon themes of medical malpractice and turning the other cheek to doubts and questions in the name of research and preference, serving as a reminder that evil and wrongdoing only occurs when it’s allowed to by the people in control.
3 Twins of Evil (1971)
Universal Pictures Distribution
A true hidden gem of folk British horror, Cushing stars as Gustav Weil, uncle of Maria and Freida Gellhorn, recently orphaned twins who are now entrusted to Gustav as their primary guardian. During the course, it is revealed one of the twins, Freida, begins to feel an attraction for Count Karnstein, who turns her into a vampire. Weil must now take responsibility and protect Maria, while attempting to save Freida; but the Count is always one step ahead, and foils his plans every step of the way. Cushing plays the role perfectly, blending a milder and tamer side of his personality with a more menacing and robust attitude towards witchcraft and vampires. Its pacing, setting, and unique blend of shock and macabre storytelling will forever make this film an obscure horror classic for fans of the genre.
2 The Hound of the Baskervilles (1959)
United Artists Distribution
Cushing plays the iconic Sherlock Holmes for the second time in his career (he would later go on to play him a dozen more times in the ’60s on the BBC television show) in what is perhaps the classic detective’s most famous story. Assigned to solve the mystery of the recent Baskerville murders, Cushing plays a calm and collected Holmes, undeterred or unfazed to the downright almost unexplainable occurrences in the town, prompting him to use most of his mental strengths to solve the case. Cushing, an avid fan of the Holmes books, made contributions to the project that made it more loyal to Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s series of books, going as far as taking constant notes on how Holmes should behave and keeping a keen eye on how he acts. The result is one of the best works of Holmes ever put to screen.
1 1984 (1954)
BBC Programming Distributions
A made-for-TV movie for the BBC, Cushing plays the tragic Winston Smith in an adaptation of George Orwell’s dystopian masterpiece. His fantastic range as an actor allows him to convey an array of emotions; from anger, frustration, compassion, love, resentment, denial, and fear. Controversial due to its intense and graphic depictions for the time, the film became one of the most iconic renditions of the novel, with some considering it the very best adaptation. Cushing’s performance stands as one of the best renditions of the character, thanks in large part to his more faithful and compassionate rendition to the trifles and struggles such an environment depicted in the novel can bring to its inhabitants. His depiction of desperation, paranoia and ultimate subjugation mesmerizes in scope and perspective, offering a nuanced approach to the subject that brought about new amalgamations of similar stories to the forefront.
