Editing Pete Postlethwaite

{{short description|English actor (1946–2011)}}
{{use British English|date=August 2011}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=January 2020}}
{{Infobox person
| name               = Pete Postlethwaite
| honorific_suffix   = {{post-nominals|country=GBR|size=100%|OBE}}
| image              = Pete Postlethwaite.JPG
| caption            = Postlethwaite in 2004
| birth_name         = Peter William Postlethwaite
| birth_date         = {{Birth date|1946|2|7|df=y}}
| birth_place        = [[Warrington]], [[Lancashire]], England
| death_date         = {{Death date and age|2011|1|2|1946|2|7|df=y}}
| death_place        = [[Shrewsbury]], [[Shropshire]], England
| occupation         = Actor
| alma_mater = [[Bristol Old Vic Theatre School]]
| years_active       = 1975–2011
| spouse             = {{marriage|Jacqueline Morrish<br />|2003}}
| children           = 2, including [[Billy Postlethwaite]]
}}

'''Peter William Postlethwaite''' {{post-nominals|country=GBR|size=100%|OBE}} (7 February 1946 – 2 January 2011) was an English [[character actor]].<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2011/01/03/AR2011010304974.html|title=Pete Postlethwaite, brilliant character actor of 'Usual Suspects,' 'Name of the Father'|first=T. Rees|last=Shapiro|date=4 January 2011|newspaper=The Washington Post}}</ref> After various stage<ref name=“theatricalia”>{{cite web|url=https://theatricalia.com/person/557/pete-postlethwaite|title=Pete Postlethwaite|website=Theatricalia|access-date=4 March 2025}}</ref> and minor television appearances, Postlethwaite's first major success arose through the film ''[[Distant Voices, Still Lives]]'' (1988), directed by [[Terence Davies]]. He had a breakthrough in Hollywood when he portrayed David in ''[[Alien 3]]'' (1992), and his international reputation was further solidified when he was nominated for the [[Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor]] for his role as Giuseppe Conlon, father of [[Gerry Conlon]], in ''[[In the Name of the Father (film)|In the Name of the Father]]'' (1993).

Following this role, he portrayed the mysterious lawyer Mr. Kobayashi in ''[[The Usual Suspects]]'' and went on to appear in a wide variety of films, including ''[[Dragonheart]]'', ''[[Romeo + Juliet]]'', ''[[Brassed Off]]'', ''[[The Lost World: Jurassic Park]]'', ''[[Amistad (film)|Amistad]]'', ''[[Animal Farm (1999 film)|Animal Farm]]'', ''[[James and the Giant Peach (film)|James and the Giant Peach]]'', and ''[[Inception]]''. On television, Postlethwaite played [[Obadiah Hakeswill|Sergeant Obadiah Hakeswill]] on ''[[Sharpe (TV series)|Sharpe]]''. On stage, he was a member of the [[Royal Shakespeare Company]] from 1981 through 1987.<ref name=“theatricalia”/>

Director [[Steven Spielberg]] once called him "the best actor in the world".<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/film/2011/jan/04/pete-postlethwaite-film-actor|title=Pete Postlethwaite: A face we won't forget|first=Peter|last=Bradshaw|newspaper=The Guardian|date=4 January 2011}}</ref> He was made an [[Officer of the Order of the British Empire]] in the [[2004 New Year Honours]] list. Less than one month after his death, he was nominated for the [[BAFTA Award for Best Actor in a Supporting Role]] for his performance as gangster Fergie Colm in ''[[The Town (2010 film)|The Town]]'' (2010).

==Early life==
Peter William Postlethwaite was born into a working-class [[Catholic]] family at 101 Norris Street<ref>{{Cite book |last=Postlethwaite |first=Pete |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=H_A49kPEx38C&dq=pete+postlethwaite+norris+street&pg=PP20 |title=A Spectacle of Dust: The Autobiography |date=2011-06-23 |publisher=Orion |isbn=978-0-297-86494-3 |language=en}}</ref> in [[Warrington]], [[Lancashire]] on 7 February 1946,<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2011/01/04/arts/04postlethwaite.html|work=The New York Times|first=Bruce|last=Weber|title=Pete Postlethwaite, British Actor, Dies at 64|date=3 January 2011}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.screenrush.co.uk/stars/star-9155|title=Pete Postlethwaite Biography}}</ref> the son of Mary Geraldine (née Lawless; 1913–2000) and [[cooper (profession)|cooper]], wood machinist, and school caretaker William Postlethwaite (1913–1988).<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/obituaries/culture-obituaries/film-obituaries/8237344/Pete-Postlethwaite.html|title=Pete Postlethwaite|work=The Daily Telegraph|location=London, UK|date=3 January 2011|access-date=4 January 2011}}</ref><ref>{{cite ODNB|author=Tim O'Sullivan|title=Postlethwaite, Peter William [Pete] (1946–2011)|date= Jan 2015 |id=103537|url=http://www.oxforddnb.com/public/dnb/103537.html}}</ref> He had an older brother named Michael (1944–2006) and two older sisters named Patricia and Anne. He would later portray [[Irish people|Irish]] characters on multiple occasions, leading some to mistakenly believe that he was of Irish descent.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.independent.ie/entertainment/books-arts/review-autobiography-pete-postlethwaite-a-spectacle-of-dust-26754459.html|title=Review: Autobiography Pete Postlethwaite: A Spectacle of Dust|date=1 December 2012|newspaper=Irish Independent}}</ref>

Postlethwaite attended St Benedict's RC Junior School and a [[seminary]], then joined [[De La Salle School, St Helens#Grammar schools|West Park Grammar School]] in [[St Helens, Merseyside|St Helens]], where he enjoyed sports including [[rugby union]]. He spent an extra year re-sitting some of his [[GCE Ordinary Level|O-levels]], and then took four [[GCE Advanced Level|A-levels]] in English, history, geography, and French.<ref name=autobiography>{{cite book|last1=Postlethwaite|first1=Pete|last2=Richardson|first2=Andy|author-link2=Andy Richardson (writer)|title=A Spectacle of Dust: The Autobiography|edition=Hardcover|date=1 June 2011|publisher=[[Orion Publishing]]|isbn=978-0297864936|url-access=registration|url=https://archive.org/details/spectacleofdusta0000post}}</ref> Before his acting career, he trained as a teacher at [[St Mary's University, Twickenham|St Mary's College, Strawberry Hill]] where his chosen subjects were physical education and drama (where he became the first male drama teacher{{cn|date=February 2024}}), before training as an actor at the [[Bristol Old Vic Theatre School]].

He initially trained to be a Catholic priest,<ref>{{cite news|title=Australia's soul singer|url=https://www.theguardian.com/culture/2008/jun/20/filmandmusic1.filmandmusic16|newspaper=[[The Guardian]]|date=20 June 2008}}</ref> but later settled on a career in acting. He trained as an actor at the [[Bristol Old Vic Theatre School]] in 1970.<ref>{{cite web |title=Famous alumni from Bristol's Old Vic Theatre School |url=https://www.itv.com/news/2016-01-07/ten-famous-alumni-from-bristols-old-vic-theatre-school |website=[[ITV (TV network)|ITV]] |date=7 January 2016 |access-date=7 January 2016}}</ref>

He was a veteran of the [[Royal Shakespeare Company]] and other acting companies. On 13 January 1981, he took the leading role in a [[BBC]] TV [[black comedy]] by [[Alan Bleasdale]], ''The Muscle Market'', which was a spin-off from ''[[Boys from the Blackstuff]]''; it was part of the ''Play for Today'' series.{{citation needed|date=January 2014}}

After other early appearances in small parts for television programmes such as ''[[The Professionals (TV series)|The Professionals]]'' and as Jack ''"Oily''" Wragg in the ''[[Minder (TV series)|Minder]]'' episode ''Back In Good Old England,''<ref>https://www.minder.org/episodeguide/S03E12_BackInGoodOldEngland.htm</ref> Postlethwaite's first film success came with the film ''[[Distant Voices, Still Lives]]'' in 1988. He received an [[Academy Award]] nomination for his role in ''[[In the Name of the Father]]'' in 1993. He is well known for his role as mysterious lawyer Mr. Kobayashi in ''[[The Usual Suspects]]''. He made appearances in several other successful films, including ''[[Alien 3]]'', ''[[Amistad (film)|Amistad]]'', ''[[Brassed Off]]'', ''[[The Shipping News (film)|The Shipping News]]'', ''[[The Constant Gardener (film)|The Constant Gardener]]'', ''[[Inception]]'', ''[[James and the Giant Peach (film)|James and the Giant Peach]]'' and as Friar Lawrence in Baz Luhrmann's ''[[Romeo + Juliet]]''. {{citation needed|date=January 2014}}

==Career==
Early in his career, Postlethwaite was advised to adopt a new surname for his acting work by his first agent and by peers who quipped that his name "would never be put up in [[Marquee (structure)|lights outside theatres]] because they couldn't afford the electricity". He rejected the advice.<ref name="Postlethwaitename">{{cite news|url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2011-jan-04-la-me-pete-postlethwaite-20110104-story.html|title=Pete Postlethwaite dies at 64; actor was nominated for an Oscar for 'In the Name of the Father'|author=McLellan, Dennis|work=[[Los Angeles Times]]|date=4 January 2011|access-date=25 June 2013}}</ref> He started his career at the [[Everyman Theatre, Liverpool|Everyman Theatre]] in [[Liverpool]], where his colleagues included [[Bill Nighy]], [[Jonathan Pryce]], [[Antony Sher]], [[Matthew Kelly]], and [[Julie Walters]], having an intimate relationship with the last during the mid-to-late 1970s.<ref name="wheatley1"/>

In 2003, he toured [[Australia]] and [[New Zealand]] in a 90-minute one-man play, ''Scaramouche Jones'', in which he played a clown trying to find out who he is before he dies at midnight, receiving a nomination for the [[TMA Award]] for Best Actor and winning the [[Theatregoers' Choice Award]] for Best Solo Performance.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.abc.net.au/tv/enoughrope/transcripts/s879121.htm|title=ENOUGH ROPE with Andrew Denton – episode 12: Pete Postlethwaite|publisher=ABC|location=Australia|date=2 June 2003|access-date=3 January 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110107073513/http://www.abc.net.au/tv/enoughrope/transcripts/s879121.htm|archive-date=7 January 2011|url-status=dead}}</ref> This was directed by Rupert Goold, who would also direct his [[King Lear|Lear]] in 2008, in which Postlethwaite played every character. As well as Australia, the play toured Canada, New Zealand and the UK to great acclaim.<ref name="wheatley1">{{cite news |last1=Wheatley |first1=Jane |title=The Coronation of Pete Postlethwaite |url=https://www.thetimes.com/culture/tv-radio/article/the-coronation-of-pete-postlethwaite-wvtkrjgdxlh |access-date=28 August 2019 |work=[[The Times]] |date=27 October 2008}}</ref>

In ''[[The Art of Discworld]]'' (2004), [[Terry Pratchett]] wrote that he had always imagined [[Sam Vimes]] as "a younger, slightly bulkier version of Pete Postlethwaite".<ref>Pratchett, Terry and [[Paul Kidby|Kidby, Paul]]. ''The Art of Discworld'', Victor Gollancz Ltd, 2004; {{ISBN|0-575-07511-2}}</ref>

[[Steven Spielberg]], who directed Postlethwaite in 1997's ''[[The Lost World: Jurassic Park]]'', called him "the best actor in the world".<ref>{{cite news|title=Pete's progress|date=1 October 2000|url=http://film.guardian.co.uk/interview/interviewpages/0,,375560,00.html|work=The Observer|access-date=25 April 2007|location=London}}</ref> Postlethwaite quipped: "I'm sure what Spielberg actually said was, 'The thing about Pete is that he thinks he's the best actor in the world.{{'"}}<ref>{{cite news|first=Dominic|last=Cavendish|title=The poet in Pete's soul|date=25 April 2007|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/arts/main.jhtml?xml=/arts/2007/04/25/btpete125.xml|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081202160116/http://www.telegraph.co.uk/arts/main.jhtml?xml=/arts/2007/04/25/btpete125.xml|url-status=dead|archive-date=2 December 2008|work=The Telegraph|access-date=25 April 2007|location=London, UK}}</ref> Postlethwaite next starred in a Liverpool stage production of ''King Lear'' in 2008 at the Everyman Theatre, Liverpool, and at the Young Vic, London. He appeared in the [[climate change]]-themed film ''[[The Age of Stupid]]'', which premiered in March 2009.

One of his more notable roles was [[Obadiah Hakeswill|Sergeant Obadiah Hakeswill]] in ITV's ''[[Sharpe (TV series)|Sharpe]]'' series. The actor said this was one of his favourite roles and that he and fellow actor [[Sean Bean]] played well off each other because of their mutual love and respect. [[Bernard Cornwell]], the author and creator of the ''Sharpe'' series, specifically wrote Hakeswill's character in later novels to reflect Postlethwaite's performance as the character in the TV series. Postlethwaite co-starred with Bean in ''[[When Saturday Comes (film)|When Saturday Comes]]''. {{citation needed|date=January 2014}}

Terminally ill, Postlethwaite made a return to Hollywood in three 2010 films, first as Spyros in ''[[Clash of the Titans (2010 film)|Clash of the Titans]]''. He next appeared in the blockbuster hit ''[[Inception]]'' as Maurice Fischer, an industrialist who is slowly dying. Lastly, his performance in ''[[The Town (2010 film)|The Town]]'' as florist and crime boss Fergus "Fergie" Colm was well received by critics, which would earn him a posthumous nomination for [[BAFTA Award for Best Actor in a Supporting Role]], and making several publications' lists of Oscar predictions for Best Supporting Actor.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.indiewire.com/article/for_your|title=For Your Consideration: Final 2011 Oscar Predictions|first=Peter|last=Knegt|date=24 January 2011}}</ref><ref>{{cite magazine|url=http://www.ew.com/article/2011/01/18/oscar-predictions-final-pre-nomination-rankings|title=Oscar predictions: Final pre-nomination rankings|magazine=[[Entertainment Weekly]] }}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.craveonline.com/culture/130154-crave-online-predicts-the-2011-oscar-nominations|title=CRAVE Online Predicts the 2011 Oscar Nominations! – CraveOnline|date=24 January 2011|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150923211122/http://www.craveonline.com/culture/130154-crave-online-predicts-the-2011-oscar-nominations|archive-date=23 September 2015}}</ref> His final appearance on screen was in [[Nick Hamm]]'s film ''[[Killing Bono]]'', based on the memoir of Neil McCormick. The role was written specially for Postlethwaite to accommodate his illness.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.meg.ie/killing-bono-premier/|title=Killing Bono premier – meg}}</ref> The film was released on 1 April 2011. He was scheduled to be in the BBC series ''[[Exile (TV series)|Exile]]'', but had to pull out because of ill health and was replaced by [[Jim Broadbent]].<ref>[https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-12890291 "Jim Broadbent takes Pete Postlethwaite part in drama"], BBC.co.uk; accessed 24 January 2014.</ref>

==Activism==
Postlethwaite appeared as a taxi driver in a [[Party political broadcast|political broadcast]] for the [[Labour Party (UK)|Labour Party]] during the [[1997 United Kingdom general election|1997 general election]],<ref>{{cite web|last=Walker|first=Michael|url=http://country-standard.blogspot.com/2011/01/pete-postlethwaite-1997-ppb-taxicab.html|title=Country Standard: Pete Postlethwaite – 1997 PPB Taxicab Angel|publisher=Country-standard.blogspot.com|date=3 January 2011|access-date=29 January 2011}}</ref> and marched in London against the [[Iraq War]] in 2003.<ref>{{cite news|last=Weaver|first=Matthew|title=Actor Pete Postlethwaite dies|url=https://www.theguardian.com/film/2011/jan/03/actor-pete-postlethwaite-dies|newspaper=The Guardian|date=3 January 2011|location=London}}</ref>

In his later years, Postlethwaite was vocal in calling for action on [[climate change]], and installed a [[wind turbine]] in his garden; he wrote in ''[[The Sun (United Kingdom)|The Sun]]'', "The stakes [of climate change] are very, very high. They're through the roof. How could we willingly know that we're going into extinction ... and let it happen?"<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.ageofstupid.net/video/making_of_petes_reaction|title=Reactions: Spanner Films|publisher=Ageofstupid.net|access-date=3 January 2011}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.ageofstupid.net/video/channel_4_news_16th_feb_2008|title=Press: Stupid on Channel 4 News|publisher=Ageofstupid.net|date=16 February 2008|access-date=3 January 2011}}</ref> At the UK premiere of ''The Age of Stupid'' in 2009, he told then-[[Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change]] [[Ed Miliband]] that he would return his [[Officer of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire|OBE]] and vote for any party other than Labour if the [[Kingsnorth power station#Proposed replacement|Kingsnorth coal-fired power station]] was given the go-ahead by the Labour government.<ref>{{cite news|last=Siegle|first=Lucy|url=https://www.theguardian.com/environment/ethicallivingblog/2009/mar/16/the-age-of-stupid-renewableenergy|title=The night Miliband said 'I'm with Stupid, but...'|work=The Guardian|location=UK|date=16 March 2009|access-date=29 January 2011}}</ref>

==Personal life==
Postlethwaite lived in [[West Itchenor]] before moving near [[Bishop's Castle]]. He was a lifelong supporter of [[Liverpool F.C.|Liverpool FC]].<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/film/2011/jan/03/pete-postlethwaite-remembered-colleagues|title=Pete Postlethwaite remembered|first=Tim|last=Lusher|newspaper=The Guardian|date=3 January 2011}}</ref> He began a relationship with former [[BBC]] producer Jacqueline Morrish in 1987, and they were married in 2003 at [[St Nicholas Church, West Itchenor|St Nicholas' Church]] in West Itchenor. They had a son, actor [[Billy Postlethwaite]] (born 1989),<ref name="wheatley1"/> and a daughter, Lily Postlethwaite (born 1996).

==Health issues and death==
Postlethwaite was diagnosed with [[testicular cancer]] in 1990, and [[Inguinal orchiectomy|had his right testicle removed]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://seanmartella.blogspot.com/2008/01/cancer-survivors-part-1-pete.html|title=Sean Martella's Testicular Cancer Update Blog: Cancer Survivors Part 1 – Pete Postlethwaite |publisher=Seanmartella.blogspot.com|date=17 January 2008|access-date=3 January 2011}}</ref><ref name="Observer">{{cite news|url=http://film.guardian.co.uk/interview/interviewpages/0,,375560,00.html#article_continue|work=The Observer|location=London|title=Pete's progress|access-date=22 May 2010|date=1 October 2000}}</ref> A life-long smoker since he was 10,<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/obituaries/culture-obituaries/film-obituaries/8237344/Pete-Postlethwaite.html|title=Pete Postlethwaite |work=The Telegraph|date=16 February 1945 |access-date=4 January 2011|location=London}}</ref> he said during a 2009 interview with ''[[Scotland on Sunday]]'', "We've got to hope the next generation will do things differently. I'm sure that in 20 years' time the kids will say: 'Can you believe that people actually used to smoke – put these funny little things in their mouths, lit them and sucked all that crap into their lungs?"<ref name="Smith">{{cite news|title=Pete Postlethwaite interview: For the love of Pete|author=Smith, Aidan|url=http://scotlandonsunday.scotsman.com/sos-review/Pete-Postlethwaite-interview-For-the.5048415.jp|newspaper=Scotland on Sunday|date=8 March 2009|access-date=26 December 2010}}</ref>

Postlethwaite was diagnosed with [[pancreatic cancer]] in March 2009,<ref>{{Cite web | url=https://www.moviesteve.com/film-of-the-day-02-january-the-usual-suspects-1995/ | title=Film of the Day: 2 January – the Usual Suspects (1995)| date=29 October 2023}}</ref> and continued acting for the next year and a half, showing clear signs of weight loss during his last performances.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/films/news/postlethwaites-last-take-director-recalls-dying-stars-final-film-2254170.html |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20220525/https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/films/news/postlethwaites-last-take-director-recalls-dying-stars-final-film-2254170.html |archive-date=25 May 2022 |url-access=subscription |url-status=live|title=Five years on: Celebrating Pete Postlethwaite's legacy|date=7 January 2017|access-date=19 June 2018}}</ref> On 2 January 2011, at the age of 64, he died at the [[Royal Shrewsbury Hospital]] in [[Shrewsbury]].<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.inthenews.co.uk/news/entertainment/film/daniel-day-lewis-pays-tribute-to-pete-postlethwaite-$21385579.htm|author=Lesnik, Tim|title=Daniel Day Lewis Pays Tribute to Pete Postlethwaite|date=17 February 2011|access-date=17 February 2011|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110304124603/http://www.inthenews.co.uk/news/entertainment/film/daniel-day-lewis-pays-tribute-to-pete-postlethwaite-$21385579.htm|archive-date=4 March 2011}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-12106753 |title=Oscar-nominated actor Pete Postlethwaite dies aged 64 |publisher=[[BBC]] |date= 3 January 2011|access-date=4 January 2011}}</ref><ref>[https://www.independent.co.uk/news/people/news/actor-pete-postlethwaite-dies-age-64-2174887.html Actor Pete Postlethwaite dies age 64] ''[[The Independent]]'' (London) 3 January 2011</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/film/2011/jan/04/pete-postlethwaite-film-actor|title=Pete Postlethwaite: A face we won't forget|date=1 January 2011|work=[[The Guardian]]|access-date=4 January 2011|location=London|first=Peter|last=Bradshaw|author-link=Peter Bradshaw}}</ref> In his final two years, he worked on his memoir ''A Spectacle of Dust'' with writer [[Andy Richardson (writer)|Andy Richardson]], which was published in June 2011.<ref name=autobiography /><ref name="book">{{cite news|url=http://www.shropshirestar.com/news/2011/06/20/pete-postlethwaites-book-serialised-in-the-shropshire-star/|title=Pete Postlethwaite's book serialised in the Shropshire Star|date=20 June 2011|work=[[Shropshire Star]]|access-date=13 December 2013}}</ref>

==Awards==

Postlethwaite was made an [[Officer of the Order of the British Empire]] in the 2004 New Year Honours list and received an Honorary Fellowship in recognition of outstanding contribution to the dramatic arts by [[Liverpool John Moores University]] in 2005 and an honorary degree from the [[University of Liverpool]] in 2006. He received an [[Academy Award]] nomination for his role ''[[In the Name of the Father]]'' and was posthumously nominated for a [[BAFTA Award]] for his performance in ''[[The Town (2010 film)|The Town]]''.

==Filmography==
{{more citations needed|section|date=March 2021}}

===Film===
{| class="wikitable sortable"
|-
! Year
! Title
! Role
! Notes
|-
| 1975
| ''The Racer''
| Ecco
| Short film
|-
| 1977
| ''[[The Duellists]]''
| Man Shaving General Treillard
| Credited as Peter Postlethwaite
|-
| 1978
| ''Doris and Doreen''
| Mr. Lomax
| Television film
|-
| 1983
| ''Fords on Water''
| Winston's Boss
| Credited as Peter Postlethwaite
|-
| 1984
| ''[[A Private Function]]''
| Douglas J. Nuttal
|
|-
| rowspan="2"| 1985
| ''[[King David (film)|King David]]''
| Isai
|
|-
| ''Cyrano de Bergerac''
| Ragueneau
| Television film
|-
| 1987
| ''[[Coast to Coast (1987 film)|Coast to Coast]]''
| Kecks McGuinness
| Television film
|-
| rowspan="5"| 1988
| ''[[Distant Voices, Still Lives]]''
| Father
|
|-
| ''[[Tumbledown]]''
| Major at Rehabilitation Centre
| Television film
|-
| ''[[To Kill a Priest]]''
| Josef
| Credited as Peter Postlethwaite
|-
| ''[[The Dressmaker (1988 film)|The Dressmaker]]''
| Jack
| Credited as Peter Postlethwaite
|-
| ''Number 27''
| Becket
|
|-
| rowspan="2"| 1990
| ''[[Hamlet (1990 film)|Hamlet]]''
| Player King
|
|-
| ''[[Treasure Island (1990 film)|Treasure Island]]''
| George Merry
| Television film<br />Credited as Peter Postlethwaite
|-
| rowspan="3"| 1991
| ''[[The Grass Arena]]''
| The Dipper
| Television film
|-
| ''[[A Child from the South]]''
| Harry
| Television film
|-
| ''They Never Slept''
| Panter
| Television film
|-
| rowspan="4"| 1992
| ''[[Split Second (1992 film)|Split Second]]''
| Paulsen
|
|-
| ''[[Alien 3]]''
| David
|
|-
| ''[[Waterland (film)|Waterland]]''
| Henry Crick
| Credited as Peter Postlethwaite
|-
| ''[[The Last of the Mohicans (1992 film)|The Last of the Mohicans]]''
| Captain Beams
|
|-
| rowspan="2"| 1993
| ''[[Anchoress (film)|Anchoress]]''
| William Carpenter
|
|-
| ''[[In the Name of the Father]]''
| Giuseppe Conlon
| Nominated – [[Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor]]
|-
| rowspan="4"| 1994
| ''[[Suite 16 (film)|Suite 16]]''
| Glover
|
|-
| ''Sin Bin''
| Mitch
| Television film
|-
| ''[[Sharpe's Company (TV programme)|Sharpe's Company]]''
| [[List of Sharpe series characters#Obadiah Hakeswill|Sergeant Obadiah Hakeswill]]
| Television film
|-
| ''[[Sharpe's Enemy (TV programme)|Sharpe's Enemy]]''
| Sergeant Obadiah Hakeswill
| Television film
|-
| 1995
| ''[[The Usual Suspects]]''
| Mr. Kobayashi
| [[National Board of Review Award for Best Cast]]
|-
| rowspan="6"| 1996
| ''[[When Saturday Comes (film)|When Saturday Comes]]''
| Ken Jackson
|
|-
| ''[[James and the Giant Peach (film)|James and the Giant Peach]]''
| Magic Man<br />Narrator
|
|-
| ''[[Dragonheart]]''
| Brother Gilbert of Glockenspur
|
|-
| ''[[Crimetime (film)|Crimetime]]''
| Sidney
|
|-
| ''[[Romeo + Juliet]]''
| [[Friar Lawrence]]
|
|-
| ''[[Brassed Off]]''
| Danny
|
|-
| rowspan="4"| 1997
| ''[[The Serpent's Kiss]]''
| Thomas Smithers
|
|-
| ''[[The Lost World: Jurassic Park]]''
| Roland Tembo
| Nominated – [[Saturn Award for Best Supporting Actor]]
|-
| ''[[Bastard (1997 film)|Bastard]]''
| Sincai
|
|-
| ''[[Amistad (film)|Amistad]]''
| [[William S. Holabird]]
|
|-
| 1998
| ''[[Among Giants]]''
| Ray
|
|-
| rowspan="6"| 1999
| ''[[Lost for Words (1999 film)|Lost for Words]]''
| [[Deric Longden]]
| Television film<br>Nominated – [[British Academy Television Award for Best Actor]]
|-
| ''[[Alice in Wonderland (1999 film)|Alice in Wonderland]]''
| [[The Walrus and the Carpenter|The Carpenter]]
| Television film
|-
| ''[[Butterfly Collectors]]''
| John McKeown
| Television film
|-
| ''[[Wayward Son (film)|Wayward Son]]''
| Ben Alexander
|
|-
| ''[[The Divine Ryans]]''
| Uncle Reg Ryan
|
|-
| ''[[Animal Farm (1999 film)|Animal Farm]]''
| [[Jones (Animal Farm)|Farmer Jones]]<br>[[Benjamin (Animal Farm)|Benjamin]]
| Television film
|-
| rowspan="2"| 2000
| ''[[When the Sky Falls]]''
| Martin Shaughnessy
|
|-
| ''[[Rat (film)|Rat]]''
| Hubert Flynn
|
|-
| rowspan="2"| 2001
| ''[[Cowboy Up]]''
| Reid Braxton
|
|-
| ''[[The Shipping News (film)|The Shipping News]]''
| Tert Card
|
|-
| rowspan="2"| 2002
| ''[[Triggermen]]''
| Ben Cutler
|
|-
| ''[[Between Strangers]]''
| John
|
|-
| 2003
| ''The Selfish Giant''
| Arthur
| Short film
|-
| rowspan="2"| 2004
| ''[[Gone Dark|The Limit]]''
| Gale
|
|-
| ''[[Strange Bedfellows (2004 film)|Strange Bedfellows]]''
| Russell McKenzie
|
|-
| rowspan="4"| 2005
| ''[[Dark Water (2005 film)|Dark Water]]''
| Veeck
|
|-
| ''[[The Constant Gardener (film)|The Constant Gardener]]''
| Dr. Lorbeer / Dr. Brandt
|
|-
| ''[[Red Mercury (film)|Red Mercury]]''
| Gold Commander
|
|-
| ''[[Æon Flux (film)|Æon Flux]]''
| Keeper
|
|-
| rowspan="2"| 2006
| ''[[Valley of the Heart's Delight (film)|Valley of the Heart's Delight]]''
| Albion Munson
|
|-
| ''[[The Omen (2006 film)|The Omen]]''
| Father Brennan
|
|-
| rowspan="3"| 2007
| ''[[Ghost Son]]''
| Doc
|
|-
| ''[[Closing the Ring]]''
| Quinlan
|
|-
| ''Liyarn Ngarn''
| Narrator<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.acmi.net.au/aust_bryan_dawe_presents.aspx |title=Bryan Dawe Presents Liyarn Ngarn |access-date=10 August 2012 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120328073336/http://www.acmi.net.au/aust_bryan_dawe_presents.aspx |archive-date=28 March 2012 }}</ref>
| Documentary
|-
| 2008
| ''Player''
| Colin
| Short film
|-
| rowspan="3"| 2009
| ''[[The Age of Stupid]]''
| The Archivist
| Documentary
|-
| ''[[Solomon Kane (film)|Solomon Kane]]''
| William Crowthorn
|
|-
| ''Waving at Trains''
| Douglas
| Short film
|-
| rowspan="3"| 2010
| ''[[Clash of the Titans (2010 film)|Clash of the Titans]]''
| Spyros
|
|-
| ''[[Inception]]''
| Maurice Fischer
| Nominated – Central Ohio Film Critics' Association Award for Best Ensemble<br>Nominated – Phoenix Film Critics Society Award for Best Cast<br>Nominated – [[Washington D.C. Area Film Critics Association Award for Best Ensemble]]
|-
| ''[[The Town (2010 film)|The Town]]''
| Fergus "Fergie" Colm
| [[National Board of Review Award for Best Cast]]<br>[[Washington D.C. Area Film Critics Association Award for Best Ensemble]]<br>Nominated – [[BAFTA Award for Best Actor in a Supporting Role]] <small>(posthumous)</small><br>Nominated – [[Broadcast Film Critics Association Award for Best Cast]]
|-
| 2011
| ''[[Killing Bono]]''
| Karl
| Posthumous release
|-
|}

===Television===
{| class="wikitable sortable"
|-
! Year
! Title
! Role
! Notes
|-
| 1975
| ''Second City Firsts''
|
| Episode: "Thwum"<br />Credited as Peter Postlethwaite
|-
| 1976
| ''Plays for Britain''
| Soldier
| Episode: "The Paradise Run"<br />Credited as Peter Postlethwaite
|-
| 1978
| ''[[Last of the Summer Wine]]''
| Customer in Sid's Cafe
| Episode: "A Merry Heatwave"<br />Credited as Peter Postlethwaite
|-
| 1978
| ''[[Going Straight]]''
| Thomas Clifford Crowther
| Episode: "Going Going Gone"<br />Credited as Peter Postlethwaite
|-
| 1979
| ''[[Afternoon Off]]''
| Gallery Attendant
| 
|-
| 1979
| ''Horse in the House''
| Uncle Doug
| 6 episodes
|-
| 1981
| ''[[Play for Today]]''
| Danny Duggan
| Episode: "The Muscle Market"<br />Credited as Peter Postlethwaite
|-
| 1981
| ''[[Coronation Street]]''
| Detective Sergeant Cross
| Episode 2061
|-
| 1981
| ''[[Crown Court (TV series)|Crown Court]]''
|
| Episode: "The Merry Widow: Part 1"
|-
| 1982{{ndash}}1993
| ''[[Minder (TV series)|Minder]]''
| Jack "Oily" Wragg<br />Eric "Logie" Lawson
| 2 episodes<br />Credited as Peter Postlethwaite
|-
| 1984
| ''Mitch''
| Jack Frost
| Episode: "Squealer"<br />Credited as Peter Postlethwaite
|-
| 1985
| ''[[Victoria Wood: As Seen on TV]]''
| Barry
| Episode 1.6<br />Credited as Peter Postlethwaite
|-
| 1985
| ''Summer Season''
|
| Episode: "A Crack in the Ice"<br />Credited as Peter Postlethwaite
|-
|1987–1994
|''Screen Two''
|
|
|-
|| 1989
| ''Tales of Sherwood Forest''
| Eric
| 7 episodes
|-
| 1990
| ''Screenplay''
| Paula's Father
| Episode: "Needle"
|-
| 1990
| ''Debut on Two''
| Tony<br>Keef
| 2 episodes
|-
| 1990
| ''[[Boon (TV series)|Boon]]''
| Steve McLaughlin
| Episode: "Undercover"
|-
| 1990
| ''[[Zorro (1990 TV series)|Zorro]]''
|
| Episode: "The Marked Man"
|-
| 1990{{ndash}}1993
| ''[[Casualty (TV series)|Casualty]]''
| Ralph Peters<br />Hank
| 2 episodes
|-
| 1992
| ''[[El C.I.D.]]''
| Vince
| Episode 3.1: "Making Amends"
|-
| 1992
| ''[[Between the Lines (TV series)|Between the Lines]]''
| Chief Superintendent Jameson
| Episode: "Out of the Game"
|-
| 1992
| ''[[Shakespeare: The Animated Tales]]''
| Quince
| Episode: "[[A Midsummer Night's Dream]]"<br />Credited as Peter Postlethwaite
|-
| 1992
| ''[[The Bill]]''
| Ray Goller
| Episode: "Principled Negotiation"
|-
| 1993
| ''[[Lovejoy]]''
| Terence Sullivan
| Episode: "Goose Bumps"
|-
|1994
|[[Sharpe (TV series)|''Sharpe'']]
|Sgt. Obadiah Hakeswill
|Episode: "[[Sharpe's Enemy (TV programme)|''Sharpe's Enemy'']]"
Episode: [[Sharpe's Company (TV programme)|"''Sharpe's Company'']]"
|-
| 1994
| ''[[Pie in the Sky (TV series)|Pie in the Sky]]''
| Kevin Tasker
| Episode 1.8: "A Matter of Taste"
|-
| 1994
| ''[[Martin Chuzzlewit (1994 TV series)|Martin Chuzzlewit]]''
| [[Martin Chuzzlewit#Other characters|Montague Tigg/Tigg Montague]]
| 5 episodes<br>Nominated – [[British Academy Television Award for Best Actor]]
|-
| 2000
| ''[[The Sins]]''
| Len Green
| Miniseries<br>Nominated – [[British Academy Television Award for Best Actor]]
|-
| 2003
| ''[[Shattered City: The Halifax Explosion]]''
| Charles Burchell
| Miniseries
|-
| 2008
| ''[[Criminal Justice (British TV series)|Criminal Justice]]''
| Hooch
| Miniseries
|-
|}

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
{{commons category}}
* {{IMDb name|0000592|Pete Postlethwaite}}
* {{Tcmdb name}}
* {{Screenonline name|510419|Pete Postlethwaite}}
* [https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/obituaries/culture-obituaries/film-obituaries/8237344/Pete-Postlethwaite.html Daily Telegraph Obituary]
{{authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Postlethwaite, Pete}}
[[Category:1946 births]]
[[Category:2011 deaths]]
[[Category:20th-century English male actors]]
[[Category:21st-century English male actors]]
[[Category:Alumni of Bristol Old Vic Theatre School]]
[[Category:Alumni of St Mary's University, Twickenham]]
[[Category:Deaths from pancreatic cancer in England]]
[[Category:English male film actors]]
[[Category:English male Shakespearean actors]]
[[Category:English male stage actors]]
[[Category:Male actors from Lancashire]]
[[Category:English male television actors]]
[[Category:English Roman Catholics]]
[[Category:Labour Party (UK) people]]
[[Category:Officers of the Order of the British Empire]]
[[Category:Male actors from Warrington]]
[[Category:People from West Itchenor]]
[[Category:Actors from Chichester District]]