Edward Petherbridge (born on 3 August 1936) is an English actor, writer and artist. Among his many roles, he portrayed Lord Peter Wimsey in the 1987 BBC television adaptations of Dorothy L. Sayers's novels, and Guildenstern in Tom Stoppard's Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead. At the Royal Shakespeare Company in 1980, he was a memorable Newman Noggs in the company's adaptation of Dickens's The Life and Adventures of Nicholas Nickleby.

Biographie

Petherbridge is married to the actress Emily Richard, with whom he has appeared several times on stage. They have two children, Dora (b. 1983) and Arthur (b. 1986). He has a son, David (b. 1965), by his first marriage to the New Zealand actress and director Louise Petherbridge (née Harris).

Petherbridge and his wife live in West Hampstead in North London. With his friend Kathleen Riley he is writing a history of West Hampstead, NW6 and All That.

In 2007, Petherbridge suffered two strokes while preparing to star in a production of King Lear. He later fictionalized the experience in the play My Perfect Mind, co-written with Kathryn Hunter.

His book, Slim Chances and Unscheduled Appearances was published in March 2011 and launched with a sell-out Platform at the National Theatre. At the same time he held his first art exhibition at Burgh House in Hampstead.

Petherbridge maintains a weekly blog, which often features his poetry, artwork and short films.