Peter Breck
Biography
Peter Breck was an American character actor who worked largely in Westerns and television. Born in Rochester, New York, and raised in Haverhill, Massachusetts, he studied English and drama at the University of Houston. He worked in live theater and made his on-screen debut in The Beatniks (1958). Robert Mitchum saw him in a Washington stage production and offered him a role in Thunder Road (1958). Breck starred as gunfighter-turned-lawyer Clay Culhane in Black Saddle from 1959 to 1960, played Doc Holliday on Maverick, and had leading film roles in Shock Corridor (1963) and The Crawling Hand (1963). From 1965 to 1969 he played hot-headed Nick Barkley on The Big Valley. He later ran The Breck Academy acting school for ten years and appeared in Terminal City Ricochet (1990) and The Unnamable II (1992). He voiced Farmer Brown on The New Batman Adventures and died in 2012.
82years old at death
- Born Rochester
- Died Vancouver
- Star sign: PiscesThe sign runs February 19 to March 20
- Also credited as Joseph Peter Breck
Movie Career
- Films
- 8
- Career span
- 33 years1959 to 1992
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A change of course
After serving in the United States Navy in the 1940s, Breck spent the 1948-49 season playing professional basketball for the Rochester Royals. He later studied drama at the University of Houston while working as a ranch hand.
Big break
Robert Mitchum saw Breck in a Washington, DC production of George Bernard Shaw's The Man of Destiny. Mitchum offered him a rival driver part in Thunder Road, helped him move to Los Angeles, and lent him his Jaguar.
A role that slipped away
Breck claimed he was considered for the leads of two Quinn Martin series, The Fugitive and 12 O'Clock High, and said a Hollywood leading man either drew $250,000 like Steve McQueen or had better be in a series.
Peter Breck movies on Netflix
Best known for
The films on Netflix they are best known for, with the part played in each.
Worked with
Peter Breck shares two films with Jello Biafra, and one with each of the others. Pick a number on the chart or a name in the list to see the films they share.
Films together
Jello Biafra's page
John Rhys-Davies's page
David Warner's page
Chet Brandenburg's page
Jeff Corey's page
Edgar Buchanan's page
All films by Samuel Fuller
Albert PyunDirector, 1 film, 1982
All films by Albert Pyun
Joe CampDirector, 1 film, 1974
All films by Joe Camp
Online
Official profiles and reference pages.