Born:
April 13, 1951
in
Streatham, London
Best Known For:
Being the fifth Doctor Who.
Early-life:
Born Peter Moffett on April 13, 1951, in Streatham, south London. He moved with his three sisters to Surrey when his parents, Sheila and Claude, bought a village store. He had an undistinguished time at Winston Churchill School, but he did enjoy music and drama. After leaving with three O-levels, he considered teaching, but entered the Central School of Speech and Drama after catching the acting bug through amateur performances. To avoid confusion with director Peter Moffatt, he changed his surname to Davison.
Career:
Davison's first professional role was in Love's Labour's Lost at Nottingham Playhouse in 1972 and his TV debut came in a 1975 episode of The Tomorrow People. A lean spell followed (during which he spent 18 months working in a tax office in Twickenham), but his big break came in 1978 when he landed the role of Tristan Farnon in All Creatures Great and Small. In 1981, he took over from Tom Baker as the fifth Doctor Who, but quit three years later for fear of being typecast. Other career highlights include A Very Peculiar Practice, Campion, At Home with the Braithwaites, The Last Detective, The Complete Guide to Parenting, Distant Shores and Law & Order: UK. Throughout 2010, he starred in the West End production of Legally Blonde, and directed and wrote a spoof documentary called The Five(ish) Doctors to tie in with Doctor Who's 50th anniversary in 2013.
Quote:
"You don't ever decide you're old - at least I haven't yet. I'm still quite surprised if I get dragged for a night out somewhere why I'm yawning by half-past-11."
Trivia:
He composed the theme tunes for Button Moon and Mixed Blessings. His actress daughter, Georgia Moffett, is married to David Tennant.