At this point in British pop culture and history, being a Doctor on the iconic television show, Doctor Who is as iconic as it gets. It is a huge responsibility to be a part of a legacy that began in 1963 and elevates an important element of the childhood of millions of British men and women. Simply put, it is an honor to be chosen for a role that only thirteen other actors have had the honor of taking in the entire British television history. Peter Capaldi is one of the few who have had that opportunity, he led the Doctor Who franchise as the Twelfth Doctor from 2014 to 2017.
While it might seem that Doctor Who may very well be the most iconic project Peter Capaldi would be a part of before his retirement, the former Doctor has actually had an illustrious career that lasted over 36 years. Here are five quick interesting facts to learn about the British icon.
Peter Capaldi Biography
Before diving into some of the interesting tidbits about the life of Peter Capaldi, here is a quick introduction to Scottish actors. Peter Capaldi was born on the 14th of April, 1958 to an Italian father, Gerald John Capaldi, in Glasgow, Scotland, and was raised in the Springburn district of Glasgow under the watchful eye of his mother, Nancy Capaldi who ran an ice cream business in the district.
Like every other child his age, he went to school, focusing on ticking every box in the completion of formal education. He attended St. Teresa’s Primary School, St. Matthew’s Primary School, St Ninian’s High School before heading to Glasgow School of Art.
He kicked off his career with a role as Joe in Living Apart Together in 1982. Since then, he has appeared in over 100 films and television shows. He has cut his teeth with different mediums of performance art, from radio to stage acting to voice acting in video games; Peter Capaldi is a man that can be described as having done it all. He has multiple awards and nominations which are as extensive as his filmography and is currently married to Elaine Collins with whom he has one daughter, Cecily Capaldi.
Five Facts About Peter Capaldi
1. He Caught The Acting Bug As A Child
Finding out who you are and what you want to do with the rest of your life can be a search that takes a lifetime for most, but fortunately for Peter Capaldi and those of us who have enjoyed his work, he discovered his passion as early as primary school. With strings and dolls, he expressed his affinity for performance art by putting on puppet shows. It continued all the way to high school where he joined the Antonine Players and performed in theatre.
2. He Has The Range
The range is what separates good actors from great actors and Peter Capaldi’s list of character performances makes him a great actor. From comedic roles which he has received award recognition for, to dramatic roles like playing a mathematician with bipolar disorder or playing a closeted gay man, Peter Capaldi has proven to be able to transform his personality to whatever the script demands of him.
3. He Is A Director And Writer
As difficult as being an actor can be, the two parts of the filmmaking process that can be very challenging and have the ability to single-handedly make or mar a film are directing and writing; both sections that Peter Capaldi has not shied away from. Early on in his career, he dipped his legs into writing, beginning with the film Soft Top, Hard Shoulder in 1992 which won him an award at the London Film Festival. He also wrote and directed a short film, Franz Kafka’s It’s a Wonderful Life which won an Oscar.
4. Peter Capaldi Is a Philanthropist
When it comes to philanthropy, using your platform to bring awareness to various social issues is more important than money. Peter Capaldi has gracefully lent his time and platform for a couple of charitable projects like being a patron of Worldwide Cancer Research, Aberlour Child Care Trust, and being a part of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees awareness program for the global refugee crisis.
5. He Was In a Band
For a brief moment in what has been a long life, Peter Capaldi was a member of a band. As an art student at the Glasgow School of Art, Peter alongside Craig Ferguson was part of a band called The Dreamboys. Peter was the lead singer and guitarist of the punk rock band.
