Peter Dyneley (13 April 1921 – 19 August 1977) was an English actor. Although he appeared in many smaller roles in both film and television, he is best remembered for supplying the voice of Jeff Tracy for the 1960s "Supermarionation" television series Thunderbirds and its two film sequels, Thunderbirds Are Go (1966) and Thunderbird 6 (1968), all produced by Gerry Anderson. Uncredited, Dyneley also provided the voice of the countdown that introduces the Thunderbirds title sequence.[3]

Peter Dyneley
Dyneley in 1975
Born(1921-04-13)13 April 1921
Hastings, Sussex, England
Died19 August 1977(1977-08-19) (aged 56)
London, England
Alma materGuildhall School of Music and Drama
OccupationActor
Years active1954–1977
TelevisionThunderbirds (1965–66)
Spouse(s)Christine May (divorced)
Jane Hylton (1956–1977; his death)[1]
Children2[2]

Life and career

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Born in Hastings, Sussex on 13 April 1921, Dyneley spent his early years in Canada but was educated at Radley College in Oxfordshire, UK. He served in the Royal Canadian Navy during the Second World War. After the war, he attended the Guildhall School of Music and Drama in London, where he studied opera and developed his bass voice. It was at this institution that he made the acquaintance of fellow student Christine May, whom he later married. They had two children, Richard and Amanda.

Having lived in Canada, Dyneley frequently performed with a North American accent. He acted primarily in stage productions prior to 1954, when he turned his attention to film. On stage and in film, he regularly appeared opposite his second wife, the actress Jane Hylton, whom he met on the set of Ett kunglit aventyr (Laughing in the Sunshine), made in 1956.[1] They also co-starred together in The Manster in 1959. He also appeared as a guest star in many television series. He spoke fluent French, German and Spanish. Dyneley died of cancer in London on 19 August 1977, at age 56. His wife Jane died of a heart attack 18 months later, on 28 February 1979.

Thunderbirds voice-over

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English actor Brian Cobby claimed he had provided the voice-over for the opening sequence countdown of Thunderbirds in 1964.[4][5] This was refuted by Thunderbirds producer Gerry Anderson, who confirmed countdown was indeed recorded by Dyneley.[3]

Dyneley's countdown was reused in the first trailer for the series' 2015 reboot Thunderbirds Are Go!,[6] as well as its opening sequence, and also for the launch countdown for the various Thunderbirds in the episodes, and also for the track "Thunderbirds 2.0" on Busted's Greatest Hits 2.0 album with or without their longtime friends McFly.

Filmography

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Film

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Television

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References

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  1. ^ a b McFarlane, Brian (16 May 2016). The Encyclopedia of British Film, 4th ed. Oxford University Press. ISBN 9781526111968 – via Google Books.
  2. ^ "Peter Dyneley – Information". Ticipedia.info. Retrieved 20 August 2020.
  3. ^ a b Gerry Anderson: "Ask Anderson" in FAB News, Issue 58 (Vol. 12, No. 2), p. 11.
  4. ^ Waitrose Food Illustrated, October 2002 Archived 12 September 2006 at the Wayback Machine.)
  5. ^ "10 Things We Didn't Know Last Week" – BBC News, November 2005; profile published in Insight from 2001 to 2004 – Voice of the Speaking Clock.
  6. ^ Thunderbirds Are Go! trailer on YouTube
  7. ^ "The Manster: The Two-Headed Monster".
  8. ^ "Manster (1959, cast)". AllMovie.
  9. ^ "Peter Dyneley".
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