Peter Weller

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Peter Weller

Born	June 24, 1947 Stevens Point, Wisconsin

Peter Weller (born June 24, 1947 in Stevens Point, Wisconsin) is an American film and stage actor and lecturer.

Weller's father was a helicopter pilot for the Army, and as a result young Pete Weller spent many years abroad. His family lived in Germany for several years, before eventually moving to Texas.He attended Alamo Heights High School in San Antonio. While enrolled at North Texas State University (now the University of North Texas), he played trumpet in one of the campus bands. He graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in Theatre, and began his acting career after graduating from the American Academy of Dramatic Arts.

Among his Broadway credits in the 1970s were "Full Circle," directed by Otto Preminger, and "Summer Brave," William Inge's rewrite of his play "Picnic." About this time, he became a member of the famed Actor's Studio.

Although he has appeared in over fifty films and television series, he is best known for his appearances as the title character in the cult classic The Adventures of Buckaroo Banzai Across the 8th Dimension, and the blockbuster hits RoboCop and RoboCop 2. He has also appeared in critically acclaimed movies such as Mighty Aphrodite and Naked Lunch and played the shuttle captain in the short-lived TV show Odyssey 5. He has made a guest appearance in the Star Trek: Enterprise episodes "Demons" and "Terra Prime". In recent years he seems to favor directing over acting, helming two episodes of Homicide: Life on the Street and three episodes of the aforementioned Odyssey 5. Odyssey 5, Star Trek: Enterprise and 24 were all produced by Manny Coto.

Despite some critical acclaim, however, some of his later works were not as popular, drawing universal criticism from critics. Features such as Top of the World and Screamers failed to capture fans' imagination in the same way as his previous films. Weller was handed a second chance, however, when in 2006 he joined the cast of the critically acclaimed drama series 24. Weller played the role of terrorist collaborator Christopher Henderson, his most significant role since Alex Murphy in RoboCop. Weller received a cheers in TV Guide's Cheers & Jeers section for his performance. Also, he had a role in the Monk episode "Mr. Monk and the Actor", where he played an actor who was playing Captain Stottlemeyer.

Weller also holds a Masters Degree in Roman and Renaissance Art, and is an occasional lecturer at Syracuse University on the subject of Hollywood and the Roman Empire. He now hosts the new TV series Engineering an Empire on the History Channel.

In December 2006, Weller starred as architect Frank Lloyd Wright at Chicago's Goodman Theatre in "Frank's Home," a new play by Richard Nelson.

[edit] Trivia

Shares a birthday with his RoboCop co-star Nancy Allen.
His favorite musician is Miles Davis.
Occasionally plays in a jazz band with Buckaroo Banzai costar Jeff Goldblum.
Married long-time girlfriend, Sheri Stowe, in Positano, Italy on June 24, 2006, which was also his 59th birthday.
Height: 6'0" (1.83 meters)
Was once engaged to Sela Ward.