Peter Brocco
Encyclopedia
Peter Brocco was an American film and TV character actor
for nearly 60 years.
He appeared as a criminal type in several episodes of Adventures of Superman
. He holds the distinction of having been killed off in two of them, a relative rarity for villains in the series. In the first, The Secret of Superman, he deduces that Kent is Superman, but is killed in a police shootout soon after. In The Clown Who Cried, he falls off a building and Superman is unable to save him. He also appeared as "The Spector" in The Phantom Ring, where the criminals developed a machine that can make them invisible. Finally, in that episode, he survives.
He appeared as an Organian council member in the Star Trek
episode Errand of Mercy
which established the uneasy treaty of peace between the United Federation of Planets
and the Klingon Empire.
For fans of those two series, it is noteworthy that he and Jeff Corey
appeared in both series, and that both men were blacklist
ed for a while during the red scare
of the early 1950s.
Brocco played Colonel Matterson, a patient suffering from dementia, in the Academy Award-winning One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest
(1975).
He lived for some 40 years in Laurel Canyon, and died in Los Angeles
, California
from a heart attack on December 20, 1992, aged 89.
Character actor
A character actor is one who predominantly plays unusual or eccentric characters. The Oxford English Dictionary defines a character actor as "an actor who specializes in character parts", defining character part in turn as "an acting role displaying pronounced or unusual characteristics or...
for nearly 60 years.
He appeared as a criminal type in several episodes of Adventures of Superman
Adventures of Superman (TV series)
Adventures of Superman is an American television series based on comic book characters and concepts created in 1938 by Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster. The show is the first television series to feature Superman and began filming in 1951 in California...
. He holds the distinction of having been killed off in two of them, a relative rarity for villains in the series. In the first, The Secret of Superman, he deduces that Kent is Superman, but is killed in a police shootout soon after. In The Clown Who Cried, he falls off a building and Superman is unable to save him. He also appeared as "The Spector" in The Phantom Ring, where the criminals developed a machine that can make them invisible. Finally, in that episode, he survives.
He appeared as an Organian council member in the Star Trek
Star Trek: The Original Series
Star Trek is an American science fiction television series created by Gene Roddenberry, produced by Desilu Productions . Star Trek was telecast on NBC from September 8, 1966, through June 3, 1969...
episode Errand of Mercy
Errand of Mercy (TOS episode)
"Errand of Mercy" is an episode of Star Trek. It was originally broadcast on March 23, 1967. It is episode #26, production #27, written by Gene L. Coon and directed by John Newland. This episode marks the first appearance of the Klingons....
which established the uneasy treaty of peace between the United Federation of Planets
United Federation of Planets
The United Federation of Planets, also known as "The Federation" is a fictional interplanetary federal republic depicted in the Star Trek television series and motion pictures...
and the Klingon Empire.
For fans of those two series, it is noteworthy that he and Jeff Corey
Jeff Corey
Jeff Corey was an American stage and screen actor and director who became a well-respected acting teacher after being blacklisted in the 1950s.-Biography:...
appeared in both series, and that both men were blacklist
Blacklist
A blacklist is a list or register of entities who, for one reason or another, are being denied a particular privilege, service, mobility, access or recognition. As a verb, to blacklist can mean to deny someone work in a particular field, or to ostracize a person from a certain social circle...
ed for a while during the red scare
McCarthyism
McCarthyism is the practice of making accusations of disloyalty, subversion, or treason without proper regard for evidence. The term has its origins in the period in the United States known as the Second Red Scare, lasting roughly from the late 1940s to the late 1950s and characterized by...
of the early 1950s.
Brocco played Colonel Matterson, a patient suffering from dementia, in the Academy Award-winning One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest
One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest (film)
One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest is a 1975 American drama film directed by Miloš Forman and based on the 1962 novel of the same name by Ken Kesey....
(1975).
He lived for some 40 years in Laurel Canyon, and died in Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
, California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
from a heart attack on December 20, 1992, aged 89.