I grew up watching Cushing in many Hammer Horror films which were a HUGE influence on me as a child. As a matter of fact Cushing was the first "Baron Frankenstein" I had ever seen in film.
His heroic Van Helsing in "Horror Of Dracula" was also a first for me. Only after these films did I get to see the original "Frankenstein" and "Dracula", but the character Cushing created has stuck with me all my life.
In later years as VHS became the new home entertainment boom, I discovered Cushing in many, many different roles and I have never seen one I didn't enjoy.
Cushing was also a rare actor in that he was a faithful family man who loved his wife and when she passed away he changed a bit as a big part of his life was gone. That is rare, especially among the "actors" today whom mostly sleep around.
People who read this blog will know Cushing's resume as far as films go and everyone has their favorites. My favorites of his long a distinguished career include "Horror Of Dracula", "Island Of Terror", "Asylum", "The Mummy", and "Dr. Terror's House Of Horrors".
Sadly Cushing passed away on Aug. 11th, 1994 at the age of 81 from prostate cancer. On that day the world lost a true acting legend and a damn nice guy to boot. However, his lasting film legacy just proves that Peter Cushing was simply one of the greatest performers in the world.
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