Peter Chelsom | |
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Chelsom on set of The Space Between Us, summer 2015
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Born |
Blackpool, Lancashire, England |
20 April 1956
Residence | Los Angeles, California |
Occupation | Film director, actor |
Years active | 1979-present |
Spouse(s) | Lindsay McCracken Chelsom |
Children | 3 |
Website | www.peterchelsom.net |
Peter Chelsom (born 20 April 1956) is a British film director, writer, and actor. He has directed such films as Hector and the Search for Happiness, Serendipity, and Shall We Dance? Peter Chelsom is a member of the British Academy, the American Academy, The Directors Guild Of America, and The Writers Guild Of America.
Chelsom was born in Blackpool, Lancashire, the son of antiques shop owners Kay and Reginald Chelsom. He studied at the Central School of Drama in London. He has dual citizenship in the US and the UK, and is an Honorary Citizen of the small town Fivizzano in Tuscany.
Before the age of 30, Chelsom played leading roles at the Royal Shakespeare Company opposite Patrick Stewart, the Royal National Theatre alongside Sir Anthony Hopkins, and the Royal Court Theatre in London. During that time he took part in numerous film and television productions, including A Woman of Substance in 1985, which also included Jenny Seagrove and Deborah Kerr.
While acting, Chelsom developed a growing interest in writing and directing. His directorial debut, Treacle, won a BAFTA nomination and invitations to festivals all over the world.
From 1985-98 he ran the film course at the Central School of Drama and later taught at both the Actors' Institute and Cornell University.
His first full-length feature was the 1991 successful romantic comedy, Hear My Song. The film was inspired by the life of the charismatic Irish tenor, Josef Locke, played in the film by Ned Beatty. The Evening Standard British Film Awards named Chelsom Best Newcomer for his work on the film. Roger Ebert complimented it as "the very soul of a great small film."