| Peter Evans | |
| Birth Date: | 27 May 1950 |
| Birth Place: | Englewood, New Jersey, U.S. |
| Death Place: | Los Angeles, California, U.S. |
| Occupation: | Actor |
| Yearsactive: | 1975–1988 |
Peter Evans (May 27, 1950 – May 20, 1989) was an American actor. He won the 1976 Clarence Derwent Award and was nominated for a Drama Desk Award for his portrayal of Richie in David Rabe's Streamers. However, he was best known for his role as Russ Merman in the 1980s sitcom 9 to 5.[1] [2]
Evans was born in 1950 in Englewood, New Jersey, to Dudley and Caroline Evans. He had a brother, John Randall, and a sister, Elizabeth Temple. He attended Phillips Academy, Andover. In 1972, he graduated from Yale University. For three years, Evans attended the Central School of Speech and Drama.[1]
In 1975, Evans made his debut in the New York theater with David Storey's Life Class.[2] [3] In 1976, Mike Nichols directed him in David Rabe's Streamers, in which he portrayed Richie.[3] His performance as Richie won him the Clarence Derwent Award and garnered him a Drama Desk Award nomination.[2] [3] In 1977, he appeared opposite Ellis Rabb in David Mamet's A Life in the Theatre.[1] [2] [3] In 1979, he appeared opposite Maggie Smith in Tom Stoppard's Night and Day.[2] [3] In 1982, Evans played James Leeds in a Broadway production of Mark Medoff's Children of a Lesser God.[1] [3]
In 1977, he appeared in the PBS miniseries Best of Families.[2] [3] In 1979, Evans reprised his role in a television film adaptation of A Life in the Theatre.[3] [4] He also portrayed Russ Merman in the 1980s sitcom 9 to 5.[3] He was in an episode of St. Elsewhere in 1984.
Evans appeared in the films Impostors (1979) and Arthur (1981).[2] [3]
| Year | Title | Role | Notes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1979 | Impostors | Peter | ||
| 1981 | Arthur | Preston |
Evans resided in Los Angeles for the last several years of his life.[2] [3] He died on May 20, 1989, from complications of AIDS at the age of 38 in Century City Hospital in Los Angeles.[2] [3] [5] [6]