Peter Finch

In 1943, Peter Finch married ballerina Tamara Tchinarova. The couple worked in several films. They had a daughter named Anita in 1950. They separated ways and divorced in 1959 following his affair with actress Vivian Leigh.

In 1959 he married actress Yolande Turner and the couple had two children Samantha and Charles Peter. During this period he had an extramarital affair with singer Shirley Bassey. Peter Finch and Yolande Turner divorced in 1965.

In 1972, he married Mavis "Eletha" Barrett and they had a daughter named Diana.

Peter Finch was born on 28 September 1916, at South Kensington in London. His putative father, George Ingle Finch, was a research scientist from Australia and his mother’s name was Alicia Gladys Fisher.

His biological father was an Indian Army officer named Wentworth Edward Dallas "Jock" Campbell, whose illicit relationship with Finch’s mother led to George and Alicia’s divorce; Peter was two-year-old at that time. His mother married Wentworth Edward Dallas "Jock" Campbell in 1922.

George Finch won custody of Peter Finch and took him to France to, where Peter was raised by his paternal grandmother Laura Finch. In 1925 he travelled along with Laura Finch to Madras and spent a short while at a Buddhist monastery.

At the age of ten, Peter was sent to Australia to live with his great uncle. There he went to the local school until 1929, after which he attended the North Sydney Intermediate High School for three years. This was the first platform that allowed him to showcase his dramatic skills.

After graduating from school he began working as a copy boy for the Australian tabloid newspaper, The Sun, and simultaneously began writing. His works included romantic verses and stories in a military setting.

He was interested in acting and in 1933 he performed in a play, ‘Caprice’, at the Repertory theatre. At the age of 19, he toured Australia with George Sorlie's travelling troupe.

He was granted roles in plays by minor semi-professional companies in Sydney and later worked in association with Doris Fitton and as a sideshow spruiker for the Sydney Royal Easter Show and in Vaudeville with Joe Cody.

In 1937, he began work as a radio actor with the Australian Broadcasting Commission and later joined Macquarie Broadcasting Services Pty Ltd. He was well-known for his appealing voice. He played ‘Chris’ in the Childrens Session and later acted in ‘Jeffery and Elizabeth Blackburn’ along with Neva Carr Glyn among other radio plays.

His first film was a short film adaptation of the fairytale, Cinderella, titled ‘The Magic Shoes’, in 1935. His feature film debut came in 1938 with a minor role in the Australian film ‘Dad and Dave Come to Town’. The following year, he acted in a supporting role for the film ‘Mr. Chedworth Steps Out ‘.

Peter Finch is best known for his portrayal of television anchorman Howard Beale, who develops messianic pretensions, in the movie ‘Network’. His performance in the movie won him an Academy Award for Best Actor, which he received posthumously.