Peter Hansen (actor)

Hansen was born on December 5, 1921, in Oakland, California to Sydney Henry Hansen (1897-1971) and Lena Gertrude Young (1896-1983). His family moved to Detroit, Michigan where his parents divorced. His mother remarried Falconer O'Brien, and had a daughter named Charlotte O'Brien, who died in 1934 at the age of five.^[1][2] Hansen served in the U.S. Marine Corps during World War II and flew combat in the South Pacific.^[1][2] He flew F4U Corsairs and participated in the invasion of Peleliu in September 1944. In 1950, after he left the Marines, Hansen signed a contract with Paramount Pictures and became an actor.^[2]

Hansen appeared in more than 100 films, television series and made-for-television movies.^[3] His early acting roles were at the famed Pasadena Playhouse.^[1] Hansen was a guest star on Reed Hadley's CBS crime drama, The Public Defender, and the television adaptation of Gertrude Berg's comedy The Goldbergs. In addition to his work on General Hospital, he notably co-starred in 1963 on the NBC soap opera Ben Jerrod. He also appeared on The Golden Girls in 1985 (Season 1, Episode 5) as Dr. Elliott Clayton, a casanova who makes a pass at Blanche while dating Dorothy.^[4] In 1988, he starred in an episode of Cheers ("And God Created Woodman"; Season 6, Episode 14), as Daniel T. Collier, the CEO and chairman of the board of Lillian, the company which owns Cheers.^[1] Other notable appearances include work on Broken Arrow, Richard Diamond, Private Detective, Maverick, Sea Hunt, Petticoat Junction, Gomer Pyle, U.S.M.C., How The West Was Won, The Adventures of Jim Bowie, Magnum, P.I., L.A. Law, Night Court, and Growing Pains.^[4][5]

Hansen had a major role in the 1950 Western film Branded with Alan Ladd, the 1951 science fiction film When Worlds Collide, and the 1952 Western film The Savage with Charlton Heston.^[6] In the 1960s, He made commercials for Chrysler products, mostly Plymouths, on shows hosted by Lawrence Welk, Steve Allen, and Garry Moore. In 1961, Hansen was a news anchor at the Los Angeles based TV station KCOP-TV.^[1]

In 1997, Hansen began playing the character on the sister show Port Charles. The early years of Port Charles saw the Baldwins as the core family, focusing on Lee's son, Scotty, and granddaughter, Karen. After their storyline took them back to "GH", Peter made occasional appearances on both shows, last appearing in 2004.^[7] Although he retired from acting afterwards, he did appear at the off-screen 50th Anniversary party in 2013 along with former on-screen wife Susan Brown.

Hansen met his wife, Florence Elizabeth "Betty" Moe, while in high school and married her in 1943.^[2] They had three children, Kristen, Peter and Gretchen, and three grandchildren: Allison, Erik and Jamal. Betty died in 1993 and his daughter, Kris, died in 1996.^[6] He then shared 24 years as companion to Barbara Wenzel.^[2]

Hansen resided in Tarzana, California, with his family, and he enjoyed flying, owning his own Cessna for decades, spent many vacations in the Sierra Nevada high country. He led a devoted spiritual life at St. Nicholas of Myra Episcopal Church, in Encino, California.^[8] Hansen died on April 9, 2017, at his home in Tarzana, at the age of 95. He was cremated and his ashes were returned to the family.^[8]

Hansen won a Daytime Emmy Award for his portrayal of Lee Baldwin on General Hospital in 1979 in the category of Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series.^[6]

Film

More information Year, Title ...

Year	Title	Role	Notes	Ref.
1950	Branded	Tonio	Western film directed by Rudolph Maté Adapted from the novel Montana Rides by Max Brand under pen name Evan Evans	[9][10]
	The Goldbergs	Ted Gordon
1951	The Last Outpost	Lt. Crosby1	Western film directed by Lewis R. Foster	[11]
	Passage West	Michael Karns	Western film directed by Lewis R. Foster	[12]
	Darling, How Could You!	Dr. Steve Clark	Comedy film directed by Mitchell Leisen Based on James Barrie's play Alice Sit-by-the-Fire	[13][14][15]
	When Worlds Collide	Dr. Tony Drake	Science fiction film directed by Rudolph Maté Based on the 1932 science fiction novel of the same name, co-written by Philip Wylie and Edwin Balmer	[16][17]
1952	The Greatest Show on Earth	Spectator2	Uncredited, Drama film directed and produced by Cecil B. DeMille	[18]
	Something to Live For	Stage Cast Member2	Uncredited, Drama film directed and produced by George Stevens	[19]
	The Savage	Lt. Weston Hathersall	Western film directed by George Marshall Based on L. L. Foreman's novel, The Renegade, first published in 1949 by Pocket Books.	[20][21]
1954	Prisoner of War	Capt. Fred Osborne	Uncredited, War–drama film directed by Andrew Marton	[22][23]
	Brigadoon	New York Club Patron	Uncredited, Musical feature film made in CinemaScope & Ansco Color and directed by Vincente Minnelli Based on the Broadway musical of the same name by Alan Jay Lerner and Frederick Loewe	[24][25]
	Drum Beat	Lt. Goodsall	CinemaScope western film in WarnerColor written & directed by Delmer Daves and co-produced by Daves and Alan Ladd	[26]
1955	The Violent Men	George Menefee	Uncredited, CinemaScope western drama film ditecred by Rudolph Maté Based on the novel Smoky Valley by Donald Hamilton first published in 1954	[27][28][29]
	A Bullet for Joey	Fred	Film noir directed by Lewis Allen	[30][31]
	Top of the World	Capt. Cochrane	Adventure film directed by Lewis R. Foster and written by John D. Klorer and N. Richard Nash	[32][33]
	The King's Thief	Isaac Newton	Uncredited
1956	Hell on Frisco Bay	Detective Connors	Film noir–crime film directed by Frank Turtle	[34]
	Diane	2nd Court Physician	Uncredited
	The Proud and Profane	Lieutenant (jg) Hutchins	Dramatic war romance directed and wrriten by George Seaton Based on the 1953 novel The Magnificent Bastards by Lucy Herndon Crockett	[35][36][37][38]
	A Cry in the Night	Dr. Frazee	Film noir, dramatic, thriller film directed by Frank Tuttle Based on the 1955 novel by Whit Masterson titled All Through the Night.	[39][40]
	The Ten Commandments	Young aide	Uncredited, Biblical epic film produced, directed, and narrated by Cecil B. DeMille and shot in VistaVision (color by Technicolor) Based on Prince of Egypt by Dorothy Clarke Wilson, Pillar of Fire by J.H. Ingraham, On Eagle's Wings by A.E. Southon, and the Book of Exodus	[41][42][43][44][45][46]
	Three Violent People	Lt. Marr	Western film directed by Rudolph Maté	[47]
1957	5 Steps to Danger	Karl Plesser	Crime film directed, produced, and co–written by Henry S. Kesler Based on the novel The Steel Mirror by Donald Hamilton	[48][49][50][51]
1958	The Deep Six	Lieutenant Dooley	World War II drama film directed by Rudolph Maté Loosely based on a novel of the same name by Martin Dibner	[52][53]
1961	Pocketful of Miracles	Governor's Aide	Uncredited
1964	Apache Rifles	Capt. Green
1965	Harlow	Hansen - Assistant Director
1983	The Man Who Wasn't There	Police Lieutenant
1985	Junior	Electrician
1989	The War of the Roses	Mr. Marshall
2002	Dragonfly	Phillip Darrow

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Television

More information Year, Title ...

Year	Title	Role	Notes	Ref.
1950	The Goldbergs	Ted Gordon
1954	Schlitz Playhouse	Guest	Episode: "At the Natchez Inn" (S 3:Ep 21)1
	Cavalcade of America	Guest	Episode: "Duel at the O.K. Corral" (S 2:Ep 20)
	The Public Defender	Guest	Episode: "Escape" (S 1:Ep 20)
	The Lone Wolf	Jackson Smith	Episode: "The Planetarium Story" (S 1:Ep 36)
	Schlitz Playhouse	Claudius Fabian	Episode: "The Roman and the Renegade" (S 3:Ep 49)
	The Loretta Young Show	Jim Roberts	Episode: "The Lamp" (S 2:Ep 4)
	Your Favorite Story	Guest	Episode: "The Unknown" (S 3:Ep 1)
	Lady in the Wings	Edward MacDowell	Made-for-TV-Movie Part of the Hallmark Hall of Fame Series
	Space Patrol	Doctor Paul Yates	Episode: "Danger: Radiation" (S 4:Ep 37)
	The Lone Ranger	Marshal Jim	Episode: "Homer with a High Hat" (S 4:Ep 15)
1955		Bill Taylor	Episode: "The Law Lady" (S 4:EP 25)
		Peter Sawtelle1	Episode: "Sawtelle Saga's End" (S 4:Ep 29)
	The Public Defender	Guest	Episode: "The Man Who Couldn't Remember" (S 2:Ep 18)
	The Lone Ranger	Jack Morrison	Episode: "Sheriff's Sale (S 4:Ep 21)
	Lux Video Theatre	Philip Adams	Episode: "The Two Dollar Bettor" (S 6:Ep 3)
	The Lone Ranger	Smiley Phillips1	Episode: "Death Goes to Press" (S 4:Ep 43)
	Stage 7	Capt. Chuck Boske3	Episode: "Armed" (S 1:Ep 14)
	The Public Defender	Simms1	Episode: "The Sapphire Mink" (S 2:Ep 32)
	Science Fiction Theatre	Dr. Dan Scott1	Episode: "Beyond Return" (S 1:Ep 32)
1956	Climax!	Lawyer	Episode: "Faceless Adversary" (S 2:Ep 33)
	Science Fiction Theatre	Dr. Warren Stark1	Episode: "Signals from the Heart" (S 2:Ep 1)
		Dr. Henry Maxton1	Episode: "The Unguided Missile" (S 2:Ep 8)
	Telephone Time	William Smith	Episode: "Grandpa Changes the World" (S 1:Ep 16)
	Science Fiction Theatre	Prof. Norman Hughes1	Episode: "The Throwback" (S 2:Ep 19)
	Broken Arrow	Capt. Dennis Farrell	Episode: "Medicine Men" (S 1:Ep 6)
	Science Fiction Theatre	Dr. Edgar Barnes1	Episode: "Doctor Robot" (S 2:Ep 30)
	Broken Arrow	Capt. Dennis Farrell	Episode: "Rebellion" (S 1:Ep 22)
1957	Dr. Christian	Rufus Corning	Episode: "Revenge" (S 1:Ep 16)
	Science Fiction Theatre	Dr. Jim Wallaby1	Episode: "The Strange Lodger" (S 2:Ep 39)
	Zane Grey Theater	Holton	Episode: "Village of Fear" (S 1:Ep 210
	The Gray Ghost	Manning	Episode: "Renegade Rangers" (S 1:Ep 28)
	Navy Log	Guest	Episode: "The Lady and the Atom" (S 2:Ep 23)
	Dr. Christian	Walters	Episode: "The Alien" (S 1: Ep 25)
	Navy Log	Barry1	Episode: "The Marines Have Landed" (S 2:Ep 35)
	Broken Arrow	Capt. Dennis Farrell	Episode: "White Man's Magic" (S 2:Epp 1)
1958	Flight	Kovacs	Episode: "Flight Surgeon" (S 1:Ep 4)
1958	The Restless Gun	Quint	Episode "A Pressing Engagement"
1965	General Hospital	Lee Baldwin	Contract role: 1965–1976; 1977–1986 Recurring role: 1990; 1992–2004, (final appearance)
1958	Perry Mason "The Case of the Half-Wakened Wife" S1 Ep26	Howard Black	Contract role: 1958
1997-2000	Port Charles	Lee Baldwin	Recurring role

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