Though he frequently played a villain, Peter Cushing was a delight behind the scenes
Cushing's co-star called the actor "lovely."
Strangers often speak highly of their favorite actors as though seeing someone on screen means that you know them intimately. However, it’s certainly high praise when a frequent co-star has nothing but lovely things to say about you.
David Prowse frequently worked with actor Peter Cushing. Notably, the two frequently appeared in Hammer horror films like The Horror of Frankenstein (1970) and Frankenstein and the Monster from Hell (1974). During an interview with the Asbury Park Press, Prowse called Cushing “one of the great gentlemen of the world.”
“So considerate and helpful,” Prowse said of his co-star. “And a lovely guy. Really, a lovely, lovely person.”
Prowse and Cushing reunited years later when working on A New Hope (1977) together. There, Prowse saw Cushing’s kindness firsthand as he interacted with actor Carrie Fisher, who played Princess Leia.
“On Star Wars, he would take Carrie Fisher aside,” said Prowse. “[He would] say to her, ‘Whatever happens, don’t let me stand in your key light, because you mustn’t let me cast shadows on you. You’re the main character in this scene, and people want to see you. And you’ve got to be seen in the best light. You have to stand in such a way.”
Cushing took the time to help Fisher, a newcomer. “He was giving her all kinds of instructions,” said Prowse. It was her first major film. He was giving her all the information so that she could get the best out of it, so that nobody would upstage her and things like that. He was marvelous."
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