View source for Peter Howitt

{{Short description|British actor and film director (born 1957)}}
{{hatnote group|{{about||the Nobel prize winner|Peter Howitt (economist)|other uses|Peter Howitt (disambiguation)}} 
{{distinguish|text=English director [[Peter Hewitt (director)|Peter Hewitt]]}} }}
<noinclude>{{Requested move notice|1=Peter Howitt|2=Talk:Peter Howitt (actor)#Requested move 14 October 2025}}
</noinclude>{{multiple issues|
{{BLP sources|date=July 2016}}
{{Lead too short|date=October 2022}}
}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=January 2015}}
{{Use British English|date=January 2015}}
{{Infobox person
| name        = Peter Howitt
| image       =
| imagesize   =
| caption     =
| birth_name  =
| birth_date  = {{Birth date and age|df=yes|1957|5|5}}
| birth_place = [[Manchester]], [[Lancashire]], England
| occupation  = Actor, film director and producer, screenwriter
| othername   =
| yearsactive = 1982–present
| spouse      = Lorraine Howitt (2001–present)
| children    = 2
}}

'''Peter Howitt''' ({{IPAc-en|ˈ|h|aʊ|ɪ|t}}; born 5 May 1957) is a British actor and film director.

==Biography==

===Early life===
Howitt was born on 5 May 1957, the son of Frank Howitt, a renowned [[Fleet Street]] journalist who, in 1963, broke the infamous [[Profumo affair|Profumo Scandal]] by getting the exclusive story from call girl [[Christine Keeler]] of her illicit affair with a high ranking government minister.

Howitt grew up in [[Eltham]], [[London]] in Tarnwood Park and [[Bromley]], [[Kent]]. He was educated at Wyborne Primary School in New Eltham and [[Colfe's Grammar School]] in [[Lee, South London]]. While in Eltham he was a member of the Priory Players amateur dramatics group.  Howitt spent a brief time at [[Paisley Grammar School]] in [[Paisley, Renfrewshire|Paisley]], Scotland in 1970. He studied at the [[Drama Studio London]] in 1976.

===Career===
Howitt's first notable TV role was in the 1984–85 series of [[Yorkshire Television]]'s long-running programme for schools ''[[How We Used To Live]]'', where he starred alongside [[Brookside (television programme)|Brookside]] actress [[Sue Jenkins]]. He is best known for playing Joey Boswell in the first four series of [[BBC]] TV series ''[[Bread (TV series)|Bread]]''. In 1998, he wrote and directed his first film, ''[[Sliding Doors]]'' (1998). Since then, he has directed several films, including ''[[Antitrust (film)|Antitrust]]'' (2001), ''[[Johnny English]]'' (2003), ''[[Laws of Attraction]]'' (2004), and ''[[Dangerous Parking]]'' (2008). He adapted the latter film from the novel by Stuart Browne, as well as produced and directed it, and played the lead role.

===Personal life===
Howitt has two children, Luke (b. 1990) and Amy (b. 2008). He currently resides in [[Vancouver]], [[British Columbia]], [[Canada]].

==Filmography==
===Film===
{| class="wikitable sortable plainrowheaders" style="margin-right: 0;"
|+ Film credits of Howitt
|- 
! rowspan="2" scope="col" | Title
! rowspan="2" scope="col" | Year
! colspan="4" scope="col" | Credited as
! rowspan="2" scope="col" | Role
! rowspan="2" scope="col" class="unsortable" | Notes
! rowspan="2" scope="col" class="unsortable" | {{abbr|Refs.|Reference}}
|-
! width="65" |Actor
! width="65" |Director
! width="65" |Producer
!Writer
|-
! ''[[In the Name of the Father]]''
| style="text-align:center;"|1993
| {{yes}}
| {{no}}
| {{no}}
| {{no}}
| Remand Prison Officer
| 
| align="center" | 
|- 
! ''[[Some Mother's Son]]''
| style="text-align:center;"|1996
| {{yes}}
| {{no}}
| {{no}}
| {{no}}
| SAS Leader
|
| align="center" | 
|-
! ''Stone Cold''
| style="text-align:center;"|1997
| {{yes}}
| {{no}}
| {{no}}
| {{no}}
| {{sortname|Conrad|Stonebanks|nolink=1}}
|
| align="center" | 
|-
! ''[[Sliding Doors]]''
| style="text-align:center;"|1998
| {{yes}}
| {{yes}}
| {{no}}
| {{yes}}
| {{sortname|Cheeky|Bloke|nolink=1}}
|
| align="center" | 
|-
! ''[[Antitrust (film)|Antitrust]]''
| style="text-align:center;"|2001
| {{yes}}
| {{yes}}
| {{no}}
| {{no}}
| {{sortname|Homeless|Man|nolink=1}}
|
| align="center" | 
|-
! ''[[Johnny English]]''
| style="text-align:center;"|2003
| {{yes}}
| {{yes}}
| {{no}}
| {{no}}
| {{sort|Man at Crowning Ceremony|Man at the Coronation of Pascal Sauvage/Johnny English|nolink=1}}
| [[Cameo appearance|Uncredited]]
| align="center" | 
|- 
! ''[[Laws of Attraction]]''
| style="text-align:center;"|2004
| {{yes}}
| {{yes}}
| {{no}}
| {{no}}
| {{sortname|Client|Client|nolink=1}}
| Uncredited
| align="center" | 
|- 
! ''[[Dangerous Parking]]''
| style="text-align:center;"|2007
| {{yes}}
| {{yes}}
| {{yes}}
| {{yes}}
| {{sortname|Noah|Arkwright|nolink=1}}
| 
| align="center" | 
|-
! ''[[Reasonable Doubt (2014 film)|Reasonable Doubt]]''
| style="text-align:center;"|2014
| {{no}}
| {{yes}}
| {{no}}
| {{no}}
| {{N/A|None}}
| 
| align="center" | 
|-
! ''[[Scorched Earth (2018 film)|Scorched Earth]]''
| style="text-align:center;"|2018
| {{no}}
| {{yes}}
| {{no}}
| {{no}}
| {{N/A|None}}
| 
| align="center" | 
|}

===Television===
{| class="wikitable sortable plainrowheaders" style="margin-right: 0;"
|+ Television credits of Howitt
|- 
! rowspan=2 scope="col" | Title
! rowspan=2 scope="col" | Year
! colspan=3 scope="col" | Credited as
! rowspan=2 scope="col" | Role
! rowspan=2 scope="col" class="unsortable" | Notes
! rowspan=2 scope="col" class="unsortable" | {{abbr|Refs.|References}}
|-
! width=65 | Actor
! width=65 | Director
! width=65 | Writer
|-
! scope="row"| ''[[Solo (TV series)|Solo]]''
| 1982
| {{yes}}
| {{no}}
| {{no}}
| {{sort|Raif|Raif|nolink=1}}
| Episode: "Episode One"
| align="center" | 
|-
! scope="row"| ''Studio''
| 1983
| {{yes}}
| {{no}}
| {{no}}
| {{sort|Nick|Nick|nolink=1}}
| Episode: "Art Begins at Forty"
| align="center" | 
|-
! scope="row"| ''Jury''
| 1983
| {{yes}}
| {{no}}
| {{no}}
| {{sort|Simmo|Simmo|nolink=1}}
| Episode: "Mick"
| align="center" |
|-
! scope="row"| ''Out on the Floor''
| 1983
| {{yes}}
| {{no}}
| {{no}}
| {{sort|Nico|Nico|nolink=1}}
| Television film
| align="center" | 
|-
! scope="row"| ''[[Sharon and Elsie]]''
| 1984
| {{yes}}
| {{no}}
| {{no}}
| {{sortname|Michael|Blake|nolink=1}}
| Episode: "Episode Six"
| align="center" | 
|-
! scope="row"| ''Punters''
| 1984
| {{yes}}
| {{no}}
| {{no}}
| {{sort|Ansty|Ansty|nolink=1}}
| Television film
| align="center" | 
|-
! scope="row"| ''[[How We Used To Live]]''
| 1984{{en dash}}1985 
| {{yes}}
| {{no}}
| {{no}}
| {{sortname|Tom|Selby|nolink=1}}
|
| align="center" | 
|-
! scope="row"| ''[[Emmerdale]]''
| 1985
| {{yes}}
| {{no}}
| {{no}}
| {{sort|Colin|Colin|nolink=1}}
|
| align="center" | 
|-
! scope="row"| ''[[Constant Hot Water]]''
| 1986
| {{yes}}
| {{no}}
| {{no}}
| {{sort|Roland|Roland|nolink=1}}
|
| align="center" | 
|-
! scope="row"| ''[[Bread (TV series)|Bread]]''
| 1986{{en dash}}1988
| {{yes}}
| {{no}}
| {{no}}
| {{sortname|Joey|Boswell|nolink=1}}
| 39 episodes 
| align="center" | 
|-
! scope="row"| ''[[Family Fortunes]]''
| 1989
| {{yes}}
| {{no}}
| {{no}}
| {{sortname|Prince|Charming}}
| Episode: "Celebrity Christmas Special"
| align="center" | 
|-
! scope="row"| ''[[Ball Trap on the Cote Sauvage]]''
| 1993
| {{yes}}
| {{no}}
| {{no}}
| {{sortname|Topless|Topless|nolink=1}}
| Television film
| align="center" | 
|-
! scope="row"| ''[[Coasting (TV series)|Coasting]]''
| 1990
| {{yes}}
| {{no}}
| {{no}}
| {{sortname|Eddie|Baker|nolink=1}}
|
| align="center" | 
|-
! scope="row"| ''[[Civvies (TV series)|Civvies]]''
| 1992
| {{yes}}
| {{no}}
| {{no}}
| {{sortname|Steve|Harris|nolink=1}}
|
| align="center" | 
|-
! scope="row"| ''Party Time''
| 1992
| {{yes}}
| {{no}}
| {{no}}
| {{sort|Terry|Terry|nolink=1}}
| Short film
| align="center" | 
|-
! scope="row"| ''[[Highlander (TV series)|Highlander]]''
| 1993
| {{yes}}
| {{no}}
| {{no}}
| {{sortname|Christoph|Kuyler}}
| Episode: "[[Highlander: The Series (season 1)#ep14|For Evil's Sake]]"
| align="center" | 
|-
! scope="row"| ''[[Screen One]]''
| 1993
| {{yes}}
| {{no}}
| {{no}}
| {{sort|Jim|Jim|nolink=1}}
| Episode: "Royal Celebration"
| align="center" | 
|-
! scope="row"| ''{{sort|Magician|The Magician}}''
| 1993
| {{yes}}
| {{no}}
| {{no}}
| {{sort|Herbie|Herbie|nolink=1}}
| Television film
| align="center" | 
|-
! scope="row"|''[[Class Act (British TV series)|Class Act]]''
| 1994
| {{yes}}
| {{no}}
| {{no}}
| {{sort|Antoine|Antoine|nolink=1}}
| Episode: "Episode Six"
| align="center" | 
|-
! scope="row"| ''{{sort|Lifeboat|The Lifeboat}}''
| 1994 
| {{yes}}
| {{no}}
| {{no}}
| {{sortname|Stanley|Woods|nolink=1}} 
| Episode: "Homecomings"
| align="center" | 
|-
! scope="row"| ''Tears Before Bedtime''
| 1995 
| {{yes}}
| {{no}}
| {{no}}
| {{sortname|Ben|Farlow|nolink=1}}
| 
| align="center" | 
|-
! scope="row"|''{{sort|Perfect Match|[[The Perfect Match (1995 film)|The Perfect Match]]}}''
| 1995
| {{yes}}
| {{no}}
| {{no}}
| {{sort|Dave|Dave|nolink=1}}
| Television film
| align="center" | 
|- 
! scope="row"|''Killing Me Softly''
| 1995
| {{yes}}
| {{no}}
| {{no}}
| {{sortname|Malcolm|Thornton|nolink=1}}
| Television film
| align="center" | 
|-
! scope="row"|''Eleven Men Against Eleven''
| 1995
| {{yes}}
| {{no}}
| {{no}}
| {{sortname|Steve|Denton|nolink=1}}
| Television film
| align="center" | 
|-
! scope="row"|''[[Frontiers (1996 TV series)|Frontiers]]''
| 1996
| {{yes}}
| {{no}}
| {{no}}
| {{sortname|Supt. Nick|Jarratt|nolink=1}}
|
| align="center" | 
|-
! scope="row"| ''Kiss and Tell''
| 1996
| {{yes}}
| {{no}}
| {{no}}
| {{sortname|Graham|Ives|nolink=1}}
| Television film
| align="center" | 
|-
! scope="row"| ''[[Insiders (British TV series)|Insiders]]''
| 1997
| {{yes}}
| {{no}}
| {{no}}
| {{sortname|Will|Deans|nolink=1}}
| Episode: "Guilty"
| align="center" | 
|-
! scope="row"| ''[[Going to California (TV series)|Going to California]]''
| 2001
| {{no}}
| {{yes}}
| {{no}}
| {{N/A|None}}
| 
| align="center" | 
|-
! scope="row"|''[[The Armstrong and Miller Show]]''
| 2007
| {{yes}}
| {{no}}
| {{no}}
| {{sortname|Dominic|Dominic|nolink=1}}
| Episode: "Episode Seven"
| align="center" | 
|-
! scope="row"| ''[[Defying Gravity (TV series)|Defying Gravity]]''
| 2009
| {{yes}}
| {{yes}}
| {{no}}
| {{sortname|Trevor|Williams|nolink=1}}
| 
| align="center" | 
|-
! scope="row"| ''[[Radio Rebel]]''
| 2012
| {{no}}
| {{yes}}
| {{yes}}
| {{N/A|None}}
| Television film
| align="center" | 
|-
! scope="row"| ''[[Rogue (TV series)|Rogue]]''
| 2013
| {{no}}
| {{yes}}
| {{no}}
| {{N/A|None}}
| Episode: "The Second Amendment"
| align="center" | 
|-
! scope="row"| ''[[The Fixer (2015 Canadian TV series)|The Fixer]]''
| 2015
| {{no}}
| {{yes}}
| {{no}}
| {{N/A|None}}
| 
| align="center" | 
|}

==Awards==
*[[European Film Award]] (1998) – European Screenwriter (''[[Sliding Doors]]'')<ref>[http://www.europeanfilmacademy.org/htm/4Winners1998.html European Film Academy official site], last accessed 21 November 2007</ref>
*[[Empire Awards]] (1999) – Best British Director (''[[Sliding Doors]]'')<ref>[http://www.empireonline.com/awards2004/pastwinners/1999.asp Empire Awards official site], last accessed 21 November 2007</ref>
*[[Shanghai International Film Festival]] (2001) – Jin Jue Award for Best Director (''[[Antitrust (film)|AntiTrust]]'')<ref name="SIFF1">[http://www.siff.com/Archive/en/history_index.htm Shanghai International Film Festival official site] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070822010925/http://www.siff.com/Archive/en/history_index.htm |date=22 August 2007 }}, last accessed 21 November 2007</ref><ref name="SIFF2">[http://www.siff.com/Archive/en/history_hj.htm Shanghai International Film Festival official site] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071106032505/http://www.siff.com/Archive/en/history_hj.htm |date=6 November 2007 }}, last accessed 21 November 2007</ref>
*Shanghai International Film Festival (2001) – Jin Jue Award for Best Film (''AntiTrust'')<ref name="SIFF1"/><ref name="SIFF2"/>
*[[Tokyo International Film Festival]] (2007) – Best Director (''[[Dangerous Parking (film)|Dangerous Parking]]'')<ref>[http://www.tiff-jp.net/report/daily_en.php?itemid=418 Tokyo International Film Festival official site] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080303161731/http://www.tiff-jp.net/report/daily_en.php?itemid=418 |date=3 March 2008 }}, last accessed 21 November 2007</ref>

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
* {{IMDb name|id=0398185|name=Peter Howitt}}

{{Peter Howitt}}
{{Navboxes
|title = Awards for Peter Howitt
|list =
{{European Film Award for Best Screenwriter}}
{{Golden Goblet Award for Best Director}}
{{San Diego Film Critics Society Award for Best Original Screenplay}}
}}

{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Howitt, Peter}}
[[Category:1957 births]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:Alumni of the Drama Studio London]]
[[Category:English film directors]]
[[Category:English male film actors]]
[[Category:Best Screenwriter European Film Award winners]]
[[Category:Actors from the Royal Borough of Greenwich]]
[[Category:English emigrants to Canada]]
[[Category:Male actors from Manchester]]
[[Category:People from Bromley]]
[[Category:Actors from the London Borough of Bromley]]
[[Category:People from Eltham]]
[[Category:Male actors from Kent]]