Biography
John Peakes (1933–2017) was an American actor. He is best known for playing Professor Knowby in the horror film Evil Dead II (1987). He also appeared as Dr Charles Foster in 6 Souls (2010) and as Harry McHale in The Mighty Macs (2009), and had a guest role in the television series Cold Case (2005).
Peakes co-founded the BoarsHead Theater in Lansing, Michigan, in 1966 with Richard Thomsen and served as its artistic director until 2003. He performed and directed in hundreds of productions there and taught drama and literature at Lansing Community College in the early 1970s. His regional theatre work in Michigan connected him to director Sam Raimi.
He was married to Judith Gentry and, earlier, to Connie Villiers. His son Ian Merrill Peakes is also an actor.
