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Peter Weller (born June 24, 1947, Stevens Point, Wisconsin, United States) is an American film actor and lecturer.

Weller's father was a helicopter pilot for the Army, and as a result young Pete Weller spent many years abroad. His family lived in Germany for several years, before eventually moving to Texas. While enrolled at North Texas State University (now the University of North Texas), he played trumpet in one of the campus bands. He graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in Theatre, and began his acting career after graduating from the American Academy of Dramatic Arts.

Although he has appeared in over fifty films and television series, he is best known for his appearances as the title character in the cult classic The Adventures of Buckaroo Banzai Across the 8th Dimension, and the blockbuster hits RoboCop and RoboCop 2. He has also appeared in critically acclaimed movies such as Mighty Aphrodite and Naked Lunch and played the shuttle captain in the short-lived TV show Odyssey 5. He has made a guest appearance in the Star Trek: Enterprise episodes "Demons" and "Terra Prime". In recent years he seems to favor directing over acting, helming two episodes of Homicide: Life on the Street and three episodes of the aforementioned Odyssey 5. Odyssey 5, Star Trek: Enterprise and 24 were all produced by Manny Coto.

Despite some critical acclaim, however, some of his later works were not as popular, drawing universal criticism from critics. Features such as Top of the World and Screamers failed to capture fans' imagination in the same way as his previous films. This is due partly to the unimaginative approaches of the directors involved, and Weller's lack of animation in these roles. Weller was handed a second chance, however, when in 2006 he joined the cast of the critically acclaimed drama series 24. Weller played the role of terrorist collaborator Christopher Henderson, his most significant role since Alex Murphy in RoboCop. Weller received a cheers in TV Guide's Cheers & Jeers section for his performance.

Weller also holds a Masters Degree in Roman and Renaissance Art, and is an occasional lecturer at Syracuse University on the subject of Hollywood and the Roman Empire. He was a featured commentator on the History Channel's documentary, Rome: Engineering an Empire, which debuted September 5, 2005. Also, he had a role in the Monk episode "Mr. Monk and the Actor", where he played an actor who was playing Captain Stottlemeyer. He now hosts the new TV series Engineering an Empire on History Channel.

Trivia

• Shares a birthday with his RoboCop co-star Nancy Allen.
• His favorite musician is Miles Davis.
• Occasionally plays in a jazz band with Buckaroo Banzai costar Jeff Goldblum.
• Married long-time girlfriend, Sheri Stowe, in Positano, Italy on June 24, 2006, which was also his 59th birthday.
• Height: 6'0" (1.83 meters)
• Was once engaged to Sela Ward.

External links

• "RoboCop in Rome!" New York Daily News

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