Peter Dyneley

British actor (1921–1977)

Peter Dyneley (13 April 1921 – 19 August 1977) was an English actor. Although he appeared in many smaller roles in both film and television, he is best remembered for supplying the voice of Jeff Tracy for the 1960s "Supermarionation" TV series Thunderbirds and its two film sequels, Thunderbirds Are Go (1966) and Thunderbird 6 (1968), all produced by Gerry Anderson. Uncredited, Dyneley also provided the voice of the countdown that introduces the Thunderbirds title sequence.

Born in Hastings, Sussex on 13 April 1921, Dyneley spent his early years in Canada but was educated at Radley College in Oxfordshire, UK. He served in the Royal Canadian Navy during the Second World War. After the war, he attended the Guildhall School of Music and Drama in London, where he studied opera and developed his bass voice. It was at this institution that he made the acquaintance of fellow student Christine May, whom he later married. They had two children, Richard and Amanda. Having lived in Canada, Dyneley frequently performed with a North American accent. He acted primarily in stage productions prior to 1954, when he turned his attention to film. On stage and in film, he regularly appeared opposite his second wife, the actress Jane Hylton, whom he met on the set of Ett kunglit aventyr (Laughing in the Sunshine), made in 1956. This was refuted by Thunderbirds producer Gerry Anderson, who confirmed countdown was indeed recorded by Dyneley. as well as its opening sequence, and also for the launch countdown for the various Thunderbirds in the episodes.