Peter Purves was born on February 10, 1939, in New Longton, Lancashire. He pursued a teacher-training course after leaving school, but his passion for acting soon took over, and he began his acting career in 1961.
Initially, he joined the Barrow-in-Furness Repertory Company and later the Wimbleton Theatre Company. His early television roles included appearances in the BBC's iconic police series Z Cars in 1962, followed by further TV work in the play The Girl in the Picture in 1964 and an episode of The Villains the same year.
In 1965, Purves auditioned for the role of a Menoptra in the Doctor Who story "The Web Planet," but unfortunately, he was rejected. However, the director, Richard Martin, later cast him as Morton Dill in Flight Through Eternity, which led to him playing the regular character Steven Taylor.
After his stint on Doctor Who, Purves became a regular presenter on the popular children's magazine program Blue Peter, which he joined in 1958. He continued to present various sports-based programs and has also been the managing director of a video production company.
