When cult stage play The Rocky Horror Show transitioned to celluloid, the production team knew that whoever played Rocky, Dr. Frank-N-Furter’s Frankenstein sex fantasy, would have to bear the scrutiny of harsh studio lighting, close-up photography, and projection onto a cinema’s big screen. Prior to the pervasive gym culture, an actor with such a chiselled physique posed something of a challenge for director Jim Sharman. Enter Peter Hinwood: aspiring actor, professional model and – crucially – Herculean super-hunk. As well as providing the goods aesthetically, many would say that his performance aptly suits a film made as homage to B-movie trash. Indeed, the production would herald the end of his short-lived acting career, after which Hinwood got into antiques. A respected designer, collector, and art dealer, he explains his withdrawal…
