Peter Donat

The Canadian-American actor 'Peter Donat' (qv) had a 50-year-long career in TV, motion pictures and theater. So respected was Donat, that 'Francis Ford Coppola' (qv) considered casting him in the role of Tom Hagen in _The Godfather (1972)_ (qv) that went to 'Robert Duvall' (qv).The nephew of Oscar-winning actor 'Robert Donat' (qv), Peter was born Pierre Collingwood Donat on January 20, 1928 in Kentville, Nova Scotia. His father, landscape gardener Philip Donat, was Anglo-Canadian while his Marie (née Bardet) was French-Canadian.In 1950, the 22-year-old Donat moved to the United States to study drama at Yale. A naturalized U.S. citizen, Donat frequently returned to Canada for acting work, appearing in the lead in a 1961 production of 'Donald Jack' (qv)'s play "The Canvas Barricade" at the Stratford Festival. He was also in the Canadian TV serial _Moment of Truth (1964)_ (qv), which was broadcast on commercial TV in the States.'Peter Donat' (qv) was married for 16 years to Emmy-winning actor 'Michael Learned' (qv). The couple, who divorced in 1972, had three children: Caleb, Christopher, and Lucas.::v