Who Plays Peter Prior On True Detective: Night Country?
Contains spoilers for "True Detective: Night Country" Episode 1
It's not easy being a police officer in Ennis, Alaska. Just ask Peter Prior. The young man is not only out of his element with the Tsalal research station mystery, but he also has to deal with an extremely demanding boss. What's more, his dad is his senior coworker. "True Detective: Night Country" Episode 1 establishes Peter as an errand boy who's entirely at the beck and call of Liz Danvers (Jodie Foster), to the point of jeopardizing his relationship with his father Hank (John Hawkes). However, Liz also treats Peter as a protégé, challenging the youngster and teaching him.
Peter is a professionally submissive young man who's eager to learn but seems somewhat reserved even when he's off the clock. Such a character could easily seem flat and empty, but Finn Bennett does a great job portraying the nuances of Peter's pondering nature and inner conflict. Though Bennett has quite a few screen appearances under his belt, he's still a relative newcomer ... and Peter has all the makings of his big breakout role.
Finn Bennett's star is rising
Finn Bennett's first screen credit came in 2010, when he portrayed the young James Devereaux in an episode of the British World War II detective show "Foyle's War." However, the vast majority of his roles are from 2017 onwards, and they largely consist of relatively minor parts. He had a recurring role as Ewen in the BBC drama "Liar" in 2017, and the next year, he played Si Warner in the BAFTA Award-nominated miniseries "Kiri."
He's also had roles in films like William Nicholson's 2019 romantic drama "Hope Gap" and Aneil Karia's 2020 thriller "Surge," while also appearing in an episode of the Emmy-nominated fantasy show "The Nevers." Apart from his work in TV shows and movies, he's also worked as a stage actor. He appeared in Polly Stenham's play "Tusk Tusk" as a child actor, and returned in 2018 as Boy in Robert Alan Evans' "The Woods."
Bennett's pace has noticeably picked up in recent years, with four different parts in 2021 alone. "True Detective: Night Country" marks the biggest role on his résumé, and considering how well he holds his own in scenes with industry veteran Jodie Foster, it's clear that the young actor came prepared for the spotlight.