Peter Coyote (born Rachmil Pinchus Ben Mosha Cohon; October 10, 1941) is an American actor, author, director, screenwriter and narrator of films, theatre, television and audio books. His voice work includes narrating the opening ceremony of the 2002 Winter Olympics and Apple's iPad campaign. He has also served as on-camera co-host of the 2000 Oscar telecasts.
Coyote was one of the founders of the Diggers, an anarchist improv group active in Haight-Ashbury during the mid-1960s. Coyote was also an actor, writer and director with the San Francisco Mime Troupe; his prominence in the San Francisco counter-culture scene led to his being interviewed for the noted book, Voices from the Love Generation. He acted in and directed the first cross-country tour of the Minstrel Show, and his play Olive Pits, co-authored with Mime Troupe member Peter Berg, won the Troupe an Obie Award from the Village Voice. Coyote became a member, and later chairman, of the California Arts Council from 1975 to 1983. In the late 1970s, he shifted from acting on stage to acting in films. In the 1990s and 2000s, he acted in several television shows. He speaks fluent Spanish and French.
Known For
E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial
(1982)
Keys
A Walk to Remember
(2002)
Reverend Sullivan
Bitter Moon
(1992)
Oscar
Erin Brockovich
(2000)
Kurt Potter
Random Hearts
(1999)
Cullen Chandler
Patch Adams
(1998)
Bill Davis
Sphere
(1998)
Captain Harold C. Barnes
Behind Enemy Lines II: Axis of Evil
(2006)
President Adair T. Manning
Femme Fatale
(2002)
Watts
Southern Comfort
(1981)
Poole
The Girl Who Believes in Miracles
(2021)
Sam Donovan
Jagged Edge
(1985)
Thomas Krasny
Spielberg
(2017)
Self
Outrageous Fortune
(1987)
Michael Sanders
Hemingway & Gellhorn
(2012)
Maxwell Perkins
A Man in Love
(1987)
Steve Elliott
Full Filmography
Acting
The Hippie Temptation
(1967)
Digger
Alcatraz: The Whole Shocking Story
(1980)
Courtney Taylor
Tell Me a Riddle
(1980)
Young David
Die Laughing
(1980)
Davis
People vs. Jean Harris
(1981)
George Bolen
Isabel's Choice
(1981)
Wynn Thomas
Southern Comfort
(1981)
Poole
Endangered Species
(1982)
Steele
Breach of Contract
(1982)
E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial
(1982)
Keys
Out
(1982)
Rex
The UFO Experience
(1982)
Timerider: The Adventure of Lyle Swann
(1982)
Porter Reese
Strangers Kiss
(1983)
Stanley, the Director
Slayground
(1983)
Stone
Cross Creek
(1983)
Norton Baskin
Scorned and Swindled
(1984)
Anthony Ristelli
Heartbreakers
(1984)
Blue
Best Kept Secrets
(1984)
Frank Mitchell
Jagged Edge
(1985)
Thomas Krasny
The Blue Yonder
(1985)
Max Knickerbocker
Jack Kerouac: King of the Beats
(1985)
Narrator
Contrary Warriors: A Film of the Crow Tribe
(1985)
Narrator (voice)
The Legend of Billie Jean
(1985)
Lt. Larry Ringwald
Child's Cry
(1986)
Matt Townsend
Stacking
(1987)
The Photographer
Sworn to Silence
(1987)
Sam Fischetti
Outrageous Fortune
(1987)
Michael Sanders
Echoes in the Darkness
(1987)
William Bradfield Jr.
A Man in Love
(1987)
Steve Elliott
Baja Oklahoma
(1988)
Slick Henderson
Heart of Midnight
(1988)
Sharpe/Larry
Collision Course: Labor Management Relations in America
(1988)
Narrator
Unconquered
(1989)
Richmond Flowers Sr.
Waldo Salt: A Screenwriter's Journey
(1990)
Narrator (voice)
The Man Inside
(1990)
Henry Tobel
Living a Lie
(1991)
Matt
Keeper of the City
(1991)
Frank Nordhall
High Art
(1991)
Peter Mandrake
A Seduction in Travis County
(1991)
Frank Maguire
Crooked Hearts
(1991)
Edward Warren
Earth and the American Dream
(1992)
Reader (voice)
Bitter Moon
(1992)
Oscar
Kika
(1993)
Nicholas Pierce
Breach of Conduct
(1994)
Col. Andrew Case
The History of Rock 'n' Roll
(1995)
Self
American Cinema
(1995)
Narrator
Moonlight and Valentino
(1995)
Paul
The First 100 Years: A Celebration of American Movies
(1995)
Narrator
That Eye, the Sky
(1995)
Henry Warburton
Buffalo Girls
(1995)
Buffalo Bill Cody
Terminal Justice
(1996)
Deacon Vivyan
The Making of 'E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial'
(1996)
Self
Unforgettable
(1996)
Don Bresler
Dalva
(1996)
Michael
Seduced by Madness: The Diane Borchardt Story
(1996)
Ruben Borchardt
The Secrets of 007
(1997)
Narrator (voice)
Road Ends
(1997)
Gene Gere
Murder in My Mind
(1997)
Arthur Lefcourt
Alaska's Great Wilderness Denali: The Living Edens
(1997)
Narrator
Seeds Of Doubt
(1998)
Top of the World
(1998)
Doc 'The Butcher'
Avalanche: The White Death
(1998)
Narrator
Two for Texas
(1998)
Jim Bowie
National Geographic's Storm of the Century
(1998)
Self - Narrator (voice)
Indiscreet
(1998)
Detective Roos
Karmapa - Two Ways of Divinity
(1998)
Narrator, English version (voice)
Route 9
(1998)
Sheriff Dwayne Hogan
Patch Adams
(1998)
Bill Davis
Sphere
(1998)
Captain Harold C. Barnes
San Francisco Diggers
(1998)
Execution of Justice
(1999)
Harvey Milk
Last Call
(1999)
Xuave
Emperor of Hemp
(1999)
Narrator
National Geographic Explorer: The Battle For Midway
(1999)
Himself - Narrator
Random Hearts
(1999)
Cullen Chandler
Murder on Shadow Mountain
(1999)
Dennis 'Denny' Traynor
Red Letters
(2000)
Dennis Burke
The Basket
(2000)
Martin Conlon
Search for the Submarine I-52
(2000)
Narrator
The Wednesday Woman
(2000)
Don Wigulow
More Dogs Than Bones
(2000)
Detective Darren Cody
Erin Brockovich
(2000)
Kurt Potter
Midwives
(2001)
Stephen Hastings
Jack the Dog
(2001)
Alfred Stieglitz
Suddenly Naked
(2001)
Lionel Heathcote
Neighborhoods: The Hidden Cities of San Francisco - The Fillmore
(2001)
Voice of Urban Renewal (Voice)
Empty Oceans, Empty Nets
(2002)
Narrator (voice)
Polanski y los ojos del mal
(2002)
Himself
Purpose
(2002)
Bernard Elias
A Time for Dancing
(2002)
Wyn Michaels
A Walk to Remember
(2002)
Reverend Sullivan
Femme Fatale
(2002)
Watts
E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial 20th Anniversary Special
(2002)
Self
Written In Blood
(2003)
John Traveller
Phenomenon II
(2003)
John Ringold
Hollywood's Magical Island: Catalina
(2003)
Narrator (voice)
Bare Knuckle Filming: The Construction of Northfork
(2003)
Narrator
The Hebrew Hammer
(2003)
JJL Chief Bloomenbergensteinenthal
Out of the Blue
(2003)
Narrator
Northfork
(2003)
Eddie
Bon Voyage
(2003)
Alex Winckler
The Great Role
(2004)
Rudolph Grichenberg
Shadow of Fear
(2004)
Congressman Henderson
Oil on Ice
(2004)
Narrator
Carlos Castaneda: Enigma of a Sorcerer
(2004)
Commune
(2005)
self, Black Bear resident
The War Prayer
(2005)
Narrator
Return of the Living Dead: Necropolis
(2005)
Uncle Charles
The Tribe
(2005)
Voice
A Little Trip to Heaven
(2005)
Frank
Deepwater
(2005)
Herman Finch
Enron: The Smartest Guys in the Room
(2005)
Narrator
Return of the Living Dead: Rave to the Grave
(2005)
Uncle Charles
The Gospel of Judas
(2006)
AKA Tommy Chong
(2006)
Himself
Behind Enemy Lines II: Axis of Evil
(2006)
President Adair T. Manning
Woody Guthrie: Ain't Got No Home
(2006)
Narrator
Hippies
(2007)
Self
Strange Culture
(2007)
Self
Fog City Mavericks
(2007)
Self - Narrator (voice)
The Sunday Man
(2007)
The Voice
One Man, One Cow, One Planet
(2007)
Narrator
Soldiers Of Conscience
(2007)
Self
Resurrecting the Champ
(2007)
Ike Epstein
Illicit: The Dark Trade
(2008)
Self - Narrator (voice)
Texas Gold
(2008)
Narrator
Adopt a Sailor
(2008)
Richard
Hope & Redemption: The Lena Baker Story
(2008)
Elliot Arthur
Dr. Dolittle: Tail to the Chief
(2008)
President Sterling
All Roads Lead Home
(2008)
Hock
$5 a Day
(2008)
Burt Kruger
A Single Woman
(2008)
Maury Maverick
The Brain Fitness Program
(2008)
Alaska Far Away
(2008)
Narrator
Huxley on Huxley
(2009)
Self
Torturing Democracy
(2009)
Narrator
With One Voice
(2009)
Narrator
Climbing Redwood Giants
(2009)
Self - Narrator (voice)
What The Tourist Should See
(2009)
Narrator (voice)
For the Rights of All: Ending Jim Crow in Alaska
(2009)
Self - Narrator (voice)
Nazi Mystery - Twins From Brazil
(2009)
Narrstor (voice)
Vampire Forensics
(2010)
Call of Life: Facing the Mass Extinction
(2010)
Narrator
What If Cannabis Cured Cancer
(2010)
Narration
DiDi Hollywood
(2010)
Michael McLean
Green Fire
(2011)
Aldo Leopold (voice)
Last Will
(2011)
Judge Garner
Here
(2011)
Storyteller
I am Fishead
(2011)
narrator
Connected: An Autoblogography About Love, Death & Technology
(2011)
Narrator (voice)
These Amazing Shadows
(2011)
Self
The Gundown
(2011)
Thomas Morgan
This Is Not a Movie
(2011)
Bag It
(2011)
Self
Oceans in Glass
(2011)
Narrator
Rise Above the Mark
(2012)
Narrator
Right to Play
(2012)
Narrator
Cold War on Ice: Summit Series '72
(2012)
Narrator
Valparaiso
(2012)
Edward G. Drexler
Hemingway & Gellhorn
(2012)
Maxwell Perkins
The Ghost Army
(2013)
Narrator (Voice)
Long Distance Revolutionary: A Journey with Mumia Abu-Jamal
(2013)
Self
Paolo Soleri: Beyond Form
(2013)
Narrator
Bangkok, We Have A Problem!
(2014)
Burt Lowell
Angel Azul
(2014)
Narrator
Realm of the Ancient Redwoods
(2014)
Narrator
No Deposit
(2015)
Police Chief Williams
Girl on the Edge
(2015)
Hank Taylor
Eva & Leon
(2015)
Le Père
Good Kill
(2015)
Langley
The Price of Fame
(2015)
Crooker
I Know What I Saw
(2015)
Narrator
Robert Bly: A Thousand Years of Joy
(2015)
Himself
A Coup in Camelot
(2015)
Narrator (voice)
The Reality of Truth
(2016)
Self
Who Wants to Live Forever? The Wisdom of Aging.
(2016)
Himself
Americana
(2016)
Ben
The Beatles, Hippies & Hells Angels: Inside the Crazy World of Apple
(2017)
Himself - Narrator
Spielberg
(2017)
Self
1 Mile To You
(2017)
Principal Umber
As If They Were Angels
(2018)
Narrator
The Remarkable Life of John Weld
(2018)
Narrator
The Mayo Clinic
(2018)
Narrator
Summer of Love
(2018)
Himself
Olompali: A Hippie Odyssey
(2019)
narrator
Troubled Waters: A Turtle's Tale
(2019)
Self - Narrator (voice)
Polanski, le travail à l'oeuvre
(2019)
Self
The Atomic Tree
(2019)
Narrator
The Etruscan Smile
(2019)
Professor
Almost Thirteen
(2020)
Narrator
Sunseed: The Journey
(2020)
Narrator (voice)
The Phenomenon
(2020)
Narrator (voice)
Downwinders and the Radioactive West
(2021)
Narrator (voice)
The Girl Who Believes in Miracles
(2021)
Sam Donovan
Nepal Beyond
(2021)
Narrator
The Co-op Wars
(2021)
Narrator
Wandering...But Not Lost
(2021)
Narrator
Marriner Eccles: Father of the Modern Federal Reserve
(2021)
Narrator
A Cloud Never Dies
(2022)
Narrator (voice)
The Weight of a Feather: The Liberty Wildlife Story
(2022)
Narrator
The Last Stand
(2022)
Narrator (voice)
Moment of Contact
(2022)
Narrator (voice)
Jerry Brown: The Disrupter
(2022)
Self
Fields of Gold
(2023)
Narrator
Against All Enemies
(2023)
Narrator
Bad Faith
(2024)
Narrator (voice)
Crew