The son of poet John Thompson (q.v.), Peter Thompson completed an arts degree at the University of Sydney and later studied performance at Sydney's Ensemble Theatre. He subsequently worked for ABC Television as a film editor, then began directing and producing films such as The Surfing Years (1966) and Cardin in Australia (1967), the latter winning the Australian Film Institute's Golden Reel for a documentary. He began reviewing films in the 1970s, and gained a high profile as the resident film critic for the Nine Network's Sunday program from its first broadcast in 1981. Esteemed Australian actor, Jack Thompson is Peter Thompson's adopted brother.
