Peter Yates' career in film began after a brief stint as a professional racing car driver and team manager. Born to a military man, Yates was educated at Charterhouse School and trained at RADA, where he gained experience as an actor with local repertory companies.
In the early 1950s, Yates worked as a dubbing assistant, cutter, stage manager, and theatre director at the Royal Court. He eventually became an assistant director on the film "The Inn of the Sixth Happiness" in 1958.
Yates started his television directing career by helming many episodes of "The Saint" and "Secret Agent" in the early 1960s. His first feature film was the musical "Summer Holiday" in 1963, which did not significantly impact his career.
However, his car chase sequence in "Robbery" (1967) impressed Steve McQueen, who requested Yates to direct him in "Bullitt" (1968). The success of "Bullitt" led Yates to remain in America, adapting to various genres while remaining preoccupied with action subjects.
Yates' notable films include the caper comedy "The Hot Rock" (1972),the underwater adventure "The Deep" (1977),and the coming-of-age comedy "Breaking Away" (1979). He received simultaneous Oscar nominations for "Breaking Away" as Best Director and Best Producer.
Yates was nominated again for his film "The Dresser" (1983),a cerebral drama starring Albert Finney and Tom Courtenay. He subsequently made only a few more films, including the courtroom thriller "Suspect" (1987),the political drama "The House on Carroll Street" (1988),and the old-fashioned comedy "It All Came True" (1998),starring Michael Caine and Maggie Smith.
