Biographie

Married to the actress Wendy Gifford. His daughter is the actress Emma Cater. His son in law is the actor Simon Thorp. A lover of jazz and classical music, Cater was an accomplished player of jazz piano, trombone, vibraphone and guitar.

As a boy Cater trained in tap dancing and ballet. He went on to study acting at RADA alongside notable alumni such as Joe Orton and Joan Collins..

Cater learned his stage craft in "weekly rep", working with repertory companies in Dundee, Nottingham, Aberdeen, Edinburgh and Cork. He joined Sir Peter Hall's Royal Shakespeare Company in 1961, during its first season , where he met his future wife, the actress Wendy Gifford.

John Cater and John Bennett acted together in both I, Claudius and The House On Garibaldi Street. In I, Claudius, Cater's character worked undercover to cause someone to be executed and Bennett's character was a physician. In The House On Garibaldi Street, Bennett's character worked undercover to cause someone to be executed and Cater's character was a physician.

National service with the Royal Army Educational Corps.