Trivia

After choosing to leave acting, Peter became a high-school English teacher. He had a breakdown in 1991 and was hospitalized for a while. Following that, he taught himself all aspects of videography and became a video teacher and mentor to many students. He created his own video art which was funny, wry, quirky and political and, at times, deeply personal, particularly on the subject of his own experience as a survivor of incest. He wrote many songs and recorded two CDs. One of his songs, "Testosterone", was set to animation by the brilliant Jonathan Amitay. It can be seen on YouTube. He played at Club Passim, in Cambridge, Massachusetts (the former Club 47 of Joan Baez fame), and at the Free Times Cafe and other venues in Toronto.

Former boyfriend of Karen Black.

His pacemaker failed while he was driving in downtown Toronto and he died after pulling his car to the side of the road. He was less than two weeks shy of his 65th birthday.

One of many actors who read for the lead role in The Graduate (1967) but lost out to Dustin Hoffman.

A proud survivor of incest. He spoke out about it in his art and would have brought it further into the light, particularly the devastating effects of mother/son incest.

Brother of television director and producer John Kastner.

First wife Wendy Miller. Second wife Jenny, to whom he was married 34 years. Has a stepdaughter, Liza, and two grandsons, Oskar and Gus.

Former girlfriends: Francesca Hilton, Anne Beatts, Barbara Garson, Colleen Brennan (aka "Sharon Kelly"), Janice Tieken, Rosanna Norton, Rhonda Cooper, Hélène Zidi.

Studied modern languages and literature at the University of Toronto in the early 1960s. Received a B.A. in Modern European History from UCLA in the 1970s.

His parents were involved in a printing and publishing business. He was the second of four children, including older sister Susan Kastner, and younger siblings John Kastner and Kathy Kastner. All were involved in the entertainment business in some way - Susan was a journalist at the Toronto Star, New York Post, and Agence France-Presse; John was an actor who turned prolific director and producer; Kathy was a Toronto-based host of a current-affairs show.

Brothers-in-law: Martin Jameson, Mathew Jacobs.

He was the son of Rose and Martin Kastner.