Peter Robinson

Who was Peter Robinson?

Peter Robinson or Pete Robinson was an American actor and sideshow performer with a lengthy career in the carnival circus circuit with Ringling Bros. Peter Robinson was born in Springfield, Massachusetts, the son of Norwegian immigrants. He said that he had a normal childhood and appearance until his early teens, when his weight began to precipitously drop.

He worked as a carnival sideshow entertainer, weighing in at 58 pounds, he billed himself as "The Living Skeleton". In 1924, aged 45, he married in New York fellow sideshow entertainer Baby Bunny Smith, a 467 pound circus fat lady aged 23, and had two children.

Despite making his living in side shows, he was a classically trained Shakespearean actor. He is best known for his role in the 1932 cult classic film Freaks, directed by Tod Browning. He was also purported to be an expert harmonica player.