Peter Sellers
Born
September 8, 1925
Died
July 24, 1980 (54 years old)
Known For
Acting
Place of Birth
Southsea, Hampshire, England, UK
Richard Henry Sellers, CBE (September 8, 1925 – July 24, 1980), known as Peter Sellers, was a British comedian and actor best known as Chief Inspector Clouseau in The Pink Panther film series, for playing three different characters in Dr. Strangelove, as Clare Quilty in Lolita, and as the man-child and TV-addicted Chance the gardener in his penultimate film, Being There. Leading actress Bette Davis once remarked of him, "He isn't an actor—he's a chameleon." Sellers rose to fame on the BBC Radio comedy series The Goon Show. His ability to speak in different accents (e.g., French, Indian, American, German, as well as British regional accents), along with his talent to portray a range of characters to comic effect, contributed to his success as a radio personality and screen actor and earned him national and international nominations and awards. Many of his characters became ingrained in public perception of his work. Sellers' private life was characterized by turmoil and crises, and included emotional problems and substance abuse. Sellers was married four times, and had three children from the first two marriages.
An enigmatic figure, he often claimed to have no identity outside the roles that he played, but he left his own portrait since, "he obsessively filmed his homes, his family, people he knew, anything that took his fancy right to the end of his life—intimate film that remained undiscovered until long after his death in 1980." The director Peter Hall has said: "Peter had the ability to identify completely with another person, and think his way physically, mentally and emotionally into their skin. Where does that come from? I have no idea. Is it a curse? Often. I think it's not enough though in this business to have talent. You have to have talent to handle the talent. And that I think Peter did not have."
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Known For
Liza: A Truly Terrific Absolutely True Story
Self (archive footage) (uncredited)
2025
Peter Sellers: Genius at Work
Self (archive footage)
2023
The Beatles: Get Back
Self · (1 episode)
2021
Directed By Blake Edwards
2021
Kubrick by Kubrick
Self (archive footage)
2020
Peter Sellers: A State of Comic Ecstasy
Self (Archival Footage)
2020
The Ghost of Peter Sellers
Himself (Archive)
2018
Spike Milligan: Love, Light and Peace
Himself (archive footage)
2014
The 9th Wonder of the World: The Making of 'Gorgo'
The Villain Antony (archive footage)
2013
Hitler: The Comedy Years
Dr. Strangelove / Fred Kite (archive footage) (uncredited)
2007
The Beatles: Get Back...Winter of Discontent
Self (archive footage)
2005
Best Sellers or: Peter Sellers and 'Dr. Strangelove'
Self (archive footage)
2004
The Peter Sellers Story - As He Filmed It
Himself
2003
The Paranormal Peter Sellers
Self (Archive footage)
2001
Spike
Himself
1996
The Peter Sellers Story
Himself
1995
Funny Business
(archive footage) · (6 episodes)
1992
Sellers' Best
Self (archive footage)
1992
The Very Best of Peter Sellers
1990
Scrooged
Viewed on TV screen acting in 1964 film Carol For Another Christmas uncredited
1988
Muppet Video: Rowlf's Rhapsodies with the Muppets
Self
1985
Muppet Treasures
Self
1985
Koyaanisqatsi
Self - On TV (archive footage) (uncredited)
1983
Trail of the Pink Panther
Chief Insp. Jacques Clouseau (archive footage)
1982
Eric Sykes: One of the Great Troupers
Self (archive material)
1981
The Fiendish Plot of Dr. Fu Manchu
Fu Manchu / Nayland Smith
1980
Being There
Chance
1979
The Prisoner of Zenda
Rudolf IV/Rudolf V/Sidney Frewin
1979
Mickey's 50
Self
1978
Rire et sourire : Le Splendid
Extrait du film « La Malédiction de la Panthère rose », 1978 · (1 episode)
1978
Revenge of the Pink Panther
Chief Inspector Clouseau
1978
Kingdom Of Gifts
The Slightly Larcenous Mayor
1978
To See Such Fun
1977
The Pink Panther Strikes Again
Chief Inspector Clouseau
1976
The Muppet Show
Self - Special Guest Star · (1 episode)
1976
Murder by Death
Sidney Wang
1976
The Return of the Pink Panther
Inspector Clouseau
1975
Julie: My Favourite Things
Various
1975
A Salute to Sir Lew Grade
Self
1975
The Great McGonagall
Queen Victoria
1975
Flip Wilson... Of Course
Self
1974
Soft Beds, Hard Battles
Général Latour / Major Robinson / Herr Schroeder / Adolf Hitler / The President / Prince Kyoto
1974
The Optimists of Nine Elms
Sam
1973
The Big Screen
Self
1973
The Blockhouse
Rouquet
1973
Ghost in the Noonday Sun
Dick Scratcher
1973
Alice's Adventures in Wonderland
The March Hare
1972
Sykes
Tommy Grando · (2 episodes)
1972
Where Does It Hurt?
Dr. Albert T. Hopfnegal
1972
The Last Goon Show of All
Self
1972
V.I.P. Schaukel
Self · (1 episode)
1971
Wilton's: The Handsomest Hall in Town
G.W. Ross
1970
There's a Girl in My Soup
Robert Danvers
1970
Hoffman
Mr. Hoffman
1970
Simon Simon
Man with Two Cars
1970
A Day at the Beach
Salesman
1970
Will the Real Mr Sellers.....?
1969
The Magic Christian
Sir Guy Grand KG, KC, CBE
1969
One Pair of Eyes - No, But Seriously
1969
This Is Tom Jones
Self · (1 episode)
1969
I Love You, Alice B. Toklas!
Harold
1968
The Party
Hrundi V. Bakshi
1968
Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In
Self · (3 episodes)
1968
It Takes a Thief
Man in Harbor Records Office · (1 episode)
1968
Woman Times Seven
Jean
1967
Casino Royale
Evelyn Tremble
1967
The Bobo
Juan Bautista
1967
Alice in Wonderland
King of Hearts
1966
El Rey en Londres
1966
ABC Stage 67
Self · (1 episode)
1966
After the Fox
Aldo Vanucci / Federico Fabrizi
1966
The Wrong Box
Doctor Pratt
1966
Birds, Bees and Storks
Narrator (voice)
1965
The Music of Lennon & McCartney
1965
The Dean Martin Show
(1 episode)
1965
What's New Pussycat?
Dr. Fritz Fassbender
1965
Carol for Another Christmas
Imperial Me
1964
I Say I Say I Say
1964
A Shot in the Dark
Jacques Clouseau
1964
The World of Henry Orient
Henry Orient
1964
Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb
Group Capt. Lionel Mandrake / President Merkin Muffley / Dr. Strangelove
1964
The Pink Panther
Insp. Jacques Clouseau
1963
The Telegoons
(26 episodes)
1963
Heavens Above!
The Rev. John Smallwood
1963
The Wrong Arm of the Law
Pearly Gates
1963
Trial and Error
Wilfred Morgenhall
1962
Lolita
Clare Quilty
1962
Waltz of the Toreadors
Gen. Leo Fitzjohn
1962
The Road to Hong Kong
Indian Neurologist (uncredited)
1962
Only Two Can Play
John Lewis
1962
The Mike Douglas Show
Self (archive footage) · (1 episode)
1961
Mr. Topaze
Auguste Topaze
1961
Two Way Stretch
Dodger Lane
1960
The Millionairess
Dr. Kabir
1960
Never Let Go
Lionel Meadows
1960
The Battle of the Sexes
Mr. Martin
1960
The Running Jumping & Standing Still Film
1959
I'm All Right Jack
Fred Kite
1959
The Mouse That Roared
Grand Duchess Gloriana XII / Prime Minister Count Rupert Mountjoy / Tully Bascombe
1959
Carlton-Browne of the F.O.
Prime Minister Amphibulos
1959
Tom Thumb
Antony
1958
Up the Creek
CPO Doherty
1958
Insomnia is Good for You
1957
The Naked Truth
Sonny MacGregor
1957
The Smallest Show on Earth
Percy Quill
1957
Yes, It's The Cathode-Ray Tube Show!
(6 episodes)
1957
Dearth of a Salesman
Hector Dimwittie
1957
Son of Fred
(8 episodes)
1956
A Show Called Fred
(5 episodes)
1956
The Man Who Never Was
Winston Churchill (voice)
1956
The Idiot Weekly, Price 2d
(2 episodes)
1956
The Case of the Mukkinese Battle-Horn
Assorted
1956
The Ladykillers
Harry, alias 'Mr. Robinson'
1955
John and Julie
Police Constable Diamond
1955
Orders Are Orders
Pvt. Goffin
1954
And So To Bentley
(6 episodes)
1954
Our Girl Friday
Voice of Parrot
1953
Beat the Devil
Billy Dannreuther (voice) (uncredited)
1953
The Super Secret Service
Sir Walter Smood / Reuben J. Crouch
1953
Down Among the Z Men
Major Bloodnok
1952
Let's Go Crazy
Multiple Roles
1951
Penny Points to Paradise
The Major / Arnold Fringe
1951
The Slappiest Days of Our Lives
(archive footage)
1951
A Burlesque on the Opera Carmen
Voice narrator
1951
The Black Rose
Lu Chung (voice)
1950