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Peter Sellers

Peter Sellers

Acting · Crew

Born September 8, 1925, 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."

Filmography

Appearances as themselves (37)
  • 2025John Candy: I Like Me — Self - Actor (archive footage)
  • 2025Liza: A Truly Terrific Absolutely True Story — Self (archive footage) (uncredited)
  • 2023Peter Sellers: Genius at Work — Self (archive footage)
  • 2021Directed By Blake Edwards — Self
  • The Beatles: Get Back — Self
  • 2020Kubrick by Kubrick — Self (archive footage)
  • 2020Peter Sellers: A State of Comic Ecstasy — Self (Archival Footage)
  • 2018The Ghost of Peter Sellers — Self (archive footage)
  • 2014Spike Milligan: Love, Light and Peace — Self (archive footage)
  • 2005The Beatles: Get Back...Winter of Discontent — Self (archive footage)
  • 2004Best Sellers or: Peter Sellers and 'Dr. Strangelove' — Self (archive footage)
  • Parkinson — Self - Guest (archive footage)
  • 2003The Peter Sellers Story - As He Filmed It — Himself
  • 2001The Paranormal Peter Sellers — Self (Archive footage)
  • 1996Spike — Self
  • 1995The Peter Sellers Story — Himself
  • The World of Hammer — Self (archive footage)
  • 1992Sellers' Best — Self (archive footage)
  • 1985Muppet Treasures — Self
  • 1985Muppet Video: Rowlf's Rhapsodies with the Muppets — Self
  • 1983Koyaanisqatsi — Self (archive footage)
  • 1981Eric Sykes: One of the Great Troupers — Self (archive material)
  • 1978Mickey's 50 — Self
  • The Muppet Show — Self - Special Guest Star
  • 1975A Salute to Sir Lew Grade — Self
  • 1974Flip Wilson... Of Course — Self
  • 1973The Big Screen — Self
  • 1972The Last Goon Show of All — Self
  • Film '72 — Self
  • V.I.P. Schaukel — Self
  • This Is Tom Jones — Self
  • 1969Will the Real Mr Sellers.....? — Self
  • Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In — Self, Self (uncredited)
  • 1967With Love, Sophia — Self
  • ABC Stage 67 — Self
  • Tempo — Self
  • The Mike Douglas Show — Self (archive footage)
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