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.
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."
External links
IMDb: https://www.imdb.com/title/nm0000634
Wikipedia: https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q177984
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Filmography (Movies)
John Candy: I Like Me
Character:Self - Actor (archive footage)
Release Date:04/09/2025
Love Left the Masquerade: Peter Medak's Cinema of Pretenders
Character:Archive
Release Date:17/06/2025
Liza: A Truly Terrific Absolutely True Story
Character:Self (archive footage) (uncredited)
Release Date:24/01/2025
Peter Sellers: Genius at Work
Character:Self (archive footage)
Release Date:21/09/2023
Directed By Blake Edwards
Character:Self
Release Date:03/02/2021
Peter Sellers: A State of Comic Ecstasy
Character:Self (Archival Footage)
Release Date:09/05/2020
The Ghost of Peter Sellers
Character:Self (Archive)
Release Date:30/08/2018
Spike Milligan: Love, Light and Peace
Character:Self (archive footage)
Release Date:10/12/2014
The 9th Wonder of the World: The Making of 'Gorgo'
Character:The Villain Antony (archive footage)
Release Date:19/03/2013
Hitler: The Comedy Years
Character:Dr. Strangelove / Fred Kite (archive footage) (uncredited)
Release Date:10/05/2007
The Beatles: Get Back...Winter of Discontent
Character:Self (archive footage)
Release Date:01/01/2005
Best Sellers or: Peter Sellers and 'Dr. Strangelove'
Character:Self (archive footage)
Release Date:28/10/2004
The Peter Sellers Story - As He Filmed It
Character:Himself
Release Date:23/04/2003
The Paranormal Peter Sellers
Character:Self (Archive footage)
Release Date:01/01/2001
Spike
Character:Himself
Release Date:11/06/1996
The Peter Sellers Story
Character:Himself
Release Date:09/07/1995
Sellers' Best
Character:Self (archive footage)
Release Date:01/02/1992
The Very Best of Peter Sellers
Character:
Release Date:01/01/1990
Muppet Video: Rowlf's Rhapsodies with the Muppets
Character:Self
Release Date:01/10/1985
Muppet Treasures
Character:Self
Release Date:09/07/1985
Trail of the Pink Panther
Character:Chief Insp. Jacques Clouseau (archive footage)
Release Date:03/12/1982
Eric Sykes: One of the Great Troupers
Character:Self (archive material)
Release Date:10/12/1981
The Fiendish Plot of Dr. Fu Manchu
Character:Fu Manchu / Nayland Smith
Release Date:08/08/1980
Being There
Character:Chance
Release Date:19/12/1979
The Prisoner of Zenda
Character:Rudolf IV/Rudolf V/Sidney Frewin
Release Date:17/08/1979
Mickey's 50
Character:Self
Release Date:19/11/1978
Revenge of the Pink Panther
Character:Chief Inspector Clouseau
Release Date:08/01/1978
Kingdom Of Gifts
Character:The Slightly Larcenous Mayor
Release Date:01/01/1978
To See Such Fun
Character:
Release Date:01/11/1977
The Pink Panther Strikes Again
Character:Chief Inspector Clouseau
Release Date:16/09/1976
Murder by Death
Character:Sidney Wang
Release Date:23/06/1976
The Return of the Pink Panther
Character:Inspector Clouseau
Release Date:21/05/1975
Julie: My Favourite Things
Character:Various
Release Date:18/04/1975
A Salute to Sir Lew Grade
Character:Self
Release Date:18/04/1975
The Great McGonagall
Character:Queen Victoria
Release Date:23/01/1975
Flip Wilson... Of Course
Character:Self
Release Date:18/10/1974
Soft Beds, Hard Battles
Character:Général Latour / Major Robinson / Herr Schroeder / Adolf Hitler / The President / Prince Kyoto
Release Date:24/01/1974
The Optimists of Nine Elms
Character:Sam
Release Date:17/10/1973
The Big Screen
Character:Self
Release Date:20/02/1973
The Blockhouse
Character:Rouquet
Release Date:01/01/1973
Ghost in the Noonday Sun
Character:Dick Scratcher
Release Date:01/01/1973
Alice's Adventures in Wonderland
Character:The March Hare
Release Date:20/11/1972
Where Does It Hurt?
Character:Dr. Albert T. Hopfnegal
Release Date:24/07/1972
The Last Goon Show of All
Character:Self
Release Date:10/05/1972
Wilton's: The Handsomest Hall in Town
Character:G.W. Ross
Release Date:26/12/1970
There's a Girl in My Soup
Character:Robert Danvers
Release Date:15/12/1970
Hoffman
Character:Mr. Hoffman
Release Date:16/07/1970
Simon Simon
Character:Man with Two Cars
Release Date:01/06/1970
A Day at the Beach
Character:Salesman
Release Date:01/05/1970
Will the Real Mr Sellers.....?
Character:Self
Release Date:18/12/1969
The Magic Christian
Character:Sir Guy Grand KG, KC, CBE
Release Date:12/12/1969
One Pair of Eyes - No, But Seriously
Character:
Release Date:07/06/1969
I Love You, Alice B. Toklas!
Character:Harold
Release Date:18/10/1968
The Party
Character:Hrundi V. Bakshi
Release Date:04/04/1968
With Love, Sophia
Character:Self
Release Date:25/10/1967
Woman Times Seven
Character:Jean
Release Date:29/09/1967
Casino Royale
Character:Evelyn Tremble
Release Date:18/04/1967
The Bobo
Character:Juan Bautista
Release Date:31/03/1967
Alice in Wonderland
Character:King of Hearts
Release Date:28/12/1966
El Rey en Londres
Character:
Release Date:11/10/1966
After the Fox
Character:Aldo Vanucci/Federico Fabrizi
Release Date:08/09/1966
The Wrong Box
Character:Doctor Pratt
Release Date:19/06/1966
Birds, Bees and Storks
Character:Narrator (voice)
Release Date:31/12/1965
The Music of Lennon & McCartney
Character:
Release Date:16/12/1965
What's New Pussycat?
Character:Dr. Fritz Fassbender
Release Date:22/06/1965
Carol for Another Christmas
Character:Imperial Me
Release Date:28/12/1964
I Say I Say I Say
Character:
Release Date:09/07/1964
A Shot in the Dark
Character:Jacques Clouseau
Release Date:23/06/1964
The World of Henry Orient
Character:Henry Orient
Release Date:19/03/1964
Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb
Character:Group Capt. Lionel Mandrake / President Merkin Muffley / Dr. Strangelove
Release Date:29/01/1964
The Pink Panther
Character:Insp. Jacques Clouseau
Release Date:18/12/1963
Heavens Above!
Character:The Rev. John Smallwood
Release Date:20/05/1963
The Wrong Arm of the Law
Character:Pearly Gates
Release Date:17/03/1963
The Dock Brief
Character:Wilfred Morgenhall
Release Date:25/09/1962
Lolita
Character:Clare Quilty
Release Date:13/06/1962
Waltz of the Toreadors
Character:Gen. Leo Fitzjohn
Release Date:12/04/1962
The Road to Hong Kong
Character:Indian Neurologist (uncredited)
Release Date:29/03/1962
Only Two Can Play
Character:John Lewis
Release Date:19/01/1962
Mr. Topaze
Character:Auguste Topaze
Release Date:04/04/1961
Two-Way Stretch
Character:Dodger Lane
Release Date:20/12/1960
The Millionairess
Character:Dr. Kabir
Release Date:18/10/1960
Never Let Go
Character:Lionel Meadows
Release Date:02/06/1960
The Battle of the Sexes
Character:Mr. Martin
Release Date:25/02/1960
The Running Jumping & Standing Still Film
Character:
Release Date:31/10/1959
I'm All Right Jack
Character:Fred Kite / Sir John Kennaway
Release Date:18/08/1959
The Mouse That Roared
Character:Grand Duchess Gloriana XII / Prime Minister Count Rupert Mountjoy / Tully Bascombe
Release Date:17/07/1959
Carlton-Browne of the F.O.
Character:Prime Minister Amphibulos
Release Date:10/03/1959
Tom Thumb
Character:Antony
Release Date:04/12/1958
Up the Creek
Character:CPO Doherty
Release Date:13/05/1958
Insomnia is Good for You
Character:
Release Date:12/12/1957
The Naked Truth
Character:"Wee" Sonny MacGregor
Release Date:03/12/1957
The Smallest Show on Earth
Character:Percy Quill
Release Date:09/04/1957
Dearth of a Salesman
Character:Hector Dimwittie
Release Date:01/01/1957
The Man Who Never Was
Character:Voice of Winston Churchill (uncredited)
Release Date:03/04/1956
The Case of the Mukkinese Battle-Horn
Character:Assorted
Release Date:01/01/1956
The Ladykillers
Character:Harry, alias 'Mr. Robinson'
Release Date:08/12/1955
John and Julie
Character:Police Constable Diamond
Release Date:26/07/1955
Orders Are Orders
Character:Pvt. Goffin
Release Date:01/10/1954
Our Girl Friday
Character:Voice of Parrot
Release Date:01/12/1953
Beat the Devil
Character:Billy Dannreuther (voice) (uncredited)
Release Date:24/11/1953
The Super Secret Service
Character:Sir Walter Smood / Reuben J. Crouch
Release Date:01/01/1953
Down Among the Z Men
Character:Major Bloodnok
Release Date:01/10/1952
Let's Go Crazy
Character:Multiple Roles
Release Date:01/05/1951
Penny Points to Paradise
Character:The Major / Arnold Fringe
Release Date:25/04/1951
The Slappiest Days of Our Lives
Character:(archive footage)
Release Date:23/03/1951
A Burlesque on the Opera "Carmen"
Character:Voice narrator
Release Date:01/03/1951
The Black Rose
Character:Lu Chung (voice)
Release Date:01/09/1950
Television Appearances
The Beatles: Get Back
Character:Self
The World of Hammer
Character:Self (archive footage)
Funny Business
Character:(archive footage)
Rire et sourire : Le Splendid
Character:Extrait du film « La Malédiction de la Panthère rose », 1978
The Muppet Show
Character:Self - Special Guest Star
Sykes
Character:Tommy Grando
V.I.P. Schaukel
Character:Self
This Is Tom Jones
Character:Self
Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In
Character:Self
Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In
Character:Self (uncredited)
It Takes a Thief
Character:Man in Harbor Records Office
ABC Stage 67
Character:Self
The Dean Martin Show
Character:
The Telegoons
Character:
The Mike Douglas Show
Character:Self (archive footage)
Tempo
Character:Self
Yes, It's The Cathode-Ray Tube Show!
Character:
Theatre Night
Character:The Sultan
Son of Fred
Character:
A Show Called Fred
Character:
The Idiot Weekly, Price 2d
Character:
And So To Bentley
Character:
Images
