Peter Sellers
Acting • Born 1925-09-08 – Died 1980-07-24
Biography
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
132 credits
Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb
Movie • 1964
Group Capt. Lionel Mandrake / President Merkin Muffley / Dr. Strangelove
The Pink Panther
Movie • 1963
Insp. Jacques Clouseau
A Shot in the Dark
Movie • 1964
Jacques Clouseau
Lolita
Movie • 1962
Clare Quilty
El Rey en Londres
Movie • 1966
The Prisoner of Zenda
Movie • 1979
Rudolf IV/Rudolf V/Sidney Frewin
The Fiendish Plot of Dr. Fu Manchu
Movie • 1980
Fu Manchu / Nayland Smith
Being There
Movie • 1979
Chance
The Millionairess
Movie • 1960
Dr. Kabir
What's New Pussycat?
Movie • 1965
Dr. Fritz Fassbender
The Music of Lennon & McCartney
Movie • 1965
The Party
Movie • 1968
Hrundi V. Bakshi
The Ladykillers
Movie • 1955
Harry, alias 'Mr. Robinson'
Murder by Death
Movie • 1976
Sidney Wang
Revenge of the Pink Panther
Movie • 1978
Chief Inspector Clouseau
The Magic Christian
Movie • 1969
Sir Guy Grand KG, KC, CBE
The Road to Hong Kong
Movie • 1962
Indian Neurologist (uncredited)
The Return of the Pink Panther
Movie • 1975
Inspector Clouseau
The Case of the Mukkinese Battle-Horn
Movie • 1956
Assorted
Casino Royale
Movie • 1967
Evelyn Tremble
The Pink Panther Strikes Again
Movie • 1976
Chief Inspector Clouseau
Hoffman
Movie • 1970
Mr. Hoffman
The Mouse That Roared
Movie • 1959
Grand Duchess Gloriana XII / Prime Minister Count Rupert Mountjoy / Tully Bascombe
Trail of the Pink Panther
Movie • 1982
Chief Insp. Jacques Clouseau (archive footage)
Alice's Adventures in Wonderland
Movie • 1972
The March Hare
I'm All Right Jack
Movie • 1959
Fred Kite / Sir John Kennaway
Alice in Wonderland
Movie • 1966
King of Hearts
The Smallest Show on Earth
Movie • 1957
Percy Quill
Penny Points to Paradise
Movie • 1951
The Major / Arnold Fringe
The Dock Brief
Movie • 1962
Wilfred Morgenhall
Carlton-Browne of the F.O.
Movie • 1959
Prime Minister Amphibulos
Never Let Go
Movie • 1960
Lionel Meadows
There's a Girl in My Soup
Movie • 1970
Robert Danvers
I Love You, Alice B. Toklas!
Movie • 1968
Harold
The Wrong Arm of the Law
Movie • 1963
Pearly Gates
Waltz of the Toreadors
Movie • 1962
Gen. Leo Fitzjohn
The Battle of the Sexes
Movie • 1960
Mr. Martin
Woman Times Seven
Movie • 1967
Jean
Soft Beds, Hard Battles
Movie • 1974
Général Latour / Major Robinson / Herr Schroeder / Adolf Hitler / The President / Prince Kyoto
The Wrong Box
Movie • 1966
Doctor Pratt
Two-Way Stretch
Movie • 1960
Dodger Lane
Hitler: The Comedy Years
Movie • 2007
Dr. Strangelove / Fred Kite (archive footage) (uncredited)
The Naked Truth
Movie • 1957
"Wee" Sonny MacGregor
Muppet Treasures
Movie • 1985
Self
Mr. Topaze
Movie • 1961
Auguste Topaze
After the Fox
Movie • 1966
Aldo Vanucci/Federico Fabrizi
Muppet Video: Rowlf's Rhapsodies with the Muppets
Movie • 1985
Self
The World of Henry Orient
Movie • 1964
Henry Orient
The Blockhouse
Movie • 1973
Rouquet
Let's Go Crazy
Movie • 1951
Multiple Roles
Only Two Can Play
Movie • 1962
John Lewis
Tom Thumb
Movie • 1958
Antony
Where Does It Hurt?
Movie • 1972
Dr. Albert T. Hopfnegal
The Great McGonagall
Movie • 1975
Queen Victoria
Carol for Another Christmas
Movie • 1964
Imperial Me
Down Among the Z Men
Movie • 1952
Major Bloodnok
Orders Are Orders
Movie • 1954
Pvt. Goffin
The Running Jumping & Standing Still Film
Movie • 1959
Kingdom Of Gifts
Movie • 1978
The Slightly Larcenous Mayor
Julie: My Favourite Things
Movie • 1975
Various
A Day at the Beach
Movie • 1970
Salesman
The Big Screen
Movie • 1973
Self
The Bobo
Movie • 1967
Juan Bautista
Sellers' Best
Movie • 1992
Self (archive footage)
The Slappiest Days of Our Lives
Movie • 1951
(archive footage)
Up the Creek
Movie • 1958
CPO Doherty
The Optimists of Nine Elms
Movie • 1973
Sam
John and Julie
Movie • 1955
Police Constable Diamond
The Peter Sellers Story
Movie • 1995
Himself
Peter Sellers: Genius at Work
Movie • 2023
Self (archive footage)
Our Girl Friday
Movie • 1953
Voice of Parrot
Heavens Above!
Movie • 1963
The Rev. John Smallwood
The Last Goon Show of All
Movie • 1972
Self
Simon Simon
Movie • 1970
Man with Two Cars
Ghost in the Noonday Sun
Movie • 1973
Dick Scratcher
Wilton's: The Handsomest Hall in Town
Movie • 1970
G.W. Ross
The Man Who Never Was
Movie • 1956
Voice of Winston Churchill (uncredited)
Eric Sykes: One of the Great Troupers
Movie • 1981
Self (archive material)
Dearth of a Salesman
Movie • 1957
Hector Dimwittie
The 9th Wonder of the World: The Making of 'Gorgo'
Movie • 2013
The Villain Antony (archive footage)
The Paranormal Peter Sellers
Movie • 2001
Self (Archive footage)
Spike Milligan: Love, Light and Peace
Movie • 2014
Self (archive footage)
One Pair of Eyes - No, But Seriously
Movie • 1969
Birds, Bees and Storks
Movie • 1965
Narrator (voice)
A Salute to Sir Lew Grade
Movie • 1975
Self
Beat the Devil
Movie • 1953
Billy Dannreuther (voice) (uncredited)
I Say I Say I Say
Movie • 1964
The Very Best of Peter Sellers
Movie • 1990
Will the Real Mr Sellers.....?
Movie • 1969
Self
The Beatles: Get Back...Winter of Discontent
Movie • 2005
Self (archive footage)
The Ghost of Peter Sellers
Movie • 2018
Self (Archive)
Spike
Movie • 1996
Self
Best Sellers or: Peter Sellers and 'Dr. Strangelove'
Movie • 2004
Self (archive footage)
Mickey's 50
Movie • 1978
Self
The Black Rose
Movie • 1950
Lu Chung (voice)
Peter Sellers: A State of Comic Ecstasy
Movie • 2020
Self (Archival Footage)
The Peter Sellers Story - As He Filmed It
Movie • 2003
Himself
To See Such Fun
Movie • 1977
A Burlesque on the Opera "Carmen"
Movie • 1951
Voice narrator
Insomnia is Good for You
Movie • 1957
Flip Wilson... Of Course
Movie • 1974
Self
Directed By Blake Edwards
Movie • 2021
Self
The Super Secret Service
Movie • 1953
Sir Walter Smood / Reuben J. Crouch
Liza: A Truly Terrific Absolutely True Story
Movie • 2025
Self (archive footage) (uncredited)
Love Left the Masquerade: Peter Medak's Cinema of Pretenders
Movie • 2025
Archive
With Love, Sophia
Movie • 1967
Self
John Candy: I Like Me
Movie • 2025
Self - Actor (archive footage)
The Unknown Peter Sellers
Movie • 2000
Kubrick by Kubrick
Movie • 2020
Self (archive footage)
The Idiot Weekly, Price 2d
TV • 1956
Son of Fred
TV • 1956
The Telegoons
TV • 1963
A Show Called Fred
TV • 1956
The Muppet Show
TV • 1976
Self - Special Guest Star
Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In
TV • 1968
Self
ABC Stage 67
TV • 1966
Self
And So To Bentley
TV • 1954
This Is Tom Jones
TV • 1969
Self
Yes, It's The Cathode-Ray Tube Show!
TV • 1957
It Takes a Thief
TV • 1968
Man in Harbor Records Office
Rire et sourire : Le Splendid
TV • 1978
Extrait du film « La Malédiction de la Panthère rose », 1978
Funny Business
TV • 1992
(archive footage)
V.I.P. Schaukel
TV • 1971
Self
The Dean Martin Show
TV • 1965
Sykes
TV • 1972
Tommy Grando
The Mike Douglas Show
TV • 1961
Self (archive footage)
The Beatles: Get Back
TV • 2021
Self
Theatre Night
TV • 1957
The Sultan
Tempo
TV • 1961
Self
The World of Hammer
TV • 1994
Self (archive footage)
Talking Comedy
TV
Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In
TV • 1968
Self (uncredited)