Peter Sellers
- Known for
- Acting
- Born
- Sep 8, 1925
- Died
- Jul 24, 1980 (aged 54)
- Place of birth
- Southsea, Hampshire, England, UK
- Credits
- 136
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."
Known for
Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb
1964Movie
Group Capt. Lionel Mandrake / President Merkin Muffley / Dr. Strangelove
Lolita
1962Movie
Clare Quilty
The Pink Panther
1963Movie
Insp. Jacques Clouseau
Being There
1979Movie
Chance
Murder by Death
1976Movie
Sidney Wang
The Party
1968Movie
Hrundi V. Bakshi
Filmography
John Candy: I Like Me
2025Movie
Self - Actor (archive footage)
Love Left the Masquerade: Peter Medak's Cinema of Pretenders
2025Movie
Archive
Liza: A Truly Terrific Absolutely True Story
2025Movie
Self (archive footage) (uncredited)
Peter Sellers: Genius at Work
2023Movie
Self (archive footage)
The Beatles: Get Back
2021TV
Self
Directed By Blake Edwards
2021Movie
Self
Kubrick by Kubrick
2020Movie
Self (archive footage)
Peter Sellers: A State of Comic Ecstasy
2020Movie
Self (Archival Footage)
The Ghost of Peter Sellers
2018Movie
Self (archive footage)
Spike Milligan: Love, Light and Peace
2014Movie
Self (archive footage)
The 9th Wonder of the World: The Making of 'Gorgo'
2013Movie
The Villain Antony (archive footage)
Hitler: The Comedy Years
2007Movie
Dr. Strangelove / Fred Kite (archive footage) (uncredited)
The Beatles: Get Back...Winter of Discontent
2005Movie
Self (archive footage)
Best Sellers or: Peter Sellers and 'Dr. Strangelove'
2004Movie
Self (archive footage)
Parkinson
2004TV
Self - Guest (archive footage)
The Peter Sellers Story - As He Filmed It
2003Movie
Self
The Paranormal Peter Sellers
2001Movie
Self (Archive footage)
The Unknown Peter Sellers
2000Movie
Self (archive footage)
Spike
1996Movie
Self
The Peter Sellers Story
1995Movie
Self
The World of Hammer
1994TV
Self (archive footage)
Funny Business
1992TV
(archive footage)
Sellers' Best
1992Movie
Self (archive footage)
The Very Best of Peter Sellers
1990Movie
Muppet Video: Rowlf's Rhapsodies with the Muppets
1985Movie
Self
Muppet Treasures
1985Movie
Self
Koyaanisqatsi
1983Movie
Self (archive footage)
Trail of the Pink Panther
1982Movie
Chief Insp. Jacques Clouseau (archive footage)
Eric Sykes: One of the Great Troupers
1981Movie
Self (archive material)
The Fiendish Plot of Dr. Fu Manchu
1980Movie
Fu Manchu / Nayland Smith
Being There
1979Movie
Chance
The Prisoner of Zenda
1979Movie
Rudolf IV/Rudolf V/Sidney Frewin
Mickey's 50
1978Movie
Self
Rire et sourire : Le Splendid
1978TV
Extrait du film « La Malédiction de la Panthère rose », 1978
Revenge of the Pink Panther
1978Movie
Chief Inspector Clouseau
Kingdom Of Gifts
1978Movie
The Slightly Larcenous Mayor
To See Such Fun
1977Movie
The Pink Panther Strikes Again
1976Movie
Chief Inspector Clouseau
The Muppet Show
1976TV
Self - Special Guest Star
Murder by Death
1976Movie
Sidney Wang
The Return of the Pink Panther
1975Movie
Inspector Clouseau
Julie: My Favourite Things
1975Movie
Various
A Salute to Sir Lew Grade
1975Movie
Self
The Great McGonagall
1975Movie
Queen Victoria
Flip Wilson... Of Course
1974Movie
Self
Soft Beds, Hard Battles
1974Movie
Général Latour / Major Robinson / Herr Schroeder / Adolf Hitler / The President / Prince Kyoto
The Optimists of Nine Elms
1973Movie
Sam
The Big Screen
1973Movie
Self
The Blockhouse
1973Movie
Rouquet
Ghost in the Noonday Sun
1973Movie
Dick Scratcher
Alice's Adventures in Wonderland
1972Movie
The March Hare
Sykes
1972TV
Tommy Grando
Where Does It Hurt?
1972Movie
Dr. Albert T. Hopfnegal
The Last Goon Show of All
1972Movie
Self
Film '72
1971TV
Self
V.I.P. Schaukel
1971TV
Self
Wilton's: The Handsomest Hall in Town
1970Movie
G.W. Ross
There's a Girl in My Soup
1970Movie
Robert Danvers
Hoffman
1970Movie
Mr. Hoffman
Simon Simon
1970Movie
Man with Two Cars
A Day at the Beach
1970Movie
Stallholder
Will the Real Mr Sellers.....?
1969Movie
Self
The Magic Christian
1969Movie
Sir Guy Grand KG, KC, CBE
One Pair of Eyes - No, But Seriously
1969Movie
This Is Tom Jones
1969TV
Self
I Love You, Alice B. Toklas!
1968Movie
Harold
The Party
1968Movie
Hrundi V. Bakshi
Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In
1968TV
Self, Self (uncredited)
It Takes a Thief
1968TV
Man in Harbor Records Office
With Love, Sophia
1967Movie
Self
Woman Times Seven
1967Movie
Jean
One Pair of Eyes
1967TV
Casino Royale
1967Movie
Evelyn Tremble
The Bobo
1967Movie
Juan Bautista
Alice in Wonderland
1966Movie
King of Hearts
El Rey en Londres
1966Movie
ABC Stage 67
1966TV
Self
After the Fox
1966Movie
Aldo Vanucci/Federico Fabrizi
The Wrong Box
1966Movie
Doctor Pratt
Birds, Bees and Storks
1965Movie
Narrator (voice)
The Music of Lennon & McCartney
1965Movie
The Dean Martin Show
1965TV
What's New Pussycat?
1965Movie
Dr. Fritz Fassbender
Carol for Another Christmas
1964Movie
Imperial Me
I Say I Say I Say
1964Movie
A Shot in the Dark
1964Movie
Jacques Clouseau
The World of Henry Orient
1964Movie
Henry Orient
Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb
1964Movie
Group Capt. Lionel Mandrake / President Merkin Muffley / Dr. Strangelove
The Pink Panther
1963Movie
Insp. Jacques Clouseau
The Telegoons
1963TV
Heavens Above!
1963Movie
The Rev. John Smallwood
The Wrong Arm of the Law
1963Movie
Pearly Gates
The Dock Brief
1962Movie
Wilfred Morgenhall
Lolita
1962Movie
Clare Quilty
Waltz of the Toreadors
1962Movie
Gen. Leo Fitzjohn
The Road to Hong Kong
1962Movie
Indian Neurologist (uncredited)
Only Two Can Play
1962Movie
John Lewis
The Mike Douglas Show
1961TV
Self (archive footage)
Tempo
1961TV
Self
Mr. Topaze
1961Movie
Auguste Topaze
Two-Way Stretch
1960Movie
Dodger Lane
The Millionairess
1960Movie
Dr. Kabir
Never Let Go
1960Movie
Lionel Meadows
The Battle of the Sexes
1960Movie
Mr. Martin
The Running Jumping & Standing Still Film
1959Movie
I'm All Right Jack
1959Movie
Fred Kite / Sir John Kennaway
The Mouse That Roared
1959Movie
Grand Duchess Gloriana XII / Prime Minister Count Rupert Mountjoy / Tully Bascombe
Whicker's World
1959TV
Carlton-Browne of the F.O.
1959Movie
Prime Minister Amphibulos
Tom Thumb
1958Movie
Antony
Up the Creek
1958Movie
CPO Doherty
Insomnia is Good for You
1957Movie
Hector Dimwittie
The Naked Truth
1957Movie
"Wee" Sonny MacGregor
The Smallest Show on Earth
1957Movie
Percy Quill
Yes, It's The Cathode-Ray Tube Show!
1957TV
Theatre Night
1957TV
The Sultan
Dearth of a Salesman
1957Movie
Hector Dimwittie
Son of Fred
1956TV
A Show Called Fred
1956TV
The Man Who Never Was
1956Movie
Voice of Winston Churchill (uncredited)
The Idiot Weekly, Price 2d
1956TV
The Case of the Mukkinese Battle-Horn
1956Movie
Assorted
The Ladykillers
1955Movie
Harry, alias 'Mr. Robinson'
John and Julie
1955Movie
Police Constable Diamond
Orders Are Orders
1954Movie
Pvt. Goffin
And So To Bentley
1954TV
Our Girl Friday
1953Movie
Voice of Parrot
Beat the Devil
1953Movie
Billy Dannreuther (voice) (uncredited)
The Super Secret Service
1953Movie
Sir Walter Smood / Reuben J. Crouch
Down Among the Z Men
1952Movie
Major Bloodnok
Let's Go Crazy
1951Movie
Multiple Roles
Penny Points to Paradise
1951Movie
The Major / Arnold Fringe
The Slappiest Days of Our Lives
1951Movie
(archive footage)
A Burlesque on the Opera "Carmen"
1951Movie
Voice narrator
The Black Rose
1950Movie
Lu Chung (voice)
Talking Comedy
TV