Peter Sellers

Acting

Born September 8, 1925 — Died July 24, 1980 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."

TV Shows(23)

Movies(110)

John Candy: I Like Me

Self - Actor (archive footage)

2025

Love Left the Masquerade: Peter Medak's Cinema of Pretenders

Archive

2025

Liza: A Truly Terrific Absolutely True Story

Self (archive footage) (uncredited)

2025

Peter Sellers: Genius at Work

Self (archive footage)

2023

Directed By Blake Edwards

Self

2021

Kubrick by Kubrick

Self (archive footage)

2020

Peter Sellers: A State of Comic Ecstasy

Self (Archival Footage)

2020

The Ghost of Peter Sellers

Self (archive footage)

2018

Spike Milligan: Love, Light and Peace

Self (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

The Unknown Peter Sellers

2000

Spike

Self

1996

The Peter Sellers Story

Himself

1995

Sellers' Best

Self (archive footage)

1992

The Very Best of Peter Sellers

1990

Muppet Video: Rowlf's Rhapsodies with the Muppets

Self

1985

Muppet Treasures

Self

1985

Koyaanisqatsi

Self (archive footage)

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

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

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

Where Does It Hurt?

Dr. Albert T. Hopfnegal

1972

The Last Goon Show of All

Self

1972

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

Stallholder

1970

Will the Real Mr Sellers.....?

Self

1969

The Magic Christian

Sir Guy Grand KG, KC, CBE

1969

One Pair of Eyes - No, But Seriously

1969

I Love You, Alice B. Toklas!

Harold

1968

The Party

Hrundi V. Bakshi

1968

With Love, Sophia

Self

1967

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

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

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

Heavens Above!

The Rev. John Smallwood

1963

The Wrong Arm of the Law

Pearly Gates

1963

The Dock Brief

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

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 / Sir John Kennaway

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

"Wee" Sonny MacGregor

1957

The Smallest Show on Earth

Percy Quill

1957

Dearth of a Salesman

Hector Dimwittie

1957

The Man Who Never Was

Voice of Winston Churchill (uncredited)

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

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