Peter Sellers
Acting
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."
Media of
Peter Sellers
Photos (21)
Filmography of
Peter Sellers
... 2025
Self (archive footage) (uncredited)
... 2025
Self (archive footage)
... 2023
... 2021
Self (Archival Footage)
... 2020
Himself (Archive)
... 2018
Himself (archive footage)
... 2014
The Villain Antony (archive footage)
... 2013
Dr. Strangelove / Fred Kite (archive footage) (uncredited)
... 2007
Self (archive footage)
... 2005
Self (archive footage)
... 2004
... 2003
Self (Archive footage)
... 2001
Himself
... 1996
Himself
... 1995
Self (archive footage)
... 1992
... 1990
... 1985
Self
... 1985
Chief Insp. Jacques Clouseau (archive footage)
... 1982
Self (archive material)
... 1981
Fu Manchu / Nayland Smith
... 1980
Chance
... 1979
Rudolf IV/Rudolf V/Sidney Frewin
... 1979
Self
... 1978
Chief Inspector Clouseau
... 1978
The Slightly Larcenous Mayor
... 1978
... 1977
Chief Inspector Clouseau
... 1976
Sidney Wang
... 1976
Inspector Clouseau
... 1975
Various
... 1975
... 1975
Queen Victoria
... 1975
... 1974
Général Latour / Major Robinson / Herr Schroeder / Adolf Hitler / The President / Prince Kyoto
... 1974
... 1973
Self
... 1973
Rouquet
... 1973
Dick Scratcher
... 1973
The March Hare
... 1972
Dr. Albert T. Hopfnegal
... 1972
... 1972
G.W. Ross
... 1970
Robert Danvers
... 1970
Mr. Hoffman
... 1970
Man with Two Cars
... 1970
Salesman
... 1970
... 1969
Sir Guy Grand KG, KC, CBE
... 1969
... 1969
Harold
... 1968
Hrundi V. Bakshi
... 1968
Jean
... 1967
Evelyn Tremble
... 1967
Juan Bautista
... 1967
King of Hearts
... 1966
... 1966
Aldo Vanucci/Federico Fabrizi
... 1966
Doctor Pratt
... 1966
Narrator (voice)
... 1965
... 1965
Dr. Fritz Fassbender
... 1965
Imperial Me
... 1964
... 1964
Jacques Clouseau
... 1964
Henry Orient
... 1964
Group Capt. Lionel Mandrake / President Merkin Muffley / Dr. Strangelove
... 1964
Insp. Jacques Clouseau
... 1963
The Rev. John Smallwood
... 1963
Pearly Gates
... 1963
Wilfred Morgenhall
... 1962
Clare Quilty
... 1962
Gen. Leo Fitzjohn
... 1962
Indian Neurologist (uncredited)
... 1962
John Lewis
... 1962
Auguste Topaze
... 1961
Dodger Lane
... 1960
Dr. Kabir
... 1960
Lionel Meadows
... 1960
Mr. Martin
... 1960
Fred Kite / Sir John Kennaway
... 1959
Grand Duchess Gloriana XII / Prime Minister Count Rupert Mountjoy / Tully Bascombe
... 1959
Prime Minister Amphibulos
... 1959
Antony
... 1958
CPO Doherty
... 1958
... 1957
Sonny MacGregor
... 1957
Percy Quill
... 1957
Hector Dimwittie
... 1957
Winston Churchill (voice)
... 1956
... 1956
Harry, alias 'Mr. Robinson'
... 1955
Police Constable Diamond
... 1955
Pvt. Goffin
... 1954
Voice of Parrot
... 1953
Billy Dannreuther (voice) (uncredited)
... 1953
Sir Walter Smood / Reuben J. Crouch
... 1953
Major Bloodnok
... 1952
Multiple Roles
... 1951
The Major / Arnold Fringe
... 1951
(archive footage)
... 1951
Voice narrator
... 1951
Lu Chung (voice)
... 1950