
Peter Sellers
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."
134 acting credits · 2 directing credits
Acting · 134

The Mike Douglas Show
1961

The Dean Martin Show
1965
Film '72
1971

Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In
1968

It Takes a Thief
1968

The Muppet Show
1976

ABC Stage 67
1966

Lolita
1962
V.I.P. Schaukel
1971

Sykes
1972

The World of Hammer
1994

Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb
1964

Casino Royale
1967

The Beatles: Get Back
2021

The Pink Panther
1963

Theatre Night
1957

Koyaanisqatsi
1983

Murder by Death
1976

Tempo
1961

A Shot in the Dark
1964

The Party
1968

The Pink Panther Strikes Again
1976

John Candy: I Like Me
2025

Being There
1979

Beat the Devil
1953

Revenge of the Pink Panther
1978

This Is Tom Jones
1969

The Ladykillers
1955

The Return of the Pink Panther
1975

Trail of the Pink Panther
1982

The Wrong Arm of the Law
1963

What's New Pussycat?
1965

Woman Times Seven
1967

The Black Rose
1950

Alice's Adventures in Wonderland
1972

The Prisoner of Zenda
1979

Liza: A Truly Terrific Absolutely True Story
2025

One Pair of Eyes
1967

The Mouse That Roared
1959

The Wrong Box
1966

The Man Who Never Was
1956

The Road to Hong Kong
1962
Son of Fred
1956

The Telegoons
1963

Two-Way Stretch
1960

Rire et sourire : Le Splendid
1978

Hitler: The Comedy Years
2007

The Magic Christian
1969

Funny Business
1992

The Battle of the Sexes
1960

The World of Henry Orient
1964

After the Fox
1966

I Love You, Alice B. Toklas!
1968

Alice in Wonderland
1966

Mickey's 50
1978

Kubrick by Kubrick
2020

Tom Thumb
1958

I'm All Right Jack
1959

Only Two Can Play
1962

The Blockhouse
1973

Mr. Topaze
1961

The Fiendish Plot of Dr. Fu Manchu
1980

Never Let Go
1960

Carol for Another Christmas
1964

Simon Simon
1970

The Bobo
1967

The Millionairess
1960

Heavens Above!
1963

The Naked Truth
1957

The Smallest Show on Earth
1957

Soft Beds, Hard Battles
1974

There's a Girl in My Soup
1970

Spike
1996

The Music of Lennon & McCartney
1965
A Show Called Fred
1956

The Ghost of Peter Sellers
2018

Up the Creek
1958
The Idiot Weekly, Price 2d
1956

The Slappiest Days of Our Lives
1951

The Dock Brief
1962

The Running Jumping & Standing Still Film
1959

John and Julie
1955
Talking Comedy
—

Where Does It Hurt?
1972

Peter Sellers: A State of Comic Ecstasy
2020

Down Among the Z Men
1952

The Paranormal Peter Sellers
2001

Best Sellers or: Peter Sellers and 'Dr. Strangelove'
2004

Ghost in the Noonday Sun
1973

Muppet Treasures
1985

Sellers' Best
1992
Yes, It's The Cathode-Ray Tube Show!
1957

Waltz of the Toreadors
1962
With Love, Sophia
1967

A Day at the Beach
1970

The Beatles: Get Back...Winter of Discontent
2005

A Burlesque on the Opera "Carmen"
1951

Let's Go Crazy
1951

The Big Screen
1973

The Peter Sellers Story
1995

Will the Real Mr Sellers.....?
1969

Hoffman
1970

Orders Are Orders
1954

Carlton-Browne of the F.O.
1959

The Optimists of Nine Elms
1973
And So To Bentley
1954

The Great McGonagall
1975

Wilton's: The Handsomest Hall in Town
1970

Love Left the Masquerade: Peter Medak's Cinema of Pretenders
2025

Our Girl Friday
1953

El Rey en Londres
1966
Kingdom Of Gifts
1978

Peter Sellers: Genius at Work
2023
Muppet Video: Rowlf's Rhapsodies with the Muppets
1985

One Pair of Eyes - No, But Seriously
1969

Spike Milligan: Love, Light and Peace
2014

Flip Wilson... Of Course
1974
Birds, Bees and Storks
1965

A Salute to Sir Lew Grade
1975

The Unknown Peter Sellers
2000
The Case of the Mukkinese Battle-Horn
1956

To See Such Fun
1977

The Super Secret Service
1953

Penny Points to Paradise
1951

The 9th Wonder of the World: The Making of 'Gorgo'
2013

Directed By Blake Edwards
2021

The Peter Sellers Story - As He Filmed It
2003

Julie: My Favourite Things
1975

The Very Best of Peter Sellers
1990
I Say I Say I Say
1964

Eric Sykes: One of the Great Troupers
1981

Dearth of a Salesman
1957

Insomnia is Good for You
1957

The Last Goon Show of All
1972