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