Peter Sellers
Date of birth: 1925-09-08
Place of birth: Southsea, Hampshire, England, UK
Known for: Acting
Also known as: A. Queen, 彼得·塞勒斯, پیتر سلرز, Richard Henry Sellers
Biography
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."
Movie Credits
Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb
1964-01-29
After the insane General Jack D. Ripper initiates a nuclear strike on the Soviet Union, a war room f
The Pink Panther
1963-12-18
The trademark of The Phantom, a renowned jewel thief, is a glove left at the scene of the crime. Ins
A Shot in the Dark
1964-06-23
Inspector Jacques Clouseau, smitten with the accused maid Maria Gambrelli, unwittingly turns a strai
Lolita
1962-06-13
Humbert Humbert is a middle-aged British novelist who is both appalled by and attracted to the vulga
El Rey en Londres
1966-10-11
The film shows as a documentary the trip to London of Palito Ortega and Graciela Borges
The Prisoner of Zenda
1979-08-17
Anthony Hope's classic tale gets a decidedly 'un-classic' treatment at the hands of Peter Sellers. F
The Fiendish Plot of Dr. Fu Manchu
1980-08-08
Fu Manchu's 168th birthday celebration is dampened when a hapless flunky spills Fu's age-regressing
Being There
1979-12-19
A simple-minded gardener named Chance has spent all his life in the Washington D.C. house of an old
The Millionairess
1960-10-18
When her father dies, Epifania Parerga, an Italian in London, becomes the world's richest woman. She
What's New Pussycat?
1965-06-22
A playboy who refuses to give up his hedonistic lifestyle to settle down and marry his true love see
The Music of Lennon & McCartney
1965-12-16
A 1965 British television special honouring the songwriting partnership of John Lennon and Paul McCa
The Party
1968-04-04
Hrundi V. Bakshi, an accident-prone actor from India, is accidentally put on the guest list for an u
The Ladykillers
1955-12-08
Five oddball criminals planning a bank robbery rent rooms on a cul-de-sac from an octogenarian widow
Murder by Death
1976-06-23
Lionel Twain invites the world's five greatest detectives to a 'dinner and murder'. Included are a b
Revenge of the Pink Panther
1978-01-08
Chief Inspector Jacques Clouseau is dead. At least that is what the world—and Charles Dreyfus—believ
The Magic Christian
1969-12-12
Sir Guy Grand, the richest man in the world, adopts a homeless man, Youngman. Together, they set out
The Road to Hong Kong
1962-03-29
When Chester accidentally memorises and destroys the only copy of a secret Russian formula for a new
The Return of the Pink Panther
1975-05-21
The famous Pink Panther jewel has once again been stolen and Inspector Clouseau is called in to catc
The Case of the Mukkinese Battle-Horn
1956-01-01
Supposedly filmed in 'Schizophrenoscope', it concerns Inspector Quilt of Scotland Yard's attempts to
Casino Royale
1967-04-13
Sir James Bond is called back out of retirement to stop SMERSH. In order to trick SMERSH, James thin
The Pink Panther Strikes Again
1976-12-15
Charles Dreyfus, who has finally cracked over inspector Clouseau's antics, escapes from a mental ins
Hoffman
1970-07-16
A businessman blackmails his young secretary into spending a weekend with him.
The Mouse That Roared
1959-07-17
The Duchy of Grand Fenwick decides that the only way to get out of their economic woes is to declare
Trail of the Pink Panther
1982-12-03
The Pink Panther diamond is stolen once again from Lugash and the authorities call in Chief Inspecto
Alice's Adventures in Wonderland
1972-11-20
An all-star cast highlights this vibrant musical adaptation of Lewis Carroll's immortal tale. One da
I'm All Right Jack
1959-08-18
Naive Stanley Windrush looks for a career in a family business. Much to his dismay, he finds work at
Alice in Wonderland
1966-12-28
Alice in Wonderland (1966) is a BBC television play based on Alice's Adventures in Wonderland by Lew
The Smallest Show on Earth
1957-04-09
Jean and Bill are a married couple trying to scrape a living. Out of the blue they receive a telegra
Penny Points to Paradise
1951-04-25
When Harry and Spike visit Bristol to spend the winnings from Harry's latest Pools win, the boys are
The Dock Brief
1962-09-25
After nearly 40 years of waiting for his big chance, Wilfred Morgenhall is given the case of defendi
Carlton-Browne of the F.O.
1959-03-10
Great Britain has had an international agreement for the last 50 years with a small pacific island.
Never Let Go
1960-06-02
John Cummings, an unsuccessful cosmetics salesman, has his unpaid-for car stolen by one of the hoods
There's a Girl in My Soup
1970-12-15
TV personality Robert Danvers, an exceedingly vain rotter, seduces young women daily, never staying
I Love You, Alice B. Toklas!
1968-10-18
Harold Fine is a self-described square - a 35-year-old Los Angeles lawyer who's not looking forward
The Wrong Arm of the Law
1963-03-17
The crooks in London know how it works. No one carries guns and no one resists the police. Then a ne
Waltz of the Toreadors
1962-04-12
General Fitzhugh, an ageing Lothario has an over-active eye for a pretty woman. Despite a long and s
The Battle of the Sexes
1960-02-25
Angela Barrows is a man-eating business woman sent by her American employer to investigate their exp
Woman Times Seven
1967-09-29
Seven mini-stories of adultery: a widow misbehaves at her husband's funeral, a wife turns to streetw
Soft Beds, Hard Battles
1974-01-24
In this comedy, set during the Nazi occupation of France, Peter Sellers plays most major male parts,
The Wrong Box
1966-06-19
In Victorian England, a fortune now depends on which of two brothers outlives the other—or can be ma
Two-Way Stretch
1960-12-20
Three criminals plan to break out of prison the day before their release in order to carry out a dar
Hitler: The Comedy Years
2007-05-10
A documentary about the portrayal of Adolf Hitler in popular culture.
The Naked Truth
1957-12-03
Nigel Dennis publishes a scandal magazine. But for each story he writes, he first approaches the per
Muppet Treasures
1985-07-09
Fozzie and Kermit have come across a priceless collection of great moments in the career of the Mupp
Mr. Topaze
1961-04-04
Mr. Topaze is an unassuming school teacher in an unassuming small French town, who is honest to a fa
After the Fox
1966-09-08
A criminal mastermind sets up a phony film production as part of a plan to smuggle stolen gold.
Muppet Video: Rowlf's Rhapsodies with the Muppets
1985-10-01
Rowlf's Rhapsodies with the Muppets was released by Playhouse Video in 1985, as part of a series of
The World of Henry Orient
1964-03-19
A mischievous, adventuresome fourteen-year-old girl and her best friend begin following an eccentric
The Blockhouse
1973-01-01
A group of Slave workers, drafted by the Nazis to help construct their coastal defences in 1944, are
Let's Go Crazy
1951-05-01
Let's Go Crazy is a 1951 comedy film marking an early appearance of Spike Milligan and Peter Sellers
Only Two Can Play
1962-01-19
John Lewis is bored of his job and his wife. Then Liz, wife of a local councillor, sets her sights o
Tom Thumb
1958-12-04
A boy, no bigger than a thumb, manages to outwit two thieves determined to make a fortune from him.
Where Does It Hurt?
1972-07-24
In this classic hospital farce, Peter Sellers plays Dr. Albert T. Hopfnagel, a greedy, crooked hospi
The Great McGonagall
1975-01-23
In this high-camp farce, Goons legend Spike Milligan stars as William Topaz McGonagall, an unemploye
Carol for Another Christmas
1964-12-28
Daniel Grudge, a wealthy industrialist and fierce isolationist long embittered by the loss of his so
Down Among the Z Men
1952-10-01
The Goon Show hits the big screen. Professor Pure Heart absent-mindedly loses the top secret formul
Orders Are Orders
1954-10-01
An American movie company wants to shoot a science-fiction film using a British army barracks as a l
The Running Jumping & Standing Still Film
1959-10-31
A short film without any direct action designed more as an experiment, with disjointed comic scenes
Kingdom Of Gifts
1978-01-01
Set in a monarchy
Julie: My Favourite Things
1975-04-18
A Julie Andrews special with The Muppets and Peter Sellers.
A Day at the Beach
1970-05-01
Bernie is a silver tongued wanderer with a fondness for drink and no clear goal in life. What was su
The Big Screen
1973-02-20
Two of Britain's leading film directors - John Schlesinger and Gerald Thomas - share the anxiety, ho
The Bobo
1967-03-31
Unsuccessful singing bullfighter Juan arrives in Barcelona to try his luck in a big town. He finally
Sellers' Best
1992-02-01
One of the all-time greatest comedians, Peter Sellers’ mimicry, timing, instinct and ability to deci
The Slappiest Days of Our Lives
1951-03-23
Laurel is a Scottish reporter suspected of being a spy by police detective James Finlayson. Although
Up the Creek
1958-05-13
Bumbling navy officer Lieutenant Humphrey Fairweather (David Tomlinson) is transferred to HMS Berkel
The Optimists of Nine Elms
1973-10-17
A retired entertainer makes his living as a street musician on the streets of London. Two young chil
John and Julie
1955-07-26
The adventures of two children who runaway to London to see the coronation of Queen Elizabeth.
The Peter Sellers Story
1995-07-09
Told in his own words, and including many well-known personalities from Stanley Kubrick, Sophia Lore
Peter Sellers: Genius at Work
2023-09-21
An intimate portrait of the comic genius and one of Britain's greatest comic actors, with rare home
Our Girl Friday
1953-12-01
Rich Sadie Patch is marooned on a desert island after an emergency on her cruise-ship. With her are
Heavens Above!
1963-05-20
A clerical error leads to the appointment of a left-leaning small-town priest to a rich village, whe
The Last Goon Show of All
1972-05-10
Sellers, Secombe and Milligan reunite for one last show.
Simon Simon
1970-06-01
A comedy short with very little speaking. Graham Stark and John Junkin have a new elevated platform
Ghost in the Noonday Sun
1973-01-01
A pirate crewman kills his captain after learning where he has hidden his buried treasure. However,
Wilton's: The Handsomest Hall in Town
1970-12-26
An evening at Wilton's Music-Hall, Grace's Alley, Wellclose Square, London, 1860 starring Peter Sel
The Man Who Never Was
1956-04-03
The true story of a British effort to trick the Germans into weakening Sicily's defenses before the
Eric Sykes: One of the Great Troupers
1981-12-10
With film clips and photos, Eric Sykes gives a tongue-in-cheek account of his follies and fortunes a
Dearth of a Salesman
1957-01-01
Comedy short starring Peter Sellers. Previously thought lost, but discovered in a skip outside Park
The 9th Wonder of the World: The Making of 'Gorgo'
2013-03-19
Retrospective documentary on the making of Gorgo (1961).
The Paranormal Peter Sellers
2001-01-01
This documentary revealed Peter Sellers obsession with the occult. Sellers was a highly superstitiou
Spike Milligan: Love, Light and Peace
2014-12-10
A very personal portrait of the truly unique comedy genius of Spike Milligan, as told in his own wor
One Pair of Eyes - No, But Seriously
1969-06-07
Marty Feldman, for many years a successful comedy writer before turning to performing, explores humo
Birds, Bees and Storks
1965-12-31
A naïve father makes an embarrassing attempt to explain the facts of life to his son, but he becomes
A Salute to Sir Lew Grade
1975-04-18
An All-Star salute to Sir Lew Grade, featuring Julie Andrews, Tom Jones, and the last public perform
Beat the Devil
1953-11-26
A group of con artists stake their claim on a bogus uranium mine.
I Say I Say I Say
1964-07-09
1964 short directed by Peter Sellers
The Very Best of Peter Sellers
1990-01-01
A definitive collection of his very best work: The Very Best of Peter Sellers.
Will the Real Mr Sellers.....?
1969-12-18
Banned by the BBC in 1971, director Tony Palmer's profile of the late Peter Sellers was, in the word
The Beatles: Get Back...Winter of Discontent
2005-01-01
This is a "Fly on the Wall" look at The Beatles' recording sessions from productive days at Apple St
The Ghost of Peter Sellers
2018-08-30
A documentary about Peter Medak's unreleased film 'Ghost in the Noonday Sun', starring Peter Sellers
Spike
1996-06-11
Spike personally tells the story of his life from India, World War II to The Goons and his Q series
Best Sellers or: Peter Sellers and 'Dr. Strangelove'
2004-10-28
Documentary about actor Peter Sellers and one of his most memorable film roles.
Mickey's 50
1978-11-19
"Mickey's 50" is a 90-minute special that aired on The Wonderful World of Disney on November 19, 197
The Black Rose
1950-09-01
In the 13th century, Walter of Gurnie, a disinherited Saxon youth, is forced to flee England. With h
Peter Sellers: A State of Comic Ecstasy
2020-05-09
The comedy pioneer behind the Goon Show, Dr Strangelove and the Pink Panther series is explored in d
The Peter Sellers Story - As He Filmed It
2003-04-23
Through voiceovers from Peter Sellers and colleagues, collaborators and wives, this revealing film,
To See Such Fun
1977-11-01
Compilation of classic British comedy moments
A Burlesque on the Opera Carmen
1951-03-01
Peter Sellers makes funny voice narration over the Chaplin film A Burlesque on Carmen (1915).
Insomnia is Good for You
1957-12-12
Flip Wilson... Of Course
1974-10-18
Flip Wilson's stand-up special.
Directed By Blake Edwards
2021-02-03
The Super Secret Service
1953-01-01
Burlesque comedy dealing with "MI-15", the Super Secret Service, on the trail of a mysterious foreig
Liza: A Truly Terrific Absolutely True Story
2025-01-24
Rich with archival gems and Liza Minnelli’s own point of view, Bruce David Klein's luminous document
Love Left the Masquerade: Peter Medak's Cinema of Pretenders
2025-06-17
Peter Medak's films toy with notions of cosplay, masquerade, gamesmanship, and how power and permiss
With Love, Sophia
1967-10-25
Sophia puts the spotlight on her life with music. At her Rome villa, Peter Sellers is WWII Axis offi