Peter Sellers

Peter Sellers(bornRichard Henry Sellers; 8 September 1925 – 24 July 1980) was an English actor and comedian. He first came to prominence performing in the BBC Radio comedy seriesThe Goon Show. Sellers featured on a number of hit comic songs, and became known to a worldwide audience through his many film roles, among themChief Inspector ClouseauinThe Pink Pantherseries.
Born inSouthsea, Sellers made his stage debut at theKings Theatre, Southsea, when he was two weeks old. He began accompanying his parents in a variety act that toured the provincial theatres. He first worked as a drummer and toured around England as a member of theEntertainments National Service Association(ENSA). He developed his mimicry and improvisational skills during a spell inRalph Reader's wartimeGang Showentertainment troupe, which toured Britain and the Far East. After the war, Sellers made his radio debut inShowTime, and eventually became a regular performer on variousBBC Radioshows. During the early 1950s, Sellers, along withSpike Milligan,Harry SecombeandMichael Bentine, took part in the successful radio seriesThe Goon Show, which ended in 1960.
Sellers began his film career during the 1950s. Although the bulk of his work was comedic, often parodying characters of authority such as military officers or policemen, he also performed in other film genres and roles. Films demonstrating his artistic range includeI'm All Right Jack(1959),Stanley Kubrick'sLolita(1962) andDr. Strangelove(1964),What's New Pussycat?(1965),Casino Royale(1967),The Party(1968),Being There(1979) and five films of thePink Pantherseries (1963–1978). Sellers' versatility enabled him to portray a wide range of comic characters using different accents and guises, and he would often assume multiple roles within the same film, frequently with contrasting temperaments and styles. Satire andblack humourwere major features of many of his films, as they had been in his radio and record performances, and they had a strong influence on a number of later comedians.
Sellers was nominated three times for anAcademy Award, twice for theAcademy Award for Best Actor, for his performances inDr. StrangeloveandBeing There, and once for theAcademy Award for Best Live Action Short FilmforThe Running Jumping & Standing Still Film(1959). He won theBAFTA Award for Best Actor in a Leading Rolefor his role inI'm All Right Jackand was nominated an additional three times for the previous two films and the satireOnly Two Can Play. In 1980 he won theGolden Globe Award for Best Actor – Motion Picture Musical or Comedyfor his role inBeing There, having previously been nominated three times in the same category.Turner Classic Moviescalls Sellers "one of the most accomplished comic actors of the late 20th century".
In his personal life, Sellers struggled with depression and insecurities. An enigmatic figure, he often claimed to have no identity outside the roles that he played. His behaviour was often erratic and compulsive, and he frequently clashed with his directors and co-stars, especially in the mid-1970s, when his physical and mental health, together with his alcohol and drug problems, were at their worst. Sellers was married four times and had three children from his first two marriages. He died from a heart attack, aged 54, in 1980. English filmmakers theBoulting brothersdescribed Sellers as "the greatest comic genius this country has produced sinceCharles Chaplin".
Sellers was born on 8 September 1925 inSouthsea, a suburb ofPortsmouth. His parents wereYorkshire-born William "Bill" Sellers and Agnes Doreen "Peg" (née Marks). Both were variety entertainers; Peg was in the Ray Sisters troupe.Although he was christened Richard Henry, his parents called him Peter, after his elder brother, who wasstillborn.Sellers had no other siblings.Peg Sellers was related to thepugilistDaniel Mendoza(1764–1836), whom Sellers greatly revered and whose engraving later hung in his office. At one time Sellers planned to use Mendoza's image for his production company's logo.
Sellers was two weeks old when he was carried on stage byDick Henderson, the headline act at theKings Theatrein Southsea: the crowd sang "For He's a Jolly Good Fellow", which caused the infant to cry.The family constantly toured, causing much upheaval and unhappiness in the young Sellers' life.
Sellers maintained a very close relationship with his mother, which his friendSpike Milliganlater considered unhealthy for a grown man.Sellers' agent, Dennis Selinger, recalled his first meeting with Peg and Peter Sellers, noting that "Sellers was an immensely shy young man, inclined to be dominated by his mother, but without resentment or objection".As an only child, he spent much time alone.
In 1935 the Sellers family moved to North London and settled inMuswell Hill.Although Bill Sellers wasProtestantand Peg wasJewish, Sellers attended the nearbyRoman Catholic schoolSt Aloysius' CollegeinHighgate, run by theBrothers of Our Lady of Mercy.The family was not rich, but Peg insisted on an expensive private schooling for her son.According to biographerPeter Evans, Sellers was fascinated, puzzled, and worried by religion from a young age,particularly Catholicism;Roger Lewisbelieved that soon after entering Catholic school, Sellers "discovered he was a Jew—he was someone on the outside of the mysteries of faith".Later in his life, Sellers observed that while his father's faith was according to theChurch of England, his mother was Jewish, "andJews take the faith of their mother."
According to Milligan, Sellers felt a sense of guilt about being Jewish and recalls that Sellers was once reduced to tears when he presented him with a candlestick from a synagogue for Christmas, believing the gesture to be an anti-Jewish slur.Sellers became a top student at the school, excelling in drawing in particular. He was prone to laziness, but his natural talents shielded him from criticism by his teachers.Sellers recalled that a teacher scolded the other boys for not studying, saying: "The Jewish boy knows hiscatechismbetter than the rest of you!"
Accompanying his family on the variety show circuit,Sellers learnedstagecraft, but received conflicting encouragement from his parents and developed mixed feelings about show business. His father doubted Sellers' abilities in the entertainment field, even suggesting that his son's talents were only enough to become a road sweeper, while Sellers' mother encouraged him continuously.While at St Aloysius College, Sellers began to develop his improvisational skills. He and his closest friend at the time, Bryan Connon, both enjoyed listening to early radio comedy shows. Connon remembers that "Peter got endless pleasure imitating the people inMonday Night at Eight. He had a gift for improvising dialogue. Sketches, too. I'd be the 'straight man', the 'feed', ... I'd cue Peter and he'd do all the radio personalities and chuck in a few voices of his own invention as well."
With the outbreak of theSecond World War, St Aloysius College wasevacuatedtoCambridgeshire. Because his mother did not allow Sellers to go,his formal education ended at fourteen.Early in 1940, the family moved to the northDevontown ofIlfracombe, where Sellers' maternal uncle managed the Victoria Palace Theatre;Sellers got his first job at the theatre, aged fifteen, starting as a caretaker.He was steadily promoted, becoming a box office clerk, usher, assistant stage manager and lighting operator. He was also offered some small acting parts.Working backstage gave him a chance to study actors such asPaul Scofield. He became close friends with Derek Altman, and together they launched Sellers' first stage act under the name "Altman and Sellers", consisting of playingukuleles, singing, and telling jokes.
During his backstage theatre job, Sellers began practising on a set of drums that belonged to the bandJoe Danielsand his Hot Shots. Daniels noticed his efforts and gave him practical instructions. The instrument greatly suited Sellers' temperament and artistic skills.Spike Milligan later noted that Sellers was very proficient on the drums and might have remained a jazz drummer, had he lacked his skills in mimicry and improvisation.As the war progressed, Sellers continued to develop his drumming skills, and played with a series of touring bands, including those ofOscar Rabin,Henry HallandWaldini,as well as his father's quartet, before he left and joined a band fromBlackpool.Sellers became a member of theEntertainments National Service Association(ENSA), which provided entertainment for British forces and factory workers during the war.Sellers also performed comedy routines at these concerts, including impersonations ofGeorge Formby, with Sellers accompanying his own singing on ukulele.
In September 1943, he joined theRoyal Air Force, although it is unclear whether he volunteered or was conscripted;his mother unsuccessfully tried to have him deferred on medical grounds.Sellers wanted to become a pilot, but his poor eyesight restricted him to ground staff duties.He found these duties dull, so auditioned for Squadron LeaderRalph Reader's RAFGang Showentertainment troupe: Reader accepted him and Sellers toured the UK before the troupe was transferred to India.His tour also includedCeylonandBurma, although the duration of his stay in Asia is unknown, and Sellers may have exaggerated its length.He also served in Germany and France after the war.According toDavid Lodge, who became friends with Sellers, he was "one of the best performers ever" on the drums and developed a fine ability to impersonate military officers during this period.
In 1946, Sellers made his final show with ENSA starring in the pantomimeJack and the Beanstalkat theThéâtre Marignyin Paris.He was posted back to England shortly afterwards to work at theAir Ministry,anddemobilisedlater that year.On resuming his theatrical career, Sellers could get only sporadic work.He was dismissed after one performance of a comedy routine inPeterborough; the headline act, Welsh vocalistDorothy Squires, however, persuaded the management to reinstate him.Sellers also continued his drumming and was billed on his appearance atThe HippodromeinAldershotas "Britain's answer toGene Krupa".In March 1948 Sellers gained a six-week run at theWindmill Theatrein London, which predominantly stagedrevueacts: he provided the comedy turns in between the nude shows on offer.
Sellers wrote to theBBCin 1948, and was subsequently auditioned. As a result, he made his television debut on 18 March 1948 inNew To You. His act, largely based on impressions, was well received, and he returned the following week.Frustrated with the slow pace of his career, Sellers telephoned BBC radio producer Roy Speer, pretending to beKenneth Horne, star of the radio showMuch-Binding-in-the-Marsh. Speer called Sellers a "cheeky young sod" for his efforts, but gave him an audition. This led to his brief appearance on 1 July 1948 onShowTimeand subsequently to work onRay's a Laughwith comedianTed Ray.In October 1948, Sellers was a regular radio performer, appearing inStarlight Hour,The Gang Show,Henry Hall's Guest NightandIt's Fine To Be Young.
By the end of 1948, theBBC Third Programmebegan to broadcast the comedy seriesThird Division, which starred, among others,Harry Secombe,Michael Bentineand Sellers.One evening, Sellers and Bentine visited theHackney Empire, where Secombe was performing, and Bentine introduced Sellers to Spike Milligan.The four would meet up at Grafton's public house near Victoria, owned byJimmy Grafton, who was also a BBC script writer. The four comedians dubbed himKOGVOS(Keeper of Goons and Voice of Sanity)Grafton later edited some of the firstGoon Shows.
In 1949, Sellers started to date Anne Howe,an Australian actress who lived in London.He proposed to her in April 1950and the couple were married in London on 15 September 1951;their son,Michael, was born on 2 April 1954,and their daughter, Sarah, followed in 1958.Sellers' introduction to film work came in 1950, where he dubbed the voice ofAlfonso BedoyainThe Black Rose.He continued to work with Bentine, Milligan, and Secombe. On 3 February 1951, they made a trial tape entitledThe Goons, and sent it to the BBC producer Pat Dixon, who eventually accepted it. The firstGoon Showwas broadcast on 28 May 1951.Against their wishes, they appeared under the nameCrazy People.
Sellers appeared until the last programme of the ten-series run, broadcast on 28 January 1960.Sellers played four main characters—Major Bloodnok,Hercules Grytpype-Thynne,BluebottleandHenry Crun—and seventeen minor ones.Starting with 370,000 listeners, the show eventually reached up to seven million people in Britain,and was described by one newspaper as "probably the most influential comedy show of all time".For Sellers, the BBC considers it had the effect of launching his career "on the road to stardom".
In 1951 the Goons made their feature film debut inPenny Points to Paradise.Sellers and Milligan then penned the script toLet's Go Crazy, the earliest film to showcase Sellers' ability to portray a series of different characters within the same film, and he made another appearance opposite his Goons co-stars in the 1952 flop,Down Among the Z Men.In 1954, Sellers was cast oppositeSid James,Tony Hancock,Raymond Huntley,Donald PleasenceandEric Sykesin theBritish Lion Film Corporationcomedy production,Orders Are Orders.John Griersonbelieves that this was Sellers' breakthrough role on screen and credits this film with launching the film careers of both Sellers and Hancock.
Sellers pursued a film career and took a number of small roles such as a police officer inJohn and Julie(1955).He accepted a larger part in the 1955Alexander Mackendrick-directedEaling comedyThe Ladykillersin which he starred opposite his idolAlec Guinness, in addition toHerbert LomandCecil Parker. Sellers portrayed Harry Robinson, theTeddy Boy; biographer Peter Evans considers this Sellers' first good role.The Ladykillerswas a success in both the UK and the US,and the film was nominated for anAcademy AwardforBest Original Screenplay.The following year Sellers appeared in a further three television series based onThe Goons:The Idiot Weekly, Price 2d;A Show Called Fred; andSon of Fred. The shows aired on Britain's newITVchannel.
In 1957 film producerMichael Relph, impressed with Sellers' portrayal of an elderly character inIdiot Weekly, cast the 32-year-old actor as a 68-year-old projectionist inBasil Dearden'sThe Smallest Show on Earth, supportingBill Travers,Virginia McKennaandMargaret Rutherford.The film was a commercial success and is now thought of as a minor classic of post-war British screen comedy.Following this, Sellers provided the growling voice ofWinston Churchillto the BAFTA award-winning filmThe Man Who Never Was.Later in 1957 Sellers portrayed a television star with a talent for disguises inMario Zampi's offbeat black comedyThe Naked Truth, oppositeTerry-Thomas,Peggy Mount,Shirley EatonandDennis Price.
Sellers' difficulties in getting his film career to take off and increasing problems in his personal life prompted him to seek periodic consultations with astrologerMaurice Woodruff, who held considerable sway over his later career.After a chance meeting with a North American Indian spirit guide in the 1950s Sellers became convinced that themusic hallcomedianDan Leno, who had died in 1904, haunted him and guided his career and life-decisions.Sellers was a member of theGrand Order of Water Rats, the exclusive theatrical fraternity founded by Leno in 1890.In 1958 Sellers starred withDavid Tomlinson,Wilfrid Hyde-White, David Lodge andLionel Jeffriesas achief petty officerinVal Guest'sUp the Creek.
Guest later claimed that he had written and directed the film as a vehicle for Sellers and thus had started Sellers' film career.To practise his voice, Sellers purchased a reel-to-reel tape recorder.The film received critical acclaim in the United Statesand Roger Lewis viewed it as an important practice ground for Sellers.Next, Sellers featured with Terry-Thomas as one of a pair of comic villains inGeorge Pal'sTom Thumb(1958), a musical fantasy film, oppositeRuss Tamblyn,Jessie MatthewsandPeter Butterworth. Terry-Thomas later said that "my part was perfect, but Peter's was bloody awful. He wasn't difficult about it, but he knew it".The performance was a landmark in Sellers' career and became his first contact with the Hollywood film industry.
Sellers released his first studio album in 1958 calledThe Best of Sellers; a collection of comic songs and sketches, among themBalham - Gateway to the South, where Sellers plays a variety of comic characters.Produced byGeorge Martinand released onParlophone,the album reached number three in theUK Albums Chart;The same year, Sellers made his first film withJohn and Roy BoultinginCarlton-Browne of the F.O., a comedy in which he played a supporting role for the film's lead, Terry-Thomas.Before the release of that film, the Boultings, along with Sellers and Thomas in the cast, started filmingI'm All Right Jack, which became the highest-grossing film at the British box office in 1960.In preparation for his role as Fred Kite, Sellers watched footage of union officials.The role earned him aBAFTA, and the critic forThe Manchester Guardianbelieved it was Sellers' best screen performance to date.In betweenCarlton-Browne of the F.O.andI'm All Right Jack, Sellers starred inThe Mouse That Roared, a film in whichJean Sebergalso appeared, and was directed byJack Arnold. He played three distinct leading roles: the elderly Grand Duchess, the ambitious Prime Minister and the innocent and clumsy farm boy selected to lead an invasion of the United States.The film received high praise from critics.
After completingI'm All Right Jack, Sellers returned to record a new series ofThe Goon Show.Over the course of two weekends, he took his 16mm cine-camera to Totteridge Lane in London and filmed himself, Spike Milligan,Mario Fabrizi,Leo McKernandRichard Lester. Originally intended as a private film, the eleven-minute short filmThe Running Jumping & Standing Still Filmwas screened at the 1959EdinburghandSan Franciscofilm festivals. It won the award for best fiction short in the latter festival, and received an Academy Award nomination forBest Short Subject (Live Action).In 1959 Sellers released his second album,Songs for Swingin' Sellers, which—like his first record—reached number three in the UK Albums Chart.Sellers' last film of the fifties wasThe Battle of the Sexes, a comedy directed byCharles Crichton.
In 1960, Sellers portrayed an Indian doctor, Dr Ahmed el Kabir, inAnthony Asquith's romantic comedyThe Millionairess, a film based on aGeorge Bernard Shawplayof the same name. Sellers was not interested in the role until he learned thatSophia Lorenwould be his co-star.When asked about Loren, he explained to reporters, "I don't normally act with romantic, glamorous women ... She's a lot different from Harry Secombe."Sellers and Loren developed a close relationship during filming, culminating in Sellers declaring his love for her in front of his wife.Sellers also woke his son at night to ask, "Do you think I should divorce your mummy?"There is uncertainty if the relationship was anything more than platonic: a number of people, including Spike Milligan, consider it an affair, while others, includingGraham Stark, think it remained only a strong friendship. Sellers' wife at the time, Anne, afterwards commented, "I don't know to this day whether he had an affair with her. Nobody does."
Roger Lewis observed that Sellers immersed himself completely in the characters he enacted during productions, that "He'd play a role as an Indian doctor, and for the next six months, he'd be an Indian in his real [daily] life."The film inspired the George Martin-producednoveltyhit single "Goodness Gracious Me", with Sellers and Loren, which reached number four in theUK Singles Chartin November 1960.A follow-up single by the duo, "Bangers and Mash", reached number 22 in the UK chart.The songs were included on an album released by the couple,Peter & Sophia, which reached number five in the UK Albums Chart.That year he also appeared inNever Let Go(1960) playing a straight villain part.
In 1961, Sellers made his directorial debut withMr. Topaze, in which he also starred.The film was based on theMarcel PagnolplayTopaze.Sellers portrayed an ex-schoolmaster in a small French town who turns to a life of crime to obtain wealth. The film and Sellers' directorial abilities received unenthusiastic responses from the public and critics, and Sellers rarely referred to it again.The same year, he starred in theSidney Gilliat-directedOnly Two Can Play, a film based on the novelThat Uncertain FeelingbyKingsley Amis.He was nominated for theBest British Actoraward at the16th British Academy Film Awardsfor his role as John Lewis, a frustrated Welsh librarian whose affections swing between the glamorous Liz (Mai Zetterling) and his long-suffering wife Jean (Virginia Maskell).
In 1962, Sellers played a retired British army general inJohn Guillermin'sWaltz of the Toreadors, based on theplay of the same name. The film was widely criticised for its slapstick cinematic adaption, and director Guillermin himself considered the film "amateurish".However, Sellers won theSan Sebastián International Film Festival Award for Best Actorand a BAFTA award nomination for his performance, and it was well received by the critics.Stanley Kubrickasked Sellers to play the role of Clare Quilty in the 1962 filmLolita, oppositeJames MasonandShelley Winters.Kubrick had seen Sellers inThe Battle of the Sexesand listened to the albumThe Best of Sellers, and was impressed by the range of characters he could portray.
Sellers was apprehensive about accepting the role, doubting his ability to successfully portray the part of a flamboyant American television playwright who was, according to Sellers, "a fantastic nightmare, part homosexual, part drug addict, part sadist".Kubrick encouraged Sellers to improvise and stated that he often reached a "state of comic ecstasy".Kubrick had American jazz producerNorman Granzrecord portions of the script for Sellers to listen to, so he could study the voice and develop confidence, granting Sellers a free artistic licence.Sellers later claimed that his relationship with Kubrick became one of the most rewarding of his career.Writing inThe Sunday Times,Dilys Powellcommented that Sellers gave "a firework performance, funny, malicious, only once for a few seconds overreaching itself, and in the murder scene which is bothprologueandepilogueachieving the macabre in comedy."
Towards the end of 1962, Sellers appeared inThe Dock Brief, a legalsatiredirected byJames Hilland co-starringRichard Attenborough.
Sellers' behaviour towards his family worsened in 1962; according to his son Michael, Sellers asked him and his sister Sarah "who we love more, our mother or him. Sarah, to keep the peace, said, 'I love you both equally'. I said, 'No, I love my mum.'" This prompted Sellers to throw both children out, saying that he never wanted to see them again.At the end of 1962, his marriage to Anne broke down.In 1963, Sellers starred as gang leader "Pearly Gates" inCliff Owen'sThe Wrong Arm of the Law,followed by his portrayal of a vicar inHeavens Above!
After his father's death in October 1962, Sellers decided to leave England and was approached by directorBlake Edwardswho offered him the role ofInspector ClouseauinThe Pink Panther, afterPeter Ustinovhad backed out of the film.Edwards later recalled his feelings as "desperately unhappy and ready to kill, but as fate would have it, I got Mr. Sellers instead of Mr. Ustinov—thank God!"Sellers accepted a fee of £90,000 (£900,000 in 2023 pounds)for five weeks' work on location in Rome and Cortina.The film starredDavid Nivenin the principal role, with two other actors—CapucineandClaudia Cardinale—having more prominent roles than Sellers.However, Sellers' performance is regarded as being on par with that of Charlie Chaplin andBuster Keaton, according to biographer Peter Evans.Although the Clouseau character was in the script, Sellers created the personality, devising the costume, accent, make-up, moustache and trench coat.
The Pink Pantherwas released in the UK in January 1964and received a mixed reception from the critics,althoughPenelope Gilliatt, writing inThe Observer, remarked that Sellers had a "flawless sense of mistiming" in a performance that was "one of the most delicate studies in accident-proneness since the silents".Despite the views of the critics, the film was one of the top ten grossing films of the year.The role earned Sellers a nomination for theGolden Globe Award for Best Actor – Motion Picture Musical or Comedyat the22nd Golden Globe Awards,and for a Best British Actor award at the18th British Academy Film Awards.
In 1963, Stanley Kubrick cast Sellers to appear inDr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the BombalongsideGeorge C. Scott,Sterling Hayden,Keenan WynnandSlim Pickens. Sellers and Kubrick got along famously during the film's production and had the greatest of respect for each other, also sharing a love of photography.The director asked Sellers to play four roles: US President Merkin Muffley, Dr. Strangelove, US Air Force Major T. J. "King" Kong, and Group Captain Lionel Mandrake of the RAF. Sellers was initially hesitant about taking on these divergent characters, but Kubrick prevailed.According to some accounts, Sellers was also invited to play the part of General Buck Turgidson, but turned it down because it was too physically demanding.Kubrick later commented that the idea of having Sellers in so many of the film's key roles was that "everywhere you turn there is some version of Peter Sellers holding the fate of the world in his hands".Sellers was especially anxious about believably portraying Kong; he was unsure of his ability to speak in aTexan accent.Kubrick requested screenwriterTerry Southernto record in his natural accent a tape of Kong's lines.After practising with Southern's recording, Sellers got sufficient control of the accent, and started shooting the scenes in the aeroplane.
After the first day's shooting, Sellers sprained his ankle while leaving a restaurant and could no longer work in the cramped cockpit set.Kubrick then re-cast Slim Pickens as Kong.The three roles Sellers undertook were distinct, "variegated, complex and refined",and criticAlexander Walkerconsidered that these roles "showed his genius at full stretch".Sellers played Muffley as a bland, placid intellectual in the mould ofAdlai Stevenson;he played Mandrake as an unflappable Englishman;and Dr. Strangelove, a character influenced by pre-war German cinema, as a wheelchair-using fanatic.The critic forThe Timeswrote that the film includes, "three remarkable performances from Mr. Peter Sellers, masterly as the President, diverting as a revue-sketch ex-Nazi US Scientist ... and acceptable as an RAF officer,"although the critic fromThe Guardianthought his portrayal of the RAF officer alone was, "worth the price of an admission ticket".For his performance in all three roles, Sellers was nominated for anAcademy Award for Best Actorat the37th Academy Awards,and the Best British Actor award at the 18th British Academy Film Awards.
Between November 1963 and February 1964, Sellers began filmingA Shot in the Dark,an adaptation of a French play,L'IdiotebyMarcel Achard.Sellers found the part and the director,Anatole Litvak, uninspiring; the producers brought inBlake Edwardsto replace Litvak. Together with writerWilliam Peter Blatty, they turned the script into a Clouseau comedy, also addingHerbert LomasCommissioner DreyfusandBurt KwoukasCato. During filming, Sellers' relationship with Edwards became strained; the two would often stop speaking to each other during filming, communicating only by the passing of notes.Sellers' personality was described by others as difficult and demanding, and he often clashed with fellow actors and directors.Upon its release in late June 1964,Bosley Crowthernoted the "joyously free and facile way" in which Sellers had developed his comedy technique.
Towards the end of filming, in early February 1964, Sellers metBritt Ekland, a Swedish actress who had arrived in London to filmGuns at Batasi. On 19 February 1964, just ten days after their first meeting, the couple married.Sellers soon showed signs of insecurity and paranoia; he would become highly anxious and jealous, for example, when Ekland starred opposite attractive men.Shortly after the wedding, Sellers started filming on location inTwentynine Palms, California, forBilly Wilder'sKiss Me, Stupid, oppositeDean MartinandKim Novak.The relationship between Wilder and Sellers became strained; both had different approaches to work and often clashed as a result.On the night of 5 April 1964, prior to having sex with Ekland, Sellers inhaledamyl nitrite(poppers) as a sexual stimulant in his search for "the ultimateorgasm",and suffered a series of eightheart attacksover the course of three hours as a result.His illness forced him to withdraw from the filming ofKiss Me, Stupidand he was replaced byRay Walston.Wilder was unsympathetic about the heart attacks, saying that "you have to have a heart before you can have an attack".
After some time recovering, Sellers returned to filming in October 1964, playing King of the Individualists alongside Ekland inA Carol for Another Christmas,a feature-length United Nations special broadcast in the United States on theABCchannel on 28 December 1964.Sellers had been concerned that his heart attacks might have caused brain damageand that he would be unable to remember his lines, but he was reassured that his memory and abilities were unimpaired after the experience of filming.Sellers followed this with the role of the perverted Austrian psychoanalyst Doctor Fritz Fassbender inClive Donner'sWhat's New Pussycat?, appearing alongsidePeter O'Toole,Romy Schneider, Capucine,Paula PrentissandUrsula Andress.The film was the first screenwriting and acting credit forWoody Allen, and featured Sellers in a love triangle.Because of Sellers' poor health, producerCharles K. Feldmaninsured him at a cost of $360,000($3,500,000 in 2023 dollars).
On 20 January 1965, Sellers and Ekland announced the birth of a daughter,Victoria.They moved to Rome in May to filmAfter the Fox, an Anglo-Italian production in which they were both to appear.The film was directed byVittorio De Sica, whose English Sellers struggled to understand.Sellers attempted to have De Sica fired, causing tensions on the set.Sellers also became unhappy with his wife's performance, straining their relationshipand triggering open arguments during one of which Sellers threw a chair at Ekland.Despite these conflicts, the script was praised for its wit.
Following the commercial success ofWhat's New Pussycat?, Charles Feldman again brought together Sellers and Woody Allen for his next project,Casino Royale, which also starredOrson Welles;Sellers signed a $1 million contract for the film($9,100,000 in 2023 dollars).Seven screenwriters worked on the project,and filming was chaotic.To make matters worse, according to Ekland, Sellers was "so insecure, he won't trust anyone".A poor working relationship quickly developed between Sellers and Welles: Sellers eventually demanded that the two should not share the same set.Sellers left the film before his part was complete. A further agent's part was then written forTerence Cooper, to cover Sellers' departure.
Shortly after leavingCasino Royale, Sellers was appointed aCommander of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire(CBE) in honour of his career achievements.The day before the investiture atBuckingham Palace, Sellers and Ekland argued, with Ekland scratching his face in the process; Sellers had a make-up artist cover the marks.During his next film,The Bobo, which again co-starred Ekland, the couple's marital problems worsened. Three weeks into production in Italy, Sellers told directorRobert Parrishto fire his wife, saying "I'm not coming back after lunch if that bitch is on the set".Ekland later stated that the marriage was "an atrocious sham" at this stage.In the midst of filmingThe Bobo, Sellers' mother had a heart attack; Parrish asked Sellers if he wanted to visit her in hospital, but Sellers remained on set. She died within days, without Sellers having seen her.He was deeply affected by her death and remorseful at not having returned to London to see her.Ekland served him with divorce papers shortly afterwards. The divorce was finalised on 18 December 1968, and Sellers' friend Spike Milligan sent Ekland a congratulatory telegram.Upon its release in September 1967,The Bobowas poorly received.
Sellers' first film appearance of 1968 was a reunion with Blake Edwards for thefish-out-of-watercomedyThe Party, in which he starred alongsideClaudine LongetandDenny Miller. He appears as Hrundi V. Bakshi, a bungling Indian actor who accidentally receives an invitation to a lavish Hollywood dinner party. His character, according to Sellers' biographer Peter Evans, was "clearly an amalgam of Clouseau and the doctor inThe Millionairess".Roger Lewis notes that like a number of Sellers' characters, he is played in a sympathetic and dignified manner.He followed it later that year withHy Averback'sI Love You, Alice B. Toklas, playing an attorney who abandons his lifestyle to become ahippie.Roger Ebertof theChicago Sun-Timesgave the film three stars, remarking that Sellers was "back doing what he does best", although he also said that in Sellers' previous films he had "been at his worst recently".
In 1969, Sellers starred oppositeRingo Starrin theJoseph McGrath-directed filmThe Magic Christian. Sellers portrayed Sir Guy Grand, an eccentric billionaire who plays elaboratepractical jokeson people. The critic Irv Slifkin remarked that the film was a reflection of the cynicism of Peter Sellers, describing the film as a "proto-Pythonesqueadaption of Terry Southern's semi-free-form short novel", and "one of the strangest films to be shown at a gala premiere for Britain's royal family".The film, a satire on human nature,was in general viewed negatively by critics.Roger GreenspunofThe New York Timesbelieved that the film was of variable quality and summarised it as a "brutal satire".
After a cameo appearance inA Day at the Beach(1970),and a serious role later in 1970 as an ageing businessman who seducesSinéad CusackinHoffman,Sellers starred inRoy Boulting'sThere's a Girl in My SoupoppositeGoldie Hawn. According toThe Times, the film was a major commercial success and became the seventh most popular film at the British box office in 1970.Andrew Spicer, writing for theBritish Film Institute'sScreenonline, considers that although Sellers favoured playing romantic roles, he "was always more successful in parts that sent up his own vanities and pretensions, as with the TV presenter and narcissistic lothario" he played inThere's a Girl in My Soup.The film was seen as a small revival of his career.
Sellers' next films, includingRodney Amateau'sWhere Does It Hurt?(1972)and Peter Medak'sGhost in the Noonday Sun(1974), were again poorly received, and his acting was viewed as frenetic rather than funny.Despite these setbacks, Sellers won the Best Actor award at the 1973 Tehran Film Festival for his tragi-comedic role as a street performer inAnthony Simmons'sThe Optimists of Nine Elms.Fellow comedian and friend Spike Milligan believed that the early 1970s were for Sellers "a period of indifference, and it would appear at one time that his career might have come to a conclusion".This was echoed by Sellers' biographer, Peter Evans, who notes that out of nine films in the period, three were never released and five had flopped, while onlyThere's a Girl in My Souphad been a success.In his private life, he had been seeing the 23-year-old modelMiranda Quarry. The couple married on 24 August 1970,despite Sellers' private doubts—expressed to his agent, Dennis Selinger—about his decision to remarry.
In April 1972, Sellers reunited with Milligan and Harry Secombe to recordThe Last Goon Show of All, which was broadcast on 5 October.In May 1973, with his third marriage failing,Sellers went to the theatre to watchLiza Minnelliperform. He became entranced with Minnelli and the couple became engaged three days later, despite Minnelli's then-current betrothal toDesi Arnaz Jr., and Sellers still being married.Their relationship lasted a month before breaking up.By 1974, Sellers' friends were concerned that he was having a nervous breakdown.Directors John and Roy Boulting considered that Sellers was "a deeply troubled man, distrustful, self-absorbed, ultimately self-destructive. He was the complete contradiction."Sellers was shy and insecure when out of character.When he was invited to appear onMichael Parkinson'seponymous chat showin 1974, he withdrew the day before, explaining to Parkinson that "I just can't walk on as myself". When he was told he could come on as someone else, he appeared dressed as a member of theGestapo.After a few lines in keeping with his assumed character, he stepped out of the role and settled down and, according to Parkinson himself, "was brilliant, giving the audience an astonishing display of his virtuosity".In 1974, Sellers again claimed to have communicated with the long-dead music hall comic Dan Leno, who advised him to return to the role of Clouseau.
In 1974, Sellers portrayed a "sexually voracious"Queen VictoriainJoseph McGrath's comedic biographical film of the Scottish poetWilliam McGonagall,The Great McGonagall, starring opposite Milligan andJulia Foster.However, the film was a critical failure, and Sellers' career and life reached an all-time low. As a result, by 1974 he agreed to accept salaries of £100,000 and 10 per cent of the gross to appear in TV productions and advertisements, well below the £1 million he had once commanded per film.In 1973, he appeared in aBenson & Hedgescinema commercial; in 1975, he appeared in a series of advertisements forTrans World Airlines, in which he played several eccentric characters, including Thrifty McTravel, Jeremy "Piggy" Peak Thyme and an Italian singer, Vito.Biographer Michael Starr asserts that Sellers showed enthusiasm towards these roles,although the airline campaign failed commercially.
The turning point in Sellers' flailing career came in 1974, when he re-teamed with Blake Edwards to star inThe Return of the Pink Panther, alongsideChristopher Plummer, Herbert Lom andCatherine Schell.The film was shot on a budget of $3.7 million and earned $33 million at the box office upon release in May 1975, restoring Sellers' career as an A-list film star along with his millionaire status.The film earned Sellers a nomination for theBest Actor – Musical or Comedyaward at the33rd Golden Globe Awards.In 1976, Sellers and Edwards followed it withThe Pink Panther Strikes Again. During the filming from February to June 1976, the already fraught relationship between Sellers and Blake Edwards had deteriorated even further. Edwards says of the actor's mental state at the time ofThe Pink Panther Strikes Again, "If you went to an asylum and you described the first inmate you saw, that's what Peter had become. He was certifiable."With declining physical health, Sellers could at times be unbearable on set. His behaviour was regarded as unprofessional and childish, and he frequently threw tantrums, often threatening to abandon projects.His difficult behaviour during productions was widely reported and made it more difficult for Sellers to get employment in the industry at a time when he most needed the work.Despite Sellers' deep personal problems,The Pink Panther Strikes Againwas well received critically. Vincent Canby ofThe New York Timessaid of Sellers in the film, "There is, too, something most winningly seedy about Mr. Sellers' Clouseau, a fellow who, when he attempts to tear off his clothes in the heat of passion, gets tangled up in his necktie, and who, when he masquerades—for reasons never gone into—as Quasimodo, overinflates his hump with helium."Sellers' performance earned him a further nomination at the34th Golden Globe Awards.
In March 1976, Sellers began dating actressLynne Frederick, whom he married on 18 February 1977.Biographer Roger Lewis documents that of Sellers' four wives, Frederick was the most poorly treated; Julian Upton likened it to a boxing match between a heavyweight and a featherweight, a relationship that "oscillated from ardour to hatred, reconciliation and remorse".On 20 March 1977, Sellers suffered a second major heart attack during a flight from Paris to London; he was subsequently fitted with apacemaker.Sellers returned from his illness to undertakeRevenge of the Pink Panther; although it was a commercial success, the critics were tiring of Inspector Clouseau. Julian Upton expressed the view that the strain behind the scenes began to manifest itself in the sluggish pace of the film, describing it as a "laboured, stunt-heavy hotchpotch of half-baked ideas and rehashed gags".Sellers too had become tired of the role, saying after production, "I've honestly had enough of Clouseau—I've got nothing more to give".Steven Bach, the senior vice-president and head of worldwide productions forUnited Artists, who worked with Sellers onRevenge of the Pink Panther, considered that Sellers was "deeply unbalanced, if not committable: that was the source of his genius and his truly quite terrifying aspects as manipulator and hysteric."He refused to seek professional help for his mental issues.Sellers would claim that he had no personality and was almost unnoticeable, which meant that he "needed a strongly defined character to play".He would make similar references throughout his life: when he appeared onThe Muppet Showin 1978, a guest appearance that earned him anEmmynomination for Outstanding Continuing or Single Performance by a Supporting Actor in Variety or Music,he chose not to appear as himself, instead appearing as a variety of characters in several costumes and speaking in different accents. WhenKermit the Frogtold Sellers he could relax and just be himself, Sellers replied:
In 1979, Sellers starred alongside Lynne Frederick,Lionel JeffriesandElke SommerinRichard Quine'sThe Prisoner of Zenda. He portrayed three roles, including King Rudolf IV and King Rudolf V—rulers of the fictional small nation of Ruritania—and Syd Frewin, Rudolf V's half-brother. Upon its release in May 1979, the film was well received;Janet MaslinofThe New York Timesobserved how Sellers divided "his energies between a serious character and a funny one, but that it was his serious performance which was more impressive".However,Philip French, forThe Observer, was unimpressed by the film, describing it as "a mess of porridge" and stating that "Sellers reveals that he cannot draw the line between the sincere and the sentimental".
Later in 1979, Sellers starred oppositeShirley MacLaine,Melvyn DouglasandJack Wardenin theblack comedyBeing Thereas Chance, a simple-minded gardener addicted to watching TV who is regarded as a sage by the rich and powerful.In a BBC interview in 1971, Sellers had said that more than anything else, he wanted to play the role, and successfully persuaded the author of the book,Jerzy Kosinski, to allow him and directorHal Ashbyto make the film, provided Kosinski could write the script.During filming, to remain in character, Sellers refused most interview requests and kept his distance from the other actors.Sellers considered Chance's walking and voice the character's most important attributes, and in preparing for the role worked alone with a tape recorder or with his wife, and then with Ashby, to perfect the clear enunciation and flat delivery needed to reveal "the childlike mind behind the words".Sellers described his experience of working on the film as "so humbling, so powerful", and co-star Shirley MacLaine found Sellers "a dream" to work with.Sellers' performance was universally lauded by critics and is considered by critic Danny Smith to be the "crowning triumph of Peter Sellers' remarkable career".CriticFrank Richwrote that the acting skill required for this sort of role, with a "schismatic personality that Peter had to convey with strenuous vocal and gestural technique ... A lesser actor would have made the character's mental dysfunction flamboyant and drastic ... [His] intelligence was always deeper, his onscreen confidence greater, his technique much more finely honed":in achieving this, Sellers "makes the film's fantastic premise credible".The film earned Sellers aBest Actoraward at the51st National Board of Review Awards;theLondon Critics Circle Film AwardsSpecial Achievement Award, theBest Actoraward at the45th New York Film Critics Circle Awards;and theBest Actor – Musical or Comedyaward at the37th Golden Globe Awards.Additionally, Sellers was nominated for theBest Actoraward at the52nd Academy Awardsand theBest Actor in a Leading Roleaward at the34th British Academy Film Awards.
In March 1980, Sellers asked his 15-year-old daughter Victoria what she thought aboutBeing There: she reported later that "I said yes, I thought it was great. But then I said, 'You looked like a little fat old man'. ... he went mad. He threw his drink over me and told me to get the next plane home."His other daughter Sarah told Sellers her thoughts about the incident and he sent her a telegram that read "After what happened this morning with Victoria, I shall be happy if I never hear from you again. I won't tell you what I think of you. It must be obvious. Goodbye, Your Father."
Sellers' last film wasThe Fiendish Plot of Dr. Fu Manchu, a comedic re-imagining of the eponymous adventure novels bySax Rohmer; Sellers played both police inspectorNayland SmithandFu Manchu, alongsideHelen MirrenandDavid Tomlinson. The production of the film was troublesome before filming started, with two directors—Richard QuineandJohn Avildsen—fired before the script had been completed.Sellers also expressed dissatisfaction with his own portrayal of Manchuwith his ill-health often causing delays.Arguments between Sellers and directorPiers Haggardled to Haggard's firing at Sellers' instigation and Sellers took over direction, using his long-time friendDavid Lodgeto direct some sequences.Tom ShalesofThe Washington Postdescribed the film as "an indefensibly inept comedy",adding that "it is hard to name another good actor who ever made so many bad movies as Sellers, a comedian of great gifts but ferociously faulty judgment. "Manchu" will take its rightful place alongside such colossally ill-advised washouts asTell Me Where It Hurts,The BoboandThe Prisoner of Zenda".
Sellers' final performances were a series of advertisements forBarclays Bank. Filmed in April 1980 in Ireland, he played Monty Casino, a Jewish con-man.Four advertisements were scheduled, but only three were filmed as Sellers collapsed in Dublin, again with heart problems.After two days in care—and against the advice of his doctors—he travelled to theCannes Film Festival, whereBeing Therewas in competition.Sellers was again ill in Cannes, returning to his residence inGstaadto work on the script for his next project,Romance of the Pink Panther.At the urging of his friends, he made an appointment to undergo anangiogramat theCedars-Sinai Medical Centerin Los Angeles on 30 July 1980, to see if he was able to undergo open-heart surgery.Spike Milligan later considered that Sellers' heart condition had lasted for over 15 years and had "made life difficult for him and had a debilitating effect on his personality."Sellers' fourth marriage to Frederick collapsed soon after.Sellers had recently started to rebuild his relationship with his son Michael after the failure of the latter's marriage. In lighter moments, Sellers had joked that his epitaph should read "Star of stage, screen and alimony."
On 21 July 1980, Sellers arrived in London from Geneva. He checked intothe Dorchesterhotel, before visitingGolders Green Crematoriumfor the first time to see the location of his parents' ashes.He had plans to attend a reunion dinner with hisGoon Showpartners Milligan and Secombe, scheduled for the evening of 22 July.On the day of the dinner, Sellers took lunch in his hotel suite and shortly afterwards collapsed from a heart attack. He was taken to theMiddlesex Hospital, London, and died just after midnight on 24 July 1980, aged 54.
Following Sellers' death, fellow actor Richard Attenborough said that Sellers "had the genius comparable to Chaplin",while the Boulting brothers considered Sellers as "a man of enormous gifts; and these gifts he gave to the world. For them, he is assured of a place in the history of art as entertainment."Burt Kwouk, who appeared as Cato in thePink Pantherfilms, stated that "Peter was a well-loved actor in Britain ... the day he died, it seemed that the whole country came to a stop. Everywhere you went, the fact that Peter had died seemed like an umbrella over everything".Director Blake Edwards thought that "Peter was brilliant. He had an enormous facility for finding really unusual, unique facets of the character he was playing".Sellers' friend andGoon Showcolleague Spike Milligan was too upset to speak to the press at the time of Sellers' death,while fellow Goon Harry Secombe said "I'm shattered. Peter was such a tremendous artist. He had so much talent, it just oozed out of him";in dark humour, referring to the missed dinner the Goons had planned, he added, "Anything to avoid paying for dinner".Secombe later declared to journalists "Bluebottle is deaded now".Milligan later said that "it's hard to say this, but he died at the right time."
A private funeral service was held at Golders Green Crematorium on 26 July, conducted by Sellers' old friend,CanonJohn Hester.Sellers' final joke was the playing of "In the Mood" byGlenn Miller, a tune which all the Goons hated; he knew they would have to sit there in silence and listen to it.A memorial service was held atSt Martin-in-the-Fieldson 8 September 1980—what would have been Sellers' 55th birthday.Close friendLord Snowdonread thetwenty-third Psalm, Harry Secombe sang "Bread of Heaven" and the eulogy was read by David Niven.
Although Sellers was reportedly in the process of excluding Frederick from his will a week before he died,she inherited almost his entire estate worth an estimated £4.5 million (£24.4 million in 2023 pounds)while his children received £800 each(£4,000 in 2023 pounds).Spike Milligan appealed to her on behalf of Sellers' three children, but she refused to increase the amount.Sellers' only son, Michael, died of a heart attack at 52 during surgery on 24 July 2006, twenty-six years to the day after his father's death.
After his death,Metro-Goldwyn-Mayertried to continue withRomance of the Pink Pantherand offered the role of Clouseau toDudley Moore, who turned it down. The studio subsequently returned to Blake Edwards, who was adamant not to recast the character, feeling certain that no one could adequately replace Sellers. In 1982 Edwards releasedTrail of the Pink Panther, which was composed entirely of deleted scenes from his past threePantherfilms.Frederick sued, claiming the use of the clips was a breach of contract; the court awarded her $1million ($3.2 million in 2023),plus 3.15 per cent of the film's profits and 1.36 per cent of its gross revenue.
Vincent CanbyofThe New York Timessaid of the Pink Panther films "I'm not sure why Mr. Sellers and Mr. Lom are such a hilarious team, though it may be because each is a fine comic actor with a special talent for portraying the sort of all-consuming, epic self-absorption that makes slapstick farce initially acceptable—instead of alarming—and finally so funny."The film criticElvis Mitchellsaid that Sellers was one of the few comic geniuses who was able to truly hide behind his characters, giving the audience no sense of what he was really like in real life.A feature of the characterisations undertaken by Sellers is that, regardless of how clumsy or idiotic they are, he ensured that they always retain their dignity.On his playing of Clouseau, Sellers said: "I set out to play Clouseau with great dignity because I feel that he thinks he is probably one of the greatest detectives in the world. The original script makes him out to be a complete idiot. I thought a forgivable vanity would humanise him and make him kind of touching."
Sellers'biographer, Ed Sikov, notes that because of this retained dignity, Sellers is "the master of playing men who have no idea how ridiculous they are."Social historian Sam Wasson notes the complexity in Sellers' performances in thePink Pantherfilms, which has the effect of alienating Clouseau from his environment. Wesson considers that "As 'low' and 'high' comedy rolled into one, it's the performative counterpoint toEdwardian sophisticated naturalism".This combination of "high" and "low", exemplified by Clouseau's attempting to retain dignity after a fall, means that within the film Clouseau was "the sole representative of humanity".Film critic Dilys Powell also saw the inherent dignity in the parts and wrote that Sellers had a "balance between character and absurdity".Richard Attenborough also thought that because of his sympathy, Sellers could "inject into his characterisations the frailty and substance of a human being".
Author Aaron Sultanik observed that in Sellers' early films, such asI'm All Right Jack, he displays "deft, technical interpretations [that] pinpoint the mechanical nature of his comic characterization", which "reduces each of his characters to a series of gross, awkward tics".Academic Cynthia Baron observed that Sellers' external characterisations led to doubt with reviewers as to whether Sellers' work was "true" acting.CriticTom Milnesaw a change over Sellers' career and thought that his "comic genius as a character actor was ... stifled by his elevation to leading man" and his later films suffered as a result.Sultanik agreed, commenting that Sellers' "exceptional vocal and physical technique" was under-used during his career in the US.
Academics Maria Pramaggiore and Tom Wallis remarked that Sellers fits the mould of a technical actor because he displays a mastery of physical characterisation, such as accent or physical trait.Writer and playwrightJohn Mortimersaw the process for himself when Sellers was about to undertake filming on Mortimer'sThe Dock Briefand could not decide how to play the character of the barrister. By chance he orderedcocklesfor lunch and the smell brought back a memory of the seaside town ofMorecambe: this gave him "the idea of a faded North Country accent and the suggestion of a scrappy moustache".So important was the voice as the starting point for character development, that Sellers would walk around London with areel-to-reel tape recorder, recording voices to study at home.
New Yorkmagazine stated that all of the films starring Sellers as Clouseau showcased his "comedic brilliance".Sellers' friend andGoon Showcolleague Spike Milligan said that Sellers "had one of the most glittering comic talents of his age",while English filmmakers John and Roy Boulting stated that he was "the greatest comic genius this country has produced sinceCharles Chaplin".Irv Slifkin said that the most prominent albeit ever-changing face in comedies of the 1960s was Sellers who "changed like a chameleon throughout the era, dazzling audiences".In a 2005 poll to find "The Comedian's Comedian", Sellers was voted 14 in the list of the top 20 greatest comedians by fellow comics and comedy insiders.
Sellers andThe Goon Showwere a strong influence on theMonty Pythonperformers,withJohn Cleesecalling him "the greatest voice man of all time", adding, "If he could listen to you for five minutes, he could do a perfect impersonation of you."The Goons were imported to the United States by theNBCprogramMonitor, which played recorded Goon show episodes starting in 1955. The American comedy troupethe Firesign Theatrealso cited the Goons as a big influence on their radio comedy style.
Sellers and the Goons were also an influence onPeter Cook,who described Sellers as "the best comic actor in the world".British actorStephen Manganstated that Sellers was a large influence,as did the comediansMike Myers,Alan CarrandRob Brydon.Sellers' charactersHrundi Bakshi(The Party) andInspector Clouseau(The Pink Panther) later influenced comedianRowan Atkinson's charactersMr. BeanandJohnny English.The comic performerSacha Baron Cohenreferred to Sellers as "the most seminal force in shaping [his] early ideas on comedy". Cohen was considered for the role of Sellers in the biographical filmThe Life and Death of Peter Sellers.Will Ferrellconsiders Sellers to be an important influence on him, citing his "unique combination of being extremely subtle and over-the-top all at the same time."The three members ofSpinal Tap—Michael McKean,Christopher GuestandHarry Shearer—have also cited Sellers as being an influence on them,as has the US talk-show hostConan O'Brien.David Schwimmeris another whose approach was influenced by Sellers: "he could do anything, from Dr Strangelove to Inspector Clouseau. He was just amazing."
As a child,Eddie Murphydeveloped his dual acting skills in imitation of Sellers, whom he called his acting hero,withChris Rockhailing Murphy's performances (such as the multiple roles inThe Nutty Professor) as "Peter Sellers-esque".During an interview in 2002,Robin WilliamstoldMichael Parkinsonthat Sellers was an important influence, especially his multi-character roles inDr. Strangelove, stating, "It doesn't get better than that." Williams was considered to play Sellers in the HBO biopic but turned it down over scheduling conflicts, though Williams considered it an honour to be able to portray him.Eddie Izzardnotes that the Goons "influenced a new generation of comedians who came to be known as'alternative'"—including herself,while the media historian Graham McCann states "the anarchic spirit of the Goon Show ... would inspire, directly or indirectly and to varying extents, ...The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy,The Young Ones,Vic Reeves Big Night Out,The League of Gentlemen[and]Brass Eye."
The stage playBeing Sellerspremiered in Australia in 1998, three years after the release of the biography byRoger Lewis,The Life and Death of Peter Sellers. In 2004, the book was turned into anHBOfilm with the same title, starringGeoffrey Rush. The play later transferred to New York in December 2010.The Belfast Telegraphnotes how the film captured Sellers' "life of drugs, drink, fast cars and lots and lots of beautiful women".
Selected works, based on award nominations