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 Often credited as the greatest comedian of all time, Peter Sellers was born Richard Henry Sellers to a well-off acting family in 1925 in Southsea, a suburb of Portsmouth. He was the son of Agnes Doreen "Peg" (Marks) and William "Bill" Sellers. His parents worked in an acting company run by his grandmother. His father was Protestant and his mother was Jewish (of both Ashkenazi and Sephardi background). His parents' first child had died at birth, so Sellers was spoiled during his early years. He enlisted in the Royal Air Force and served during World War II. After the war he met Spike Milligan, Harry Secombe and Michael Bentine, who would become his future workmates.After the war, he set up a review in London, which was a combination of music (he played the drums) and impressions. Then, all of a sudden, he burst into prominence as the voices of numerous favorites on the BBC radio program "The Goon Show" (1951-1960), and then making his debut in films in Penny Points to Paradise (1951) and Down Among the Z Men (1952), before making it big as one of the criminals in The Ladykillers (1955). These small but showy roles continued throughout the 1950s, but he got his first big break playing the dogmatic union man, Fred Kite, in I'm All Right Jack (1959). The film's success led to starring vehicles into the 1960s that showed off his extreme comic ability to its fullest. In 1962, Sellers was cast in the role of Clare Quilty in the Stanley Kubrick version of the film Lolita (1962) in which his performance as a mentally unbalanced TV writer with multiple personalities landed him another part in Kubrick's Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb (1964) in which he played three roles which showed off his comic talent in play-acting in three different accents; British, American, and German.The year 1964 represented a peak in his career with four films in release, all of them well-received by critics and the public alike: Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb (1964), for which he was Oscar nominated, The Pink Panther (1963), in which he played his signature role of the bumbling French Inspector Jacques Clouseau for the first time, its almost accidental sequel, A Shot in the Dark (1964), and The World of Henry Orient (1964). Sellers was on top of the world, but on the evening of April 5, 1964, he suffered a nearly fatal heart attack after inhaling several amyl nitrites (also called 'poppers'; an aphrodisiac-halogen combination) while engaged in a sexual act with his second wife Britt Ekland. He had been working on Billy Wilder's Kiss Me, Stupid (1964). In a move Wilder later regretted, he replaced Sellers with Ray Walston rather than hold up production. By October 1964, Sellers made a full recovery and was working again.The mid-1960s were noted for the popularity of all things British, from the Beatles music (who were presented with their Grammy for Best New Artist by Sellers) to the James Bond films, and the world turned to Sellers for comedy. What's New Pussycat (1965) was another big hit, but a combination of his ego and insecurity was making Sellers difficult to work with. When the James Bond spoof Casino Royale (1967) ran over budget and was unable to recoup its costs despite an otherwise healthy box-office take, Sellers received some of the blame. He turned down an offer from United Artists for the title role in Inspector Clouseau (1968), but was angry when the production went ahead with Alan Arkin in his place. His difficult reputation and increasingly erratic behavior, combined with several less successful films, took a toll on his standing. By 1970, he had fallen out of favor. He spent the early years of the new decade appearing in such lackluster B films as Where Does It Hurt? (1972) and turning up more frequently on television as a guest on The Dean Martin Show (1965) and a Glen Campbell TV special.In 1974, Inspector Clouseau came to Sellers rescue when Sir Lew Grade expressed an interest in a TV series based on the character. Clouseau's creator, writer-director Blake Edwards, whose career had also seen better days, convinced Grade to bankroll a feature film instead, and The Return of the Pink Panther (1975) was a major hit release during the summer of Jaws (1975) and restored both men to prominence. Sellers would play Clouseau in two more successful sequels, The Pink Panther Strikes Again (1976) and Revenge of the Pink Panther (1978), and Sellers would use his newly rediscovered clout to realize his dream of playing Chauncey Gardiner in a film adaptation of Jerzy Kosinski's novel "Being There". Sellers had read the novel in 1972, but it took seven years for the film to reach the screen. Being There (1979) earned Sellers his second Oscar nomination, but he lost to Dustin Hoffman for Kramer vs. Kramer (1979).Sellers struggled with depression and mental insecurities throughout his life. An enigmatic figure, he often claimed to have no identity outside the roles that he played. His behavior on and off the set and stage became more erratic and compulsive, and he continued to frequently clash with his directors and co-stars, especially in the mid-1970s when his physical and mental health, together with his continuing alcohol and drug problems, were at their worst. He never fully recovered from his 1964 heart attack because he refused to take traditional heart medication and instead consulted with 'psychic healers'. As a result, his heart condition continued to slowly deteriorate over the next 16 years. On March 20, 1977, Sellers barely survived another major heart attack and had a pacemaker surgically implanted to regulate his heartbeat which caused him further mental and physical discomfort. However, he refused to slow down his work schedule or consider heart surgery which might have extended his life by several years.On July 25, 1980, Sellers was scheduled to have a reunion dinner in London with his Goon Show partners, Spike Milligan and Harry Secombe. However, at around 12 noon on July 22, Sellers collapsed from a massive heart attack in his Dorchester Hotel room and fell into a coma. He died in a London hospital just after midnight on July 24, 1980 at age 54. He was survived by his fourth wife, Lynne Frederick, and three children: Michael, Sarah and Victoria. At the time of his death, he was scheduled to undergo an angiography in Los Angeles on July 30 to see if he was eligible for heart surgery.His last movie, The Fiendish Plot of Dr. Fu Manchu (1980), completed just a few months before his death, proved to be another box office flop. Director Blake Edwards' attempt at reviving the Pink Panther series after Sellers' death resulted in two panned 1980s comedies, the first of which, Trail of the Pink Panther (1982), deals with Inspector Clouseau's disappearance and was made from material cut from previous Pink Panther films and includes interviews with the original casts playing their original characters.
Bio:
Often credited as the greatest comedian of all time, Peter Sellers was born Richard Henry Sellers to a well-off acting family in 1925 in Southsea, a suburb of Portsmouth. He was the son of Agnes Doreen "Peg" (Marks) and William "Bill" Sellers. His parents worked in an acting company run by his grandmother. His father was Protestant and his mother was Jewish (of both Ashkenazi and Sephardi background). His parents' first child had died at birth, so Sellers was spoiled during his early years. He enlisted in the Royal Air Force and served during World War II. After the war he met Spike Milligan, Harry Secombe and Michael Bentine, who would become his future workmates.After the war, he set up a review in London, which was a combination of music (he played the drums) and impressions. Then, all of a sudden, he burst into prominence as the voices of numerous favorites on the BBC radio program "The Goon Show" (1951-1960), and then making his debut in films in Penny Points to Paradise (1951) and Down Among the Z Men (1952), before making it big as one of the criminals in The Ladykillers (1955). These small but showy roles continued throughout the 1950s, but he got his first big break playing the dogmatic union man, Fred Kite, in I'm All Right Jack (1959). The film's success led to starring vehicles into the 1960s that showed off his extreme comic ability to its fullest. In 1962, Sellers was cast in the role of Clare Quilty in the Stanley Kubrick version of the film Lolita (1962) in which his performance as a mentally unbalanced TV writer with multiple personalities landed him another part in Kubrick's Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb (1964) in which he played three roles which showed off his comic talent in play-acting in three different accents; British, American, and German.The year 1964 represented a peak in his career with four films in release, all of them well-received by critics and the public alike: Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb (1964), for which he was Oscar nominated, The Pink Panther (1963), in which he played his signature role of the bumbling French Inspector Jacques Clouseau for the first time, its almost accidental sequel, A Shot in the Dark (1964), and The World of Henry Orient (1964). Sellers was on top of the world, but on the evening of April 5, 1964, he suffered a nearly fatal heart attack after inhaling several amyl nitrites (also called 'poppers'; an aphrodisiac-halogen combination) while engaged in a sexual act with his second wife Britt Ekland. He had been working on Billy Wilder's Kiss Me, Stupid (1964). In a move Wilder later regretted, he replaced Sellers with Ray Walston rather than hold up production. By October 1964, Sellers made a full recovery and was working again.The mid-1960s were noted for the popularity of all things British, from the Beatles music (who were presented with their Grammy for Best New Artist by Sellers) to the James Bond films, and the world turned to Sellers for comedy. What's New Pussycat (1965) was another big hit, but a combination of his ego and insecurity was making Sellers difficult to work with. When the James Bond spoof Casino Royale (1967) ran over budget and was unable to recoup its costs despite an otherwise healthy box-office take, Sellers received some of the blame. He turned down an offer from United Artists for the title role in Inspector Clouseau (1968), but was angry when the production went ahead with Alan Arkin in his place. His difficult reputation and increasingly erratic behavior, combined with several less successful films, took a toll on his standing. By 1970, he had fallen out of favor. He spent the early years of the new decade appearing in such lackluster B films as Where Does It Hurt? (1972) and turning up more frequently on television as a guest on The Dean Martin Show (1965) and a Glen Campbell TV special.In 1974, Inspector Clouseau came to Sellers rescue when Sir Lew Grade expressed an interest in a TV series based on the character. Clouseau's creator, writer-director Blake Edwards, whose career had also seen better days, convinced Grade to bankroll a feature film instead, and The Return of the Pink Panther (1975) was a major hit release during the summer of Jaws (1975) and restored both men to prominence. Sellers would play Clouseau in two more successful sequels, The Pink Panther Strikes Again (1976) and Revenge of the Pink Panther (1978), and Sellers would use his newly rediscovered clout to realize his dream of playing Chauncey Gardiner in a film adaptation of Jerzy Kosinski's novel "Being There". Sellers had read the novel in 1972, but it took seven years for the film to reach the screen. Being There (1979) earned Sellers his second Oscar nomination, but he lost to Dustin Hoffman for Kramer vs. Kramer (1979).Sellers struggled with depression and mental insecurities throughout his life. An enigmatic figure, he often claimed to have no identity outside the roles that he played. His behavior on and off the set and stage became more erratic and compulsive, and he continued to frequently clash with his directors and co-stars, especially in the mid-1970s when his physical and mental health, together with his continuing alcohol and drug problems, were at their worst. He never fully recovered from his 1964 heart attack because he refused to take traditional heart medication and instead consulted with 'psychic healers'. As a result, his heart condition continued to slowly deteriorate over the next 16 years. On March 20, 1977, Sellers barely survived another major heart attack and had a pacemaker surgically implanted to regulate his heartbeat which caused him further mental and physical discomfort. However, he refused to slow down his work schedule or consider heart surgery which might have extended his life by several years.On July 25, 1980, Sellers was scheduled to have a reunion dinner in London with his Goon Show partners, Spike Milligan and Harry Secombe. However, at around 12 noon on July 22, Sellers collapsed from a massive heart attack in his Dorchester Hotel room and fell into a coma. He died in a London hospital just after midnight on July 24, 1980 at age 54. He was survived by his fourth wife, Lynne Frederick, and three children: Michael, Sarah and Victoria. At the time of his death, he was scheduled to undergo an angiography in Los Angeles on July 30 to see if he was eligible for heart surgery.His last movie, The Fiendish Plot of Dr. Fu Manchu (1980), completed just a few months before his death, proved to be another box office flop. Director Blake Edwards' attempt at reviving the Pink Panther series after Sellers' death resulted in two panned 1980s comedies, the first of which, Trail of the Pink Panther (1982), deals with Inspector Clouseau's disappearance and was made from material cut from previous Pink Panther films and includes interviews with the original casts playing their original characters.
Tivia:
Before his death he spoke very highly of Robin Williams and Steve Martin, both considered that a great honor.Sellers was the first male to appear on the cover of Playboy Magazine, in April 1964.First actor to be nominated for a single Academy award (best actor) for a film in which he potrayed three different characters in the same film: Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb (1964).Mel Brooks considered him for - and he expressed interest in - the role of "Leo Bloom" in The Producers (1967), but nothing ever came of it, and the role eventually went to Gene Wilder. However, Sellers was instrumental in the success of the film. After its release, he happened, almost by accident, to see a private screening of it and was so impressed that the next day he took out two full-page newspaper ads at his own expense proclaiming that it was one of the greatest comedies he had ever seen. This exposure helped promote the film at a critical time when it appeared that it was destined to sink without a trace.He was one of the favorite actors of Elvis Presley who always had Sellers' Pink Panther films with him on the airplane while he was on tour.Was an amateur photographer and camera nut for most of his life.On 23 May 1980, only a few weeks before he died, he sent the following poignant telegram to Spike Milligan: "Dear Spike. I am desperate to have some real fun again with you and Harry [Secombe]. Please can we get together and write some more Goon Shows? We could place them anywhere. I don't want any money - I will work just for the sheer joy of being with you both again as we were. Love Peter".At the time of his death, he left the bulk of his estate - cash, cars, houses and art amounting to ��4.5 million - to fourth wife Lynne Frederick. He left his son Michael and his daughter Sarah from his first marriage to actress Anne Howe only ��800 each. "It was a calculated and considered act. Even his lawyers blushed when they told me," Michael said. Sellers had married Frederick, who was known primarily as David Frost's girlfriend (and subsequently his wife after Sellers' death), in 1977. Reportedly Sellers was in the process of excluding her from his will in the time immediately preceding his death by heart attack in 1980. A drug addict and an alcoholic herself, Frederick died at age 39 and all income from Sellers' estate, including royalties from movie profit-sharing deals, was inherited by her daughter with third husband Barry Unger.His "Goon Show" records, and other comedy recordings from the 1950s and early 1960s, were produced by George Martin, before he worked with The Beatles.One afternoon the doorbell rang in Sellers' London flat. As he was busy in his study, his wife Anne went to the door, where she was handed a telegram. The message: "Bring me a cup of coffee. Peter".Served in the Royal Air Force during World War II.Became friends with the group The Beatles, and visited them at Abbey Road Studios. Was given a tape of rough mixes from the "White Album", which was auctioned (and bootlegged) after his death.His performance as Inspector Jacques Clouseau in the "Pink Panther" franchise is ranked #67 on Premiere Magazine's 100 Greatest Movie Characters of All Time.He was fitted with a pacemaker in 1977 for his failing heart.He was best known for his portrayal of the hapless, accident-prone Inspector Clouseau from the Pink Panther movies. A final film in the franchise was to be called "Romance of the Pink Panther", but Sellers died before it could be made.John Cleese remembered meeting Sellers one morning when the latter had overslept. Sellers first addressed him in strange voices, including upper-class, Cockney and Eastern-European accents, before he used his own. Cleese concluded that Sellers was so adept at inhabiting other characters that each morning, he had to find his own voice.Married Britt Ekland after knowing her for only 10 days.Peter Sellers, Spike Milligan, Michael Bentine and Harry Secombe performed on BBC Radio as "The Goon Show" from 1951 to 1960 (and a last reunion special in 1972). This show was enormously influential on much subsequent British comedy, from Monty Python's Flying Circus to Mr Bean.Sellers was widely considered by industry professionals (particularly Blake Edwards) to be mentally ill with no real personality of his own. He habitually assumed the personalities of the characters he portrayed, morphing into another one in a following role. People that knew him intermittently over years were baffled by his transformations. As an actor, Sellers could be brilliant with a strong script, but he often accepted sub-par projects and inferior roles which would wreak havoc in his personal life.Claimed to have had a near-death experience during a heart attack in 1964, in which he saw Heaven and he met an angel who told him that it was not his time to die yet.Late one night, following a disappointing day wrestling with a troublesome scene in one of the Pink Panther films, director Blake Edwards was roused by a call from Sellers. "I just talked to God!" he exclaimed, "and he told me how to do it!" The next day Edwards humored Sellers - and the result was an unmitigated disaster. "Peter," Edwards suggested, "next time you talk to God, tell him to stay out of show business!".An English Heritage blue plaque can be found at his place of birth on the corner of Southsea Terrace and Castle Road in Southsea. What was the family home is above a Chinese restaurant.Interred at Golders Green Crematorium, London, England, UK.He has appeared in three films that have been selected for the National Film Registry by the Library of Congress as being "culturally, historically or aesthetically" significant: The Pink Panther (1963), Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb (1964) and Being There (1979).Together with Nicolas Cage (Adaptation. (2002)) and Lee Marvin (Cat Ballou (1965)), and Jos�� Ferrer (Moulin Rouge (1952)), Sellers is the only actor with an Oscar nomination for playing multiple characters in a film (in Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb (1964), he plays three characters, Group Captain (G/C) Lionel Mandrake, President Merkin Muffley and Dr. Strangelove). Marvin is the only one who actually won one for a double role.At the time of his death, he was due to undergo an angiography in preparation for potential heart surgery in Los Angeles on July 30.Died four weeks after filming a "Barclays Bank" TV commercial in Ireland, which never aired.During his stint in the second world war, Sellers decided to impersonate a commanding officer whilst he was stationed abroad. He narrowly avoided being caught.Dated Mia Farrow for a short time in 1968.He was voted the 41st Greatest Movie Star of all time by Premiere Magazine.He is the primary influence on Sacha Baron Cohen, Robin Williams, Eddie Murphy, Mike Myers, and Will Ferrell.At the time of his death, Sellers was set to play Inspector Clouseau again in "Romance of the Pink Panther". The script had been written by Sellers and Jim Moloney and the film was to be directed by Clive Donner. Pamela Stephenson was to have played the female lead. Also in the pipeline were the leads in Lovesick (1983) and Unfaithfully Yours (1984). Both these roles were taken over by Dudley Moore.Claimed in a 1980 interview with Rolling Stone that he had fathered a son by a girlfriend while serving in the Royal Air Force during World War II, and abandoned them.His performance as Dr. Strangelove in Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb (1964) is ranked #75 on Premiere Magazine's 100 Greatest Movie Characters of All Time.He was awarded the CBE (Commander of the Order of the British Empire) in the 1966 Queen's Birthday Honours List for his services to drama.Shirley MacLaine said of him, "Past lives leaking through and confusing him in this life.".Is portrayed by Geoffrey Rush in The Life and Death of Peter Sellers (2004).King Charles III had been a fan of Sellers since "The Goon Show". In 1975, after he had seen The Return of the Pink Panther (1975) in Montreal, he wrote to Sellers that he'd laughed so hard he had wet the dress of the woman in the next seat.While visiting The Beatles at Abbey Road Studios, the documentary "Let It Be" was being filmed. Sellers appeared in the documentary clowning around with John Lennon and Ringo Starr, the latter whom Seller had worked with in the comedy "The Magic Christian". However all of the scenes of Sellers' appearance was cut from the final film.Turned down the role of George Webber in Blake Edwards' 10 (1979) (George Segal was cast instead but eventually replaced by Dudley Moore). Sellers made a cameo appearance but it wound up being cut out.When his own son phoned Peter Sellers for moral support during a difficult time, the comedian immediately agreed to help. They met up together not long after their phone conversation, conversing for a few hours. For Michael Sellers, it was the beginning of a reconciliation with his father. Sadly, this didn't last as the comedian passed away only about 7 weeks later.Lived in Gstaad, Switzerland during the last six years of his life.His father was Protestant and his mother was Jewish. He attended St. Aloysius College, a Roman Catholic School.Died at 12:26am - BST at Middlesex Hospital, London after being in a coma for more than 30 hours after suffering a massive heart attack. According to one of his attending doctors, Seller's never regained consciousness after his admission to the hospital on July 22, 1980 and that he did not go into any type of cardiac arrest, but that his heartbeat literally "faded away" during his last two hours.During the beginning of his career in the entertainment industry, Peter Sellers was advertised as a "mimic and percussionist.".His performance as Chance the Gardener in Being There (1979) is ranked #49 on Premiere Magazine's 100 Greatest Movie Characters of All Time.During the late 70s, Sellers personally watched up and coming comedians Robin Williams and Steve Martin perform some of their stand-up routines.Father, with actress Britt Ekland, of actress Victoria Sellers.Author Jackie Collins based the character "Charlie Brick" on Sellers in her book "Sinners".In the 1950s, the comedian provided the voice-overs for a few "PG Tips" TV commercials. |
| Name: |
Peter Sellers |
Type: |
Actor,Writer,Director (IMDB) |
| Area: |
All World |
Platform: |
IMDB |
| Category: |
|
Business scope: |
Actor,Writer,Director |
| Products for sale: |
Actor,Writer,Director |
| Model rank: |
142 |
| Last update: |
2024-07-01 04:26:09 |
| Height: |
5' 8' (1.73 m) |
| Biography: |
Often credited as the greatest comedian of all time, Peter Sellers was born Richard Henry Sellers to a well-off acting family in 1925 in Southsea, a suburb of Portsmouth. He was the son of Agnes Doreen \"Peg\" (Marks) and William \"Bill\&qu |
| Trivia: |
Before his death he spoke very highly of Robin Williams and Steve Martin, both considered that a great honor.Sellers was the first male to appear on the cover of Playboy Magazine, in April 1964.First actor to be nominated for a single Academy award (best actor) for a film in which he potrayed three different characters in the same film: Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb (1964).Mel Brooks considered him for - and he expressed interest in - the role of "Leo Bloom" in The Producers (1967), but nothing ever came of it, and the role eventually went to Gene Wilder. However, Sellers was instrumental in the success of the film. After its release, he happened, almost by accident, to see a private screening of it and was so impressed that the next day he took out two full-page newspaper ads at his own expense proclaiming that it was one of the greatest comedies he had ever seen. This exposure helped promote the film at a critical time when it appeared that it was destined to sink without a trace.He was one of the favorite actors of Elvis Presley who always had Sellers' Pink Panther films with him on the airplane while he was on tour.Was an amateur photographer and camera nut for most of his life.On 23 May 1980, only a few weeks before he died, he sent the following poignant telegram to Spike Milligan: "Dear Spike. I am desperate to have some real fun again with you and Harry [Secombe]. Please can we get together and write some more Goon Shows? We could place them anywhere. I don't want any money - I will work just for the sheer joy of being with you both again as we were. Love Peter".At the time of his death, he left the bulk of his estate - cash, cars, houses and art amounting to ��4.5 million - to fourth wife Lynne Frederick. He left his son Michael and his daughter Sarah from his first marriage to actress Anne Howe only ��800 each. "It was a calculated and considered act. Even his lawyers blushed when they told me," Michael said. Sellers had married Frederick, who was known primarily as David Frost's girlfriend (and subsequently his wife after Sellers' death), in 1977. Reportedly Sellers was in the process of excluding her from his will in the time immediately preceding his death by heart attack in 1980. A drug addict and an alcoholic herself, Frederick died at age 39 and all income from Sellers' estate, including royalties from movie profit-sharing deals, was inherited by her daughter with third husband Barry Unger.His "Goon Show" records, and other comedy recordings from the 1950s and early 1960s, were produced by George Martin, before he worked with The Beatles.One afternoon the doorbell rang in Sellers' London flat. As he was busy in his study, his wife Anne went to the door, where she was handed a telegram. The message: "Bring me a cup of coffee. Peter".Served in the Royal Air Force during World War II.Became friends with the group The Beatles, and visited them at Abbey Road Studios. Was given a tape of rough mixes from the "White Album", which was auctioned (and bootlegged) after his death.His performance as Inspector Jacques Clouseau in the "Pink Panther" franchise is ranked #67 on Premiere Magazine's 100 Greatest Movie Characters of All Time.He was fitted with a pacemaker in 1977 for his failing heart.He was best known for his portrayal of the hapless, accident-prone Inspector Clouseau from the Pink Panther movies. A final film in the franchise was to be called "Romance of the Pink Panther", but Sellers died before it could be made.John Cleese remembered meeting Sellers one morning when the latter had overslept. Sellers first addressed him in strange voices, including upper-class, Cockney and Eastern-European accents, before he used his own. Cleese concluded that Sellers was so adept at inhabiting other characters that each morning, he had to find his own voice.Married Britt Ekland after knowing her for only 10 days.Peter Sellers, Spike Milligan, Michael Bentine and Harry Secombe performed on BBC Radio as "The Goon Show" from 1951 to 1960 (and a last reunion special in 1972). This show was enormously influential on much subsequent British comedy, from Monty Python's Flying Circus to Mr Bean.Sellers was widely considered by industry professionals (particularly Blake Edwards) to be mentally ill with no real personality of his own. He habitually assumed the personalities of the characters he portrayed, morphing into another one in a following role. People that knew him intermittently over years were baffled by his transformations. As an actor, Sellers could be brilliant with a strong script, but he often accepted sub-par projects and inferior roles which would wreak havoc in his personal life.Claimed to have had a near-death experience during a heart attack in 1964, in which he saw Heaven and he met an angel who told him that it was not his time to die yet.Late one night, following a disappointing day wrestling with a troublesome scene in one of the Pink Panther films, director Blake Edwards was roused by a call from Sellers. "I just talked to God!" he exclaimed, "and he told me how to do it!" The next day Edwards humored Sellers - and the result was an unmitigated disaster. "Peter," Edwards suggested, "next time you talk to God, tell him to stay out of show business!".An English Heritage blue plaque can be found at his place of birth on the corner of Southsea Terrace and Castle Road in Southsea. What was the family home is above a Chinese restaurant.Interred at Golders Green Crematorium, London, England, UK.He has appeared in three films that have been selected for the National Film Registry by the Library of Congress as being "culturally, historically or aesthetically" significant: The Pink Panther (1963), Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb (1964) and Being There (1979).Together with Nicolas Cage (Adaptation. (2002)) and Lee Marvin (Cat Ballou (1965)), and Jos�� Ferrer (Moulin Rouge (1952)), Sellers is the only actor with an Oscar nomination for playing multiple characters in a film (in Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb (1964), he plays three characters, Group Captain (G/C) Lionel Mandrake, President Merkin Muffley and Dr. Strangelove). Marvin is the only one who actually won one for a double role.At the time of his death, he was due to undergo an angiography in preparation for potential heart surgery in Los Angeles on July 30.Died four weeks after filming a "Barclays Bank" TV commercial in Ireland, which never aired.During his stint in the second world war, Sellers decided to impersonate a commanding officer whilst he was stationed abroad. He narrowly avoided being caught.Dated Mia Farrow for a short time in 1968.He was voted the 41st Greatest Movie Star of all time by Premiere Magazine.He is the primary influence on Sacha Baron Cohen, Robin Williams, Eddie Murphy, Mike Myers, and Will Ferrell.At the time of his death, Sellers was set to play Inspector Clouseau again in "Romance of the Pink Panther". The script had been written by Sellers and Jim Moloney and the film was to be directed by Clive Donner. Pamela Stephenson was to have played the female lead. Also in the pipeline were the leads in Lovesick (1983) and Unfaithfully Yours (1984). Both these roles were taken over by Dudley Moore.Claimed in a 1980 interview with Rolling Stone that he had fathered a son by a girlfriend while serving in the Royal Air Force during World War II, and abandoned them.His performance as Dr. Strangelove in Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb (1964) is ranked #75 on Premiere Magazine's 100 Greatest Movie Characters of All Time.He was awarded the CBE (Commander of the Order of the British Empire) in the 1966 Queen's Birthday Honours List for his services to drama.Shirley MacLaine said of him, "Past lives leaking through and confusing him in this life.".Is portrayed by Geoffrey Rush in The Life and Death of Peter Sellers (2004).King Charles III had been a fan of Sellers since "The Goon Show". In 1975, after he had seen The Return of the Pink Panther (1975) in Montreal, he wrote to Sellers that he'd laughed so hard he had wet the dress of the woman in the next seat.While visiting The Beatles at Abbey Road Studios, the documentary "Let It Be" was being filmed. Sellers appeared in the documentary clowning around with John Lennon and Ringo Starr, the latter whom Seller had worked with in the comedy "The Magic Christian". However all of the scenes of Sellers' appearance was cut from the final film.Turned down the role of George Webber in Blake Edwards' 10 (1979) (George Segal was cast instead but eventually replaced by Dudley Moore). Sellers made a cameo appearance but it wound up being cut out.When his own son phoned Peter Sellers for moral support during a difficult time, the comedian immediately agreed to help. They met up together not long after their phone conversation, conversing for a few hours. For Michael Sellers, it was the beginning of a reconciliation with his father. Sadly, this didn't last as the comedian passed away only about 7 weeks later.Lived in Gstaad, Switzerland during the last six years of his life.His father was Protestant and his mother was Jewish. He attended St. Aloysius College, a Roman Catholic School.Died at 12:26am - BST at Middlesex Hospital, London after being in a coma for more than 30 hours after suffering a massive heart attack. According to one of his attending doctors, Seller's never regained consciousness after his admission to the hospital on July 22, 1980 and that he did not go into any type of cardiac arrest, but that his heartbeat literally "faded away" during his last two hours.During the beginning of his career in the entertainment industry, Peter Sellers was advertised as a "mimic and percussionist.".His performance as Chance the Gardener in Being There (1979) is ranked #49 on Premiere Magazine's 100 Greatest Movie Characters of All Time.During the late 70s, Sellers personally watched up and coming comedians Robin Williams and Steve Martin perform some of their stand-up routines.Father, with actress Britt Ekland, of actress Victoria Sellers.Author Jackie Collins based the character "Charlie Brick" on Sellers in her book "Sinners".In the 1950s, the comedian provided the voice-overs for a few "PG Tips" TV commercials. |
| Trademarks: |
Often played multiple characters
His ability to change his voice and appearance
Often infused his comic characters with an undercurrent of deep melancholy
Often worked with Blake Edwards and Roy Boulting.
Often ad-libbed some of the most memorable lines his characters say in his films |
| Quotes: |
If you ask me to play myself, I will not know what to do. I do not know who or what I am.
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There used to be a me behind the mask, but I had it surgically removed.
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To see me as a person on screen would be one of the dullest experiences you could ever wish to experience.
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I'm a classic example of all humorists - only funny when I'm working.
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Women are more difficult to handle than men. It's their minds. |
| Salaries: |
Casino Royale (1967) - $1,000,000
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Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb (1964) - $1,000,000
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The Pink Panther (1964) - $90,000 |
| Job title: |
Actor,Writer,Director |
| Others works: |
(1975) Album: Played acoustic ukulele on Steeleye Span's album "Commoner's Crown", on the song "New York Girls". He also contributed humorous Goon voices to the track.
(1963) Wrote liner notes for the original soundtrack alb |
| Spouse: |
Lynne Frederick (February 18, 1977 - July 24, 1980) (his death)Miranda Elizabeth Louise Quarry (August 24, 1970 - September 27, 1974) (divorced)Britt Ekland (February 19, 1964 - December 18, 1968) (divorced, 1 child) |
| Children: |
Michael SellersVictoria SellersSarah Sellers |
| Parents: |
William Sellers
Agnes Doreen Sellers |
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