Acting · Southsea, Hampshire, England, UK · Born September 8, 1925
Richard Henry Sellers, CBE (September 8, 1925 – July 24, 1980), known as Peter Sellers, was a British comedian and actor best known as Chief Inspector Clouseau in The Pink Panther film series, for playing three different characters in Dr. Strangelove, as Clare Quilty in Lolita, and as the man-child and TV-addicted Chance the gardener in his penultimate film, Being There. Leading actress Bette Davis once remarked of him, "He isn't an actor—he's a chameleon." Sellers rose to fame on the BBC Radio comedy series The Goon Show. His ability to speak in different accents (e.g., French, Indian, American, German, as well as British regional accents), along with his talent to portray a range of characters to comic effect, contributed to his success as a radio personality and screen actor and earned him national and international nominations and awards. Many of his characters became ingrained in public perception of his work. Sellers' private life was characterized by turmoil and crises, and included emotional problems and substance abuse. Sellers was married four times, and had three children from the first two marriages. An enigmatic figure, he often claimed to have no identity outside the roles that he played, but he left his own portrait since, "he obsessively filmed his homes, his family, people he knew, anything that took his fancy right to the end of his life—intimate film that remained undiscovered until long after his death in 1980." The director Peter Hall has said: "Peter had the ability to identify completely with another person, and think his way physically, mentally and emotionally into their skin. Where does that come from? I have no idea. Is it a curse? Often. I think it's not enough though in this business to have talent. You have to have talent to handle the talent. And that I think Peter did not have."
MovieJohn Candy: I Like Me
2025
as Self - Actor (archive footage)
MovieLove Left the Masquerade: Peter Medak's Cinema of Pretenders
2025
as Archive
MovieLiza: A Truly Terrific Absolutely True Story
2025
as Self (archive footage) (uncredited)
MoviePeter Sellers: Genius at Work
2023
as Self (archive footage)
TVThe Beatles: Get Back
2021
as Self
MovieDirected By Blake Edwards
2021
as Self
MovieKubrick by Kubrick
2020
as Self (archive footage)
MoviePeter Sellers: A State of Comic Ecstasy
2020
as Self (Archival Footage)
MovieThe Ghost of Peter Sellers
2018
as Self (archive footage)
MovieSpike Milligan: Love, Light and Peace
2014
as Self (archive footage)
MovieThe 9th Wonder of the World: The Making of 'Gorgo'
2013
as The Villain Antony (archive footage)
MovieHitler: The Comedy Years
2007
as Dr. Strangelove / Fred Kite (archive footage) (uncredited)
MovieThe Beatles: Get Back...Winter of Discontent
2005
as Self (archive footage)
MovieBest Sellers or: Peter Sellers and 'Dr. Strangelove'
2004
as Self (archive footage)
MovieThe Peter Sellers Story - As He Filmed It
2003
as Himself
MovieThe Paranormal Peter Sellers
2001
as Self (Archive footage)
MovieThe Unknown Peter Sellers
2000
MovieSpike
1996
as Self
MovieThe Peter Sellers Story
1995
as Himself
TVThe World of Hammer
1994
as Self (archive footage)
TVFunny Business
1992
as (archive footage)
MovieSellers' Best
1992
as Self (archive footage)
MovieThe Very Best of Peter Sellers
1990
Muppet Video: Rowlf's Rhapsodies with the Muppets
1985
as Self
MovieMuppet Treasures
1985
as Self
MovieKoyaanisqatsi
1983
as Self (archive footage)
MovieTrail of the Pink Panther
1982
as Chief Insp. Jacques Clouseau (archive footage)
MovieEric Sykes: One of the Great Troupers
1981
as Self (archive material)
MovieThe Fiendish Plot of Dr. Fu Manchu
1980
as Fu Manchu / Nayland Smith
MovieBeing There
1979
as Chance
MovieThe Prisoner of Zenda
1979
as Rudolf IV/Rudolf V/Sidney Frewin
MovieMickey's 50
1978
as Self
TVRire et sourire : Le Splendid
1978
as Extrait du film « La Malédiction de la Panthère rose », 1978
MovieRevenge of the Pink Panther
1978
as Chief Inspector Clouseau
Kingdom Of Gifts
1978
as The Slightly Larcenous Mayor
MovieTo See Such Fun
1977
MovieThe Pink Panther Strikes Again
1976
as Chief Inspector Clouseau
TVThe Muppet Show
1976
as Self - Special Guest Star
MovieMurder by Death
1976
as Sidney Wang
MovieThe Return of the Pink Panther
1975
as Inspector Clouseau
MovieJulie: My Favourite Things
1975
as Various
MovieA Salute to Sir Lew Grade
1975
as Self
MovieThe Great McGonagall
1975
as Queen Victoria
MovieFlip Wilson... Of Course
1974
as Self
MovieSoft Beds, Hard Battles
1974
as Général Latour / Major Robinson / Herr Schroeder / Adolf Hitler / The President / Prince Kyoto
MovieThe Optimists of Nine Elms
1973
as Sam
MovieThe Big Screen
1973
as Self
MovieThe Blockhouse
1973
as Rouquet
MovieGhost in the Noonday Sun
1973
as Dick Scratcher
MovieAlice's Adventures in Wonderland
1972
as The March Hare
TVSykes
1972
as Tommy Grando
MovieWhere Does It Hurt?
1972
as Dr. Albert T. Hopfnegal
MovieThe Last Goon Show of All
1972
as Self
Film '72
1971
as Self
V.I.P. Schaukel
1971
as Self
MovieWilton's: The Handsomest Hall in Town
1970
as G.W. Ross
MovieThere's a Girl in My Soup
1970
as Robert Danvers
MovieHoffman
1970
as Mr. Hoffman
MovieSimon Simon
1970
as Man with Two Cars
MovieA Day at the Beach
1970
as Stallholder
MovieWill the Real Mr Sellers.....?
1969
as Self
MovieThe Magic Christian
1969
as Sir Guy Grand KG, KC, CBE
MovieOne Pair of Eyes - No, But Seriously
1969
TVThis Is Tom Jones
1969
as Self
MovieI Love You, Alice B. Toklas!
1968
as Harold
MovieThe Party
1968
as Hrundi V. Bakshi
TVRowan & Martin's Laugh-In
1968
as Self
TVIt Takes a Thief
1968
as Man in Harbor Records Office
With Love, Sophia
1967
as Self
MovieWoman Times Seven
1967
as Jean
TVOne Pair of Eyes
1967
MovieCasino Royale
1967
as Evelyn Tremble
MovieThe Bobo
1967
as Juan Bautista
MovieAlice in Wonderland
1966
as King of Hearts
MovieEl Rey en Londres
1966
TVABC Stage 67
1966
as Self
MovieAfter the Fox
1966
as Aldo Vanucci/Federico Fabrizi
MovieThe Wrong Box
1966
as Doctor Pratt
Birds, Bees and Storks
1965
as Narrator (voice)
MovieThe Music of Lennon & McCartney
1965
TVThe Dean Martin Show
1965
MovieWhat's New Pussycat?
1965
as Dr. Fritz Fassbender
MovieCarol for Another Christmas
1964
as Imperial Me
I Say I Say I Say
1964
MovieA Shot in the Dark
1964
as Jacques Clouseau
MovieThe World of Henry Orient
1964
as Henry Orient
MovieDr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb
1964
as Group Capt. Lionel Mandrake / President Merkin Muffley / Dr. Strangelove
MovieThe Pink Panther
1963
as Insp. Jacques Clouseau
TVThe Telegoons
1963
MovieHeavens Above!
1963
as The Rev. John Smallwood
MovieThe Wrong Arm of the Law
1963
as Pearly Gates
MovieThe Dock Brief
1962
as Wilfred Morgenhall
MovieLolita
1962
as Clare Quilty
MovieWaltz of the Toreadors
1962
as Gen. Leo Fitzjohn
MovieThe Road to Hong Kong
1962
as Indian Neurologist (uncredited)
MovieOnly Two Can Play
1962
as John Lewis
TVThe Mike Douglas Show
1961
as Self (archive footage)
TVTempo
1961
as Self
MovieMr. Topaze
1961
as Auguste Topaze
MovieTwo-Way Stretch
1960
as Dodger Lane
MovieThe Millionairess
1960
as Dr. Kabir
MovieNever Let Go
1960
as Lionel Meadows
MovieThe Battle of the Sexes
1960
as Mr. Martin
MovieThe Running Jumping & Standing Still Film
1959
MovieI'm All Right Jack
1959
as Fred Kite / Sir John Kennaway
MovieThe Mouse That Roared
1959
as Grand Duchess Gloriana XII / Prime Minister Count Rupert Mountjoy / Tully Bascombe
TVWhicker's World
1959
MovieCarlton-Browne of the F.O.
1959
as Prime Minister Amphibulos
MovieTom Thumb
1958
as Antony
MovieUp the Creek
1958
as CPO Doherty
MovieInsomnia is Good for You
1957
MovieThe Naked Truth
1957
as "Wee" Sonny MacGregor
MovieThe Smallest Show on Earth
1957
as Percy Quill
Yes, It's The Cathode-Ray Tube Show!
1957
TVTheatre Night
1957
as The Sultan
MovieDearth of a Salesman
1957
as Hector Dimwittie
Son of Fred
1956
A Show Called Fred
1956
MovieThe Man Who Never Was
1956
as Voice of Winston Churchill (uncredited)
The Idiot Weekly, Price 2d
1956
The Case of the Mukkinese Battle-Horn
1956
as Assorted
MovieThe Ladykillers
1955
as Harry, alias 'Mr. Robinson'
MovieJohn and Julie
1955
as Police Constable Diamond
MovieOrders Are Orders
1954
as Pvt. Goffin
And So To Bentley
1954
MovieOur Girl Friday
1953
as Voice of Parrot
MovieBeat the Devil
1953
as Billy Dannreuther (voice) (uncredited)
MovieThe Super Secret Service
1953
as Sir Walter Smood / Reuben J. Crouch
MovieDown Among the Z Men
1952
as Major Bloodnok
MovieLet's Go Crazy
1951
as Multiple Roles
MoviePenny Points to Paradise
1951
as The Major / Arnold Fringe
MovieThe Slappiest Days of Our Lives
1951
as (archive footage)
MovieA Burlesque on the Opera "Carmen"
1951
as Voice narrator
MovieThe Black Rose
1950
as Lu Chung (voice)
Talking Comedy
