Peter Sellers
Known for Acting · 134 credits
- Born
- 1925-09-08
- Died
- 1980-07-24
- Place of birth
- Southsea, Hampshire, England, UK
- Also known as
- A. Queen · 彼得·塞勒斯 · پیتر سلرز · Richard Henry Sellers
Biography
Richard Henry Sellers, CBE (September 8, 1925 – July 24, 1980), known as Peter Sellers, was a British comedian and actor best known as Chief Inspector Clouseau in The Pink Panther film series, for playing three different characters in Dr. Strangelove, as Clare Quilty in Lolita, and as the man-child and TV-addicted Chance the gardener in his penultimate film, Being There. Leading actress Bette Davis once remarked of him, "He isn't an actor—he's a chameleon." Sellers rose to fame on the BBC Radio comedy series The Goon Show. His ability to speak in different accents (e.g., French, Indian, American, German, as well as British regional accents), along with his talent to portray a range of characters to comic effect, contributed to his success as a radio personality and screen actor and earned him national and international nominations and awards. Many of his characters became ingrained in public perception of his work. Sellers' private life was characterized by turmoil and crises, and included emotional problems and substance abuse. Sellers was married four times, and had three children from the first two marriages.
An enigmatic figure, he often claimed to have no identity outside the roles that he played, but he left his own portrait since, "he obsessively filmed his homes, his family, people he knew, anything that took his fancy right to the end of his life—intimate film that remained undiscovered until long after his death in 1980." The director Peter Hall has said: "Peter had the ability to identify completely with another person, and think his way physically, mentally and emotionally into their skin. Where does that come from? I have no idea. Is it a curse? Often. I think it's not enough though in this business to have talent. You have to have talent to handle the talent. And that I think Peter did not have."
Known For
TV Shows (24)
The Mike Douglas Show
1961
as Self (archive footage)
Film '72
1971
as Self
It Takes a Thief
1968
as Man in Harbor Records Office
Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In
1968
as Self / Self (uncredited)
The Muppet Show
1976
as Self - Special Guest Star
The Dean Martin Show
1965
V.I.P. Schaukel
1971
as Self
ABC Stage 67
1966
as Self
Sykes
1972
as Tommy Grando
The World of Hammer
1994
as Self (archive footage)
The Beatles: Get Back
2021
as Self
This Is Tom Jones
1969
as Self
Theatre Night
1957
as The Sultan
Tempo
1961
as Self
One Pair of Eyes
1967
Funny Business
1992
as (archive footage)
Son of Fred
1956
Rire et sourire : Le Splendid
1978
as Extrait du film « La Malédiction de la Panthère rose », 1978
The Telegoons
1963
A Show Called Fred
1956
The Idiot Weekly, Price 2d
1956
And So To Bentley
1954
Yes, It's The Cathode-Ray Tube Show!
1957
Talking Comedy
Movies (110)
Lolita
1962
as Clare Quilty
Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb
1964
as Group Capt. Lionel Mandrake / President Merkin Muffley / Dr. Strangelove
The Pink Panther
1963
as Insp. Jacques Clouseau
Casino Royale
1967
as Evelyn Tremble
Being There
1979
as Chance
The Party
1968
as Hrundi V. Bakshi
Koyaanisqatsi
1983
as Self (archive footage)
The Pink Panther Strikes Again
1976
as Chief Inspector Clouseau
John Candy: I Like Me
2025
as Self - Actor (archive footage)
The Ladykillers
1955
as Harry, alias 'Mr. Robinson'
Murder by Death
1976
as Sidney Wang
A Shot in the Dark
1964
as Jacques Clouseau
The Return of the Pink Panther
1975
as Inspector Clouseau
What's New Pussycat?
1965
as Dr. Fritz Fassbender
Trail of the Pink Panther
1982
as Chief Insp. Jacques Clouseau (archive footage)
Revenge of the Pink Panther
1978
as Chief Inspector Clouseau
Beat the Devil
1953
as Billy Dannreuther (voice) (uncredited)
The Mouse That Roared
1959
as Grand Duchess Gloriana XII / Prime Minister Count Rupert Mountjoy / Tully Bascombe
There's a Girl in My Soup
1970
as Robert Danvers
Where Does It Hurt?
1972
as Dr. Albert T. Hopfnegal
The Wrong Arm of the Law
1963
as Pearly Gates
Woman Times Seven
1967
as Jean
Liza: A Truly Terrific Absolutely True Story
2025
as Self (archive footage) (uncredited)
The Fiendish Plot of Dr. Fu Manchu
1980
as Fu Manchu / Nayland Smith
Two-Way Stretch
1960
as Dodger Lane
The Millionairess
1960
as Dr. Kabir
Mickey's 50
1978
as Self
I'm All Right Jack
1959
as Fred Kite / Sir John Kennaway
The Man Who Never Was
1956
as Voice of Winston Churchill (uncredited)
The World of Henry Orient
1964
as Henry Orient
The Magic Christian
1969
as Sir Guy Grand KG, KC, CBE
After the Fox
1966
as Aldo Vanucci/Federico Fabrizi
Alice's Adventures in Wonderland
1972
as The March Hare
Alice in Wonderland
1966
as King of Hearts
The Wrong Box
1966
as Doctor Pratt
The Battle of the Sexes
1960
as Mr. Martin
The Black Rose
1950
as Lu Chung (voice)
Mr. Topaze
1961
as Auguste Topaze
The Road to Hong Kong
1962
as Indian Neurologist (uncredited)
Carlton-Browne of the F.O.
1959
as Prime Minister Amphibulos
Hitler: The Comedy Years
2007
as Dr. Strangelove / Fred Kite (archive footage) (uncredited)
I Love You, Alice B. Toklas!
1968
as Harold
Kubrick by Kubrick
2020
as Self (archive footage)
The Naked Truth
1957
as "Wee" Sonny MacGregor
Tom Thumb
1958
as Antony
Soft Beds, Hard Battles
1974
as Général Latour / Major Robinson / Herr Schroeder / Adolf Hitler / The President / Prince Kyoto
Carol for Another Christmas
1964
as Imperial Me
The Running Jumping & Standing Still Film
1959
Spike
1996
as Self
Waltz of the Toreadors
1962
as Gen. Leo Fitzjohn
Will the Real Mr Sellers.....?
1969
as Self
Up the Creek
1958
as CPO Doherty
The Prisoner of Zenda
1979
as Rudolf IV/Rudolf V/Sidney Frewin
Never Let Go
1960
as Lionel Meadows
Only Two Can Play
1962
as John Lewis
The Big Screen
1973
as Self
The Music of Lennon & McCartney
1965
Orders Are Orders
1954
as Pvt. Goffin
Muppet Video: Rowlf's Rhapsodies with the Muppets
1985
as Self
The Paranormal Peter Sellers
2001
as Self (Archive footage)
Our Girl Friday
1953
as Voice of Parrot
The Ghost of Peter Sellers
2018
as Self (archive footage)
John and Julie
1955
as Police Constable Diamond
Best Sellers or: Peter Sellers and 'Dr. Strangelove'
2004
as Self (archive footage)
Simon Simon
1970
as Man with Two Cars
The Smallest Show on Earth
1957
as Percy Quill
The Blockhouse
1973
as Rouquet
The Dock Brief
1962
as Wilfred Morgenhall
A Day at the Beach
1970
as Stallholder
The 9th Wonder of the World: The Making of 'Gorgo'
2013
as The Villain Antony (archive footage)
With Love, Sophia
1967
as Self
Heavens Above!
1963
as The Rev. John Smallwood
The Optimists of Nine Elms
1973
as Sam
Hoffman
1970
as Mr. Hoffman
The Bobo
1967
as Juan Bautista
Ghost in the Noonday Sun
1973
as Dick Scratcher
The Unknown Peter Sellers
2000
Peter Sellers: A State of Comic Ecstasy
2020
as Self (Archival Footage)
Wilton's: The Handsomest Hall in Town
1970
as G.W. Ross
Muppet Treasures
1985
as Self
Julie: My Favourite Things
1975
as Various
One Pair of Eyes - No, But Seriously
1969
Spike Milligan: Love, Light and Peace
2014
as Self (archive footage)
The Super Secret Service
1953
as Sir Walter Smood / Reuben J. Crouch
The Slappiest Days of Our Lives
1951
as (archive footage)
To See Such Fun
1977
El Rey en Londres
1966
Peter Sellers: Genius at Work
2023
as Self (archive footage)
Love Left the Masquerade: Peter Medak's Cinema of Pretenders
2025
as Archive
Sellers' Best
1992
as Self (archive footage)
Eric Sykes: One of the Great Troupers
1981
as Self (archive material)
The Peter Sellers Story
1995
as Himself
The Great McGonagall
1975
as Queen Victoria
The Beatles: Get Back...Winter of Discontent
2005
as Self (archive footage)
Down Among the Z Men
1952
as Major Bloodnok
A Burlesque on the Opera "Carmen"
1951
as Voice narrator
Dearth of a Salesman
1957
as Hector Dimwittie
Penny Points to Paradise
1951
as The Major / Arnold Fringe
The Very Best of Peter Sellers
1990
A Salute to Sir Lew Grade
1975
as Self
Directed By Blake Edwards
2021
as Self
The Case of the Mukkinese Battle-Horn
1956
as Assorted
Insomnia is Good for You
1957
Birds, Bees and Storks
1965
as Narrator (voice)
The Peter Sellers Story - As He Filmed It
2003
as Himself
Kingdom Of Gifts
1978
as The Slightly Larcenous Mayor
The Last Goon Show of All
1972
as Self
Flip Wilson... Of Course
1974
as Self
Let's Go Crazy
1951
as Multiple Roles
I Say I Say I Say
1964
About Peter Sellers
Richard Henry Sellers, CBE (September 8, 1925 – July 24, 1980), known as Peter Sellers, was a British comedian and actor best known as Chief Inspector Clouseau in The Pink Panther film series, for playing three different characters in Dr. Strangelove, as Clare Quilty in Lolita, and as the man-child and TV-addicted Chance the gardener in his penultimate film, Being There. Leading actress Bette Davis once remarked of him, "He isn't an actor—he's a chameleon." Sellers rose to fame on the BBC Radio comedy series The Goon Show. His ability to speak… With 134 credits spanning from 1950 to 2025, Peter Sellers has appeared in 110 films and 24 TV shows.
Fans searching for Peter Sellers movies, Peter Sellers filmography, or the latest projects starring Peter Sellers can stream many of these titles on Bowood.TV, free and in HD, with no subscription required.
Most Popular Peter Sellers Movies
- Lolita (1962) — as Clare Quilty
- Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb (1964) — as Group Capt. Lionel Mandrake / President Merkin Muffley / Dr. Strangelove
- The Pink Panther (1963) — as Insp. Jacques Clouseau
- Casino Royale (1967) — as Evelyn Tremble
- Being There (1979) — as Chance
Where to Watch Peter Sellers Films
Most Peter Sellers movies and series are available to stream on Bowood.TV in full HD, completely free and without signup. Browse the complete filmography above to jump directly to any title. For more films and the latest web series featuring Peter Sellers, check our movies catalogue and browse page.