Peter Sellers

Peter Sellers (born Richard Henry Sellers; 8 September 1925 – 24 July 1980) was an English actor and comedian. He first came to prominence with his performances on the BBC Radio comedy series The Goon Show. Sellers was featured on a number of hit comic songs and became internationally acclaimed for his film roles, most notably as Chief Inspector Clouseau in The Pink Panther series.

Sellers made his stage debut at the Kings Theatre, Southsea, as an infant, and began accompanying his parents in a touring variety act. He worked as a drummer and toured around England as a member of the Entertainments National Service Association (ENSA). He developed his mimicry and improvisational skills during a spell in Ralph Reader's wartime Gang Show entertainment troupe. After the war, Sellers made his radio debut in ShowTime, and eventually became a regular performer on various BBC Radio shows. In 1951, Sellers, along with Spike Milligan, Harry Secombe, and Michael Bentine, began starring in the successful radio series The 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. Films demonstrating his artistic range include The Ladykillers (1955), The Mouse That Roared (1959), I'm All Right Jack (1959), The Millionairess (1960), Lolita (1962), five films of the Pink Panther series (1963–1978), Dr. Strangelove (1964), What's New Pussycat? (1965), Casino Royale (1967), The Party (1968), I Love You, Alice B. Toklas (1968), The Magic Christian (1969), Being There (1979), and The Fiendish Plot of Dr. Fu Manchu (1980). Sellers's 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 and black humour were major features of many of his films, as they had been in his radio and record performances. These performances had a strong influence on a number of later comedians.