Richard Henry Sellers,
CBE, commonly known as
Peter Sellers (8 September 1925 – 24 July 1980) was a
British[Peter Sellers - Britannica Online Encyclopedia] comedian and
actor best known for his roles in
Dr. Strangelove, as
Chief Inspector Clouseau in
The Pink Panther film series, as
Clare Quilty in the original 1962 screen version of
Lolita, and as the guileless man-child Chance in his penultimate film,
Being There.
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), along with his talent to portray a range of characters to comedic 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's private life was characterized by turmoil and crises, and included emotional problems and
substance abuse. Sellers was married four times, with three children from two of the marriages.
