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EspañolPETER SELLERS
:''This is about the British actor; for the American director, see Peter Sellars.''
'Peter Sellers', CBE (8 September 1925 – 24 July 1980) was a British comedian and actor best known for his three roles in ''Dr. Strangelove'' and as Inspector Clouseau in ''The Pink Panther'' films.
Sellers first rose to fame on the BBC Home Service radio series ''The Goon Show''. His exceptional ability to speak in a wide variety of different accents (e.g., French, Indian, American, British, German), along with his talent to portray a highly diverse range of characters, contributed to his immense success both as radio personality and screen actor and earned him many national and international nominations and awards. Many of his depictions of various characters and cultural stereotypes have become ingrained in the public's perception of his work. Sellers' private life, however, was characterised by frequent turmoils and crises, brought on by mental problems and substance abuse. Sellers was married four times (his second wife was the Swedish actress Britt Ekland); he had three children from two marriages.
Sellers was born 'Richard Henry Sellers' in Southsea, Portsmouth, England to a family of entertainers. His parents nicknamed him "Peter" at an early age, after his elder stillborn brother.[1] He attended a Roman Catholic school, St. Aloysius College, although he was Jewish (from his mother's side). He was a descendant of Portuguese-Jewish prizefighter Daniel Mendoza.[1]Sellers is also a cousin of talksport radio presenter Mike Mendoza[2]
Accompanying his family on the variety show circuit1, Sellers learned this popular but difficult stagecraft, which proved especially valuable in his later career. He performed at age five at the Windmill Theatre in a drama called ''Splash Me!'', which also featured his mother. He was a versatile artist, excelling in dancing, drumming well enough to tour with several jazz bands (his drumming is showcased in a clip of the Steve Allen show in 1964), and playing the ukulele and banjo. In an episode of ''Parkinson'', Sellers claimed that his father had taught George Formby to play the ukulele. Sellers played ukulele-banjo on the "New York Girls" track for Steeleye Span's 1975 album, ''Commoner's Crown''.
During World War II, Sellers was an airman in the Royal Air Force, rising to corporal by the war's end, though he had been relegated to ground staff duties due to poor eyesight.1 His tour of duty included India and Burma, although the exact duration of his stay in Asia is unknown, and he may have exaggerated its length. He also served in Germany and France after the war.1
As a distraction from the monotonous life of a non-commissioned RAF officer, Sellers joined the Entertainments National Service Association (ENSA), allowing him to hone his drumming and comedic skills. During leisure periods, he performed occasional impersonations of his superiors1, and his portrayal of RAF officer Lionel Mandrake in the film ''Dr. Strangelove'' may have been modelled on these impersonations. He also would bluff his way into the Officers Club using his talent for mimicry and the occasional false moustache, although as he told Michael Parkinson in the famous 1972 interview, occasionally the older officers would suspect him. The voice of Goon Show character Major Denis Bloodnok also came from this period in his life.
After his military discharge and return to war-ravaged England in 1948, Sellers supported himself with stand-up routines in sordid variety theatres whose impresarios needed to legitimise their business.1 By dint of talent and ambition, Sellers telephoned BBC radio producer Roy Speer pretending to be Kenneth Horne, a castmember of the radio show, ''Much Binding in the Marsh'', in order to get Speer to speak to him. Sellers was eventually cast as a Goon on the hit radio programme ''The Goon Show'' with fellow comedians Spike Milligan, Harry Secombe and Michael Bentine. Sellers followed this with television work.
Sellers' film success arrived with a series of British comedies, including ''The Ladykillers'' (1955), ''I'm All Right Jack'' (1959) and ''The Mouse That Roared'' (1959). He began receiving international attention for his portrayal of an Indian doctor in ''The Road to Hong Kong'' (1962), the seventh and last in the "Road" series, starring Bing Crosby, Bob Hope, Dorothy Lamour.
Sellers found further international acclaim with the ''The Millionairess'' with costar Sophia Loren (1960). The film inspired the George Martin radio and television production ''Goodness Gracious Me'', as well as two popular novelty song recordings ''Goodness Gracious Me'' and a follow-up ''Bangers and Mash'', both featuring Sellers and Loren. He starred in Stanley Kubrick's ''Lolita'' (1962) as Clare Quilty, opposite James Mason as Humbert Humbert. In portraying Quilty, Sellers proved to be a scene stealer, a trait he was to repeat in other films.
A major artistic breakthrough for Sellers came with Kubrick's '' (1964) in which he portrayed three highly diverse characters: U.S. President Merkin Muffley, Dr. Strangelove and Group Captain Lionel Mandrake of the RAF. (The characters Muffley and Strangelove appeared in the same room throughout the film.) Sellers originally was also cast in the role of Major T. J. 'King' Kong. Initially, Sellers struggled with the character's Southern accent, but a crewmember made a recording of a Texan accent, which Sellers apparently mastered after repeated listenings and practice. However, during a scene filmed in a plane specially designed for the set, Sellers fell 15 feet and broke his leg, preventing him from doing additional cockpit scenes and forcing Kubrick to replace Sellers with Slim Pickens in the role of Major Kong.
Sellers is most famous for his performance as the bumbling Inspector Clouseau in the ''Pink Panther'' movies, a role that Peter Ustinov had declined. This character gave Sellers a worldwide audience, beginning with ''The Pink Panther'' (1963) and its sequel, ''A Shot in the Dark'' (1964), in which he was featured more prominently. He returned to the character for three more sequels from 1975 to 1978. ''The Trail of the Pink Panther'' was released after his death in 1982, containing previously unused footage of Sellers. His widow, Lynne Frederick, successfully sued the film's producers for having made unauthorized use of the footage. Sellers had prepared to star as Chief Inspector Clouseau in another Pink Panther film; however, he died before the start of this project, Romance of the Pink Panther.
Sellers was a remarkably versatile actor, switching easily from broad comedy, as in ''The Party'' (1968), to more intense performances as in ''Lolita''.
Sellers faced a career downturn by the early 1970s and was dubbed "box office poison".[2] But after the commercially successful return of his Clouseau role in new Pink Panther movies, he was able to produce and star in a film project, ''Being There'' (1979).1 Based on the Jerzy Kosinski novel he cherished, ''Being There'' earned Sellers his best critical reviews since the 1960s, a second Academy Award nomination and a Golden Globe award. Sellers never did win an Oscar, but won the BAFTA for ''I'm All Right Jack''.
Sellers appeared on the ''Muppet Show'' television series in 1977. He chose not to appear as himself, instead appearing in a variety of costumes and accents throughout the show. When Kermit the Frog told Sellers that he could relax and be "himself", Sellers (while wearing a Viking helmet, girdle and one boxing glove--he thought he was dressed as Queen Victoria) replied, "There is no 'real me'. I no longer exist. I had it surgically removed."
Sellers' artistic genius did come with a cost, which was manifested in a troubled personal life. While he won accolades for his artistic contributions, his off-screen persona often clashed with fellow actors and directors, as illustrated by his strained relationship with friend and director Blake Edwards, with whom he worked on the Pink Panther series, among other films. His relationship with Edwards was tested by Sellers' eccentric behaviour, to a point where the two sometimes ceased speaking to each other during filming.1 Their personal and professional relationship was frequently disrupted by Sellers' difficult demeanour, highlighted in the semi-biographical HBO/BBC film ''The Life and Death of Peter Sellers''.
Sellers' personality was often described as difficult and demanding by many others who interacted with him. His unreasonable behaviour caused physical and emotional hurt to many people in his life, most notably his first three wives.1 As portrayed in ''The Life and Death of Peter Sellers'', he told his eight-year-old son that the boy's mother (Sellers' wife at the time) was having an affair. Sellers is known to have physically assaulted Britt Ekland1, often prompted by fits of (unsubstantiated) jealousy.
His work with fellow actor Orson Welles on ''Casino Royale'' deteriorated as Sellers became jealous of Welles' casual relationship with Princess Margaret. The relationship between the two actors created enormous logistic problems during filming, as Sellers refused to share the set with Welles, who himself was no stranger to strident behaviour.1 Sellers could also be cruel and disrespectful, as demonstrated in his treatment of actress Jo Van Fleet on the set of ''I Love You, Alice B. Toklas'' (1968). On one occasion, Van Fleet had declined an invitation to his house, soon followed by a misunderstanding between the two actors during filming. This prompted Sellers to launch into a verbal tirade against Van Fleet in front of actors and crew on the set.1
Nonetheless, Sellers could woo audiences and colleagues alike. He was once invited to appear on Michael Parkinson's eponymous chat show in 1974. However, as he was notoriously reticent about discussing his private life, Sellers needed some persuasion. Eventually he agreed under the condition that he could appear as a different character. When introduced onto the show, Sellers appeared dressed as member of the German Gestapo, impersonating Kenneth Mars' role in ''The Producers''. After performing a few lines in keeping with his assumed character, he stepped out of the role and settled down for what is considered one of Parkinson's most memorable interviews.[3][4]
It has been suggested that Sellers suffered from depression spurred by deep-seated anxieties of artistic and personal failure. Some of his behaviour may have been exacerbated by substance abuse, for Sellers was known to regularly smoke cannabis, drink large amounts of alcohol, and use other recreational drugs.1 It is now believed that his drug use (especially of amyl nitrites1) contributed to a series of heart attacks he suffered in 1964 (see below). Sellers became aware that his frail psyche affected his career and personal life. However, rather than seeking professional counselling, he opted for periodic consultations with astrologer Maurice Woodruff, who seemed to have had considerable sway over his later career.1
Sellers had casual friendships with two of the Beatles, George Harrison and Ringo Starr. Harrison told occasional Sellers stories in interviews, and Starr appeared with him in the anarchic movie ''The Magic Christian'' (1970), whose theme song was Badfinger's "Come and Get It", written by Paul McCartney. Starr also gave Sellers a rough mix of songs from the Beatles' ''White Album''; the tape was auctioned and bootlegged after his death. Sellers also recorded a cover version of ''A Hard Day's Night'' (1965), in the style of Laurence Olivier's interpretation of Richard III.
Sellers' other friendships included fellow actor and director Roman Polanski, who shared his passion for fast cars. Sellers was a close friend of Princess Margaret, and had a close relationship with Sophia Loren, for whom he seemed to have felt a strong but apparently unrequited romantic attraction. Sellers was the first man to appear on the cover of ''Playboy'' — he appeared on the April (1964) cover with Karen Lynn.
Sellers had a lifelong obsession with cars, which was briefly parodied in a fleeting cameo in the short film ''Simon Simon'', directed by friend Graham Stark. His love for cars was also referenced in the ''The Goon Show'' episode "The Space Age", where Harry Secombe introduces Sellers by saying, "Good heavens, it's Peter Sellers, who has just broken his own record of keeping a car for more than a month." In the special episode "The Last Goon Show of All", announcer Andrew Timothy cued him with the words "Mr. Sellers will now sell a gross of his cars and take up a dramatic voice".
Sellers was married four times:
# Actress Anne Howe (1951–1961). They had two children, Michael and Sarah.
# Swedish actress Britt Ekland (1964–1968). They had a daughter, Victoria Sellers. The couple appeared in two films together: ''After the Fox'' (1966) and ''The Bobo'' (1967).
# Australian model Miranda Quarry (now the Countess of Stockton) (1970–1974).
# English actress Lynne Frederick (1977–1980), who later married Sir David Frost.
Again, Spike Milligan wrote this into his scripts, referring in one 1972 radio show to "The Peter Sellers Discarded Wives Memorial". At the time, Sellers was married to his third wife, Miranda Quarry.
In 1964 at age 38, Sellers had suffered a near-fatal heart attack, which permanently damaged his heart. Sellers' heart condition deteriorated over the following years when he deferred proper medical treatment, instead opting for "treatment" from psychic healers.[5] He also wore a pacemaker, which caused him considerable problems.1
A reunion dinner was scheduled in London with his ''Goon Show'' partners, Spike Milligan and Harry Secombe, in the latter part of July 1980. But the reunion never took place: on 22 July 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 24 July, 1980, aged 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 heart surgery in Los Angeles within the month..
Sellers' fourth wife inherited the bulk of his estate, and his children received £800 each. Sellers' only son, Michael, died of a heart attack at age 52 during surgery on 24 July, 2006. It was 26 years to the day after his father died of the same condition. Michael was survived by his second wife, Alison, whom he married in 1986, and their two children.
In his will, Sellers requested that the Glenn Miller song "In the Mood" be played at his funeral. The request is considered his last touch of humour, as his friends knew he hated the song. His body was cremated, and he was interred at Golders Green Crematorium in London.
The film ''Trail of the Pink Panther'', made by Blake Edwards using unused footage of Sellers from ''The Pink Panther Strikes Again'', and dedicated the film to Peter Sellers' memory. Specifically, the title read "To Peter... The one and only Inspector Clouseau."
In a 2005 poll to find ''The Comedian's Comedian'', Sellers was voted among the top 20 all-time greatest comedy acts by fellow comedians and comedy insiders.
Sellers released several comedy singles, many of them produced by George Martin and released on the Parlophone record label. These include the following hits:
★ "Any Old Iron" (1957) UK # 17
★ "Goodness Gracious Me" (1960) with Sophia Loren UK # 4
★ "Bangers and Mash" (1961), a follow-up also featuring Sophia Loren UK # 22
★ "A Hard Day's Night" (1965) UK # 14. This consisted of him speaking the lyrics using the stereotypical voice of an actor playing Shakespeare's Richard III. He also performed the song in costume on television. The recording was re-issued in 1993 and reached Number 52 in the UK Top 75 Singles chart.
He covered several other Beatles hits, including ''Help!'' and ''She Loves You''.
Peter Sellers made several albums, mostly of comedy pieces using his talent for voices.
The piece "Balham, Gateway to the South" spoofed the kind of promotional film sometimes made by local governments eager to attract businesses to relocate to their towns, especially those seeking an escape from crowding and high rents in London proper. For this he performed all the voices, including the American narrator, and male and female characters in vignettes.
Another piece lampooned the "critics forum" style of arts presentation where critics of different artistic genres discuss works they have all seen, heard or read before the programme. Sellers performed the voice of the plummy-voiced host, plus a Malcolm Muggeridge-like critic, and a slightly uncultured Scot, assisted by a comedy actress who weighed in as a strident blue-stocking academic, constantly correcting the others.
Discography:
★ ''The Best of Sellers'' (1959) UK # 3
★ ''Songs For Swinging Sellers'' (1959) UK # 3
★ ''Peter & Sophia'' (1960) UK # 5 with Sophia Loren
★ ''Fool Britania'' (1963) UK # 10 with Anthony Newley and Joan Collins.
★ ''How To Win An Election'' (1964) UK # 20 with Harry Secombe and Spike Milligan (Note: unlike ''The Last Goon Show Of All'' this release was not credited to The Goons.)
★ ''The Life and Death of Peter Sellers'', Applause Books, 1997, Roger Lewis
★ ''Mr Strangelove;A Biography of Peter Sellers'', a book by Ed Sikov
★ ''The Life and Death of Peter Sellers'' (2004), HBO/BBC movie with Geoffrey Rush in the title role.
1. Mr. Strangelove: a biography of Peter Sellers, , Ed, Sikov, Pan MacMillan, 2002,
2. Dead Comics Society — Peter Sellers Annette Slattery
3. ''Parkinson: The Interviews'' series
4. YouTube: Peter Sellers' 1974 interview on ''Parkinson''
5. EXN.ca: Healing with Psychic Surgery
★
★
'Peter Sellers', CBE (8 September 1925 – 24 July 1980) was a British comedian and actor best known for his three roles in ''Dr. Strangelove'' and as Inspector Clouseau in ''The Pink Panther'' films.
Sellers first rose to fame on the BBC Home Service radio series ''The Goon Show''. His exceptional ability to speak in a wide variety of different accents (e.g., French, Indian, American, British, German), along with his talent to portray a highly diverse range of characters, contributed to his immense success both as radio personality and screen actor and earned him many national and international nominations and awards. Many of his depictions of various characters and cultural stereotypes have become ingrained in the public's perception of his work. Sellers' private life, however, was characterised by frequent turmoils and crises, brought on by mental problems and substance abuse. Sellers was married four times (his second wife was the Swedish actress Britt Ekland); he had three children from two marriages.
Biography
Early life
Sellers was born 'Richard Henry Sellers' in Southsea, Portsmouth, England to a family of entertainers. His parents nicknamed him "Peter" at an early age, after his elder stillborn brother.[1] He attended a Roman Catholic school, St. Aloysius College, although he was Jewish (from his mother's side). He was a descendant of Portuguese-Jewish prizefighter Daniel Mendoza.[1]Sellers is also a cousin of talksport radio presenter Mike Mendoza[2]
Accompanying his family on the variety show circuit1, Sellers learned this popular but difficult stagecraft, which proved especially valuable in his later career. He performed at age five at the Windmill Theatre in a drama called ''Splash Me!'', which also featured his mother. He was a versatile artist, excelling in dancing, drumming well enough to tour with several jazz bands (his drumming is showcased in a clip of the Steve Allen show in 1964), and playing the ukulele and banjo. In an episode of ''Parkinson'', Sellers claimed that his father had taught George Formby to play the ukulele. Sellers played ukulele-banjo on the "New York Girls" track for Steeleye Span's 1975 album, ''Commoner's Crown''.
World War II
During World War II, Sellers was an airman in the Royal Air Force, rising to corporal by the war's end, though he had been relegated to ground staff duties due to poor eyesight.1 His tour of duty included India and Burma, although the exact duration of his stay in Asia is unknown, and he may have exaggerated its length. He also served in Germany and France after the war.1
As a distraction from the monotonous life of a non-commissioned RAF officer, Sellers joined the Entertainments National Service Association (ENSA), allowing him to hone his drumming and comedic skills. During leisure periods, he performed occasional impersonations of his superiors1, and his portrayal of RAF officer Lionel Mandrake in the film ''Dr. Strangelove'' may have been modelled on these impersonations. He also would bluff his way into the Officers Club using his talent for mimicry and the occasional false moustache, although as he told Michael Parkinson in the famous 1972 interview, occasionally the older officers would suspect him. The voice of Goon Show character Major Denis Bloodnok also came from this period in his life.
The Goon Show
After his military discharge and return to war-ravaged England in 1948, Sellers supported himself with stand-up routines in sordid variety theatres whose impresarios needed to legitimise their business.1 By dint of talent and ambition, Sellers telephoned BBC radio producer Roy Speer pretending to be Kenneth Horne, a castmember of the radio show, ''Much Binding in the Marsh'', in order to get Speer to speak to him. Sellers was eventually cast as a Goon on the hit radio programme ''The Goon Show'' with fellow comedians Spike Milligan, Harry Secombe and Michael Bentine. Sellers followed this with television work.
Film career
Sellers' film success arrived with a series of British comedies, including ''The Ladykillers'' (1955), ''I'm All Right Jack'' (1959) and ''The Mouse That Roared'' (1959). He began receiving international attention for his portrayal of an Indian doctor in ''The Road to Hong Kong'' (1962), the seventh and last in the "Road" series, starring Bing Crosby, Bob Hope, Dorothy Lamour.
Playing as Sonny MacGregor an impersonator of sorts in the Sonny MacGregor Show in ''The Naked Truth'' (1957)
Sellers found further international acclaim with the ''The Millionairess'' with costar Sophia Loren (1960). The film inspired the George Martin radio and television production ''Goodness Gracious Me'', as well as two popular novelty song recordings ''Goodness Gracious Me'' and a follow-up ''Bangers and Mash'', both featuring Sellers and Loren. He starred in Stanley Kubrick's ''Lolita'' (1962) as Clare Quilty, opposite James Mason as Humbert Humbert. In portraying Quilty, Sellers proved to be a scene stealer, a trait he was to repeat in other films.
Peter Sellers in Dr. Strangelove (1964)
Peter Sellers as Inspector Clouseau in the ''Pink Panther'' movies
Sellers is most famous for his performance as the bumbling Inspector Clouseau in the ''Pink Panther'' movies, a role that Peter Ustinov had declined. This character gave Sellers a worldwide audience, beginning with ''The Pink Panther'' (1963) and its sequel, ''A Shot in the Dark'' (1964), in which he was featured more prominently. He returned to the character for three more sequels from 1975 to 1978. ''The Trail of the Pink Panther'' was released after his death in 1982, containing previously unused footage of Sellers. His widow, Lynne Frederick, successfully sued the film's producers for having made unauthorized use of the footage. Sellers had prepared to star as Chief Inspector Clouseau in another Pink Panther film; however, he died before the start of this project, Romance of the Pink Panther.
Sellers was a remarkably versatile actor, switching easily from broad comedy, as in ''The Party'' (1968), to more intense performances as in ''Lolita''.
Sellers faced a career downturn by the early 1970s and was dubbed "box office poison".[2] But after the commercially successful return of his Clouseau role in new Pink Panther movies, he was able to produce and star in a film project, ''Being There'' (1979).1 Based on the Jerzy Kosinski novel he cherished, ''Being There'' earned Sellers his best critical reviews since the 1960s, a second Academy Award nomination and a Golden Globe award. Sellers never did win an Oscar, but won the BAFTA for ''I'm All Right Jack''.
Sellers appeared on the ''Muppet Show'' television series in 1977. He chose not to appear as himself, instead appearing in a variety of costumes and accents throughout the show. When Kermit the Frog told Sellers that he could relax and be "himself", Sellers (while wearing a Viking helmet, girdle and one boxing glove--he thought he was dressed as Queen Victoria) replied, "There is no 'real me'. I no longer exist. I had it surgically removed."
Personal and professional struggles
Sellers' artistic genius did come with a cost, which was manifested in a troubled personal life. While he won accolades for his artistic contributions, his off-screen persona often clashed with fellow actors and directors, as illustrated by his strained relationship with friend and director Blake Edwards, with whom he worked on the Pink Panther series, among other films. His relationship with Edwards was tested by Sellers' eccentric behaviour, to a point where the two sometimes ceased speaking to each other during filming.1 Their personal and professional relationship was frequently disrupted by Sellers' difficult demeanour, highlighted in the semi-biographical HBO/BBC film ''The Life and Death of Peter Sellers''.
Sellers' personality was often described as difficult and demanding by many others who interacted with him. His unreasonable behaviour caused physical and emotional hurt to many people in his life, most notably his first three wives.1 As portrayed in ''The Life and Death of Peter Sellers'', he told his eight-year-old son that the boy's mother (Sellers' wife at the time) was having an affair. Sellers is known to have physically assaulted Britt Ekland1, often prompted by fits of (unsubstantiated) jealousy.
His work with fellow actor Orson Welles on ''Casino Royale'' deteriorated as Sellers became jealous of Welles' casual relationship with Princess Margaret. The relationship between the two actors created enormous logistic problems during filming, as Sellers refused to share the set with Welles, who himself was no stranger to strident behaviour.1 Sellers could also be cruel and disrespectful, as demonstrated in his treatment of actress Jo Van Fleet on the set of ''I Love You, Alice B. Toklas'' (1968). On one occasion, Van Fleet had declined an invitation to his house, soon followed by a misunderstanding between the two actors during filming. This prompted Sellers to launch into a verbal tirade against Van Fleet in front of actors and crew on the set.1
Nonetheless, Sellers could woo audiences and colleagues alike. He was once invited to appear on Michael Parkinson's eponymous chat show in 1974. However, as he was notoriously reticent about discussing his private life, Sellers needed some persuasion. Eventually he agreed under the condition that he could appear as a different character. When introduced onto the show, Sellers appeared dressed as member of the German Gestapo, impersonating Kenneth Mars' role in ''The Producers''. After performing a few lines in keeping with his assumed character, he stepped out of the role and settled down for what is considered one of Parkinson's most memorable interviews.[3][4]
It has been suggested that Sellers suffered from depression spurred by deep-seated anxieties of artistic and personal failure. Some of his behaviour may have been exacerbated by substance abuse, for Sellers was known to regularly smoke cannabis, drink large amounts of alcohol, and use other recreational drugs.1 It is now believed that his drug use (especially of amyl nitrites1) contributed to a series of heart attacks he suffered in 1964 (see below). Sellers became aware that his frail psyche affected his career and personal life. However, rather than seeking professional counselling, he opted for periodic consultations with astrologer Maurice Woodruff, who seemed to have had considerable sway over his later career.1
Relationships with other celebrities
Sellers had casual friendships with two of the Beatles, George Harrison and Ringo Starr. Harrison told occasional Sellers stories in interviews, and Starr appeared with him in the anarchic movie ''The Magic Christian'' (1970), whose theme song was Badfinger's "Come and Get It", written by Paul McCartney. Starr also gave Sellers a rough mix of songs from the Beatles' ''White Album''; the tape was auctioned and bootlegged after his death. Sellers also recorded a cover version of ''A Hard Day's Night'' (1965), in the style of Laurence Olivier's interpretation of Richard III.
First man on the cover of ''Playboy''
Sellers' other friendships included fellow actor and director Roman Polanski, who shared his passion for fast cars. Sellers was a close friend of Princess Margaret, and had a close relationship with Sophia Loren, for whom he seemed to have felt a strong but apparently unrequited romantic attraction. Sellers was the first man to appear on the cover of ''Playboy'' — he appeared on the April (1964) cover with Karen Lynn.
Obsession with automobiles
Sellers had a lifelong obsession with cars, which was briefly parodied in a fleeting cameo in the short film ''Simon Simon'', directed by friend Graham Stark. His love for cars was also referenced in the ''The Goon Show'' episode "The Space Age", where Harry Secombe introduces Sellers by saying, "Good heavens, it's Peter Sellers, who has just broken his own record of keeping a car for more than a month." In the special episode "The Last Goon Show of All", announcer Andrew Timothy cued him with the words "Mr. Sellers will now sell a gross of his cars and take up a dramatic voice".
Marriages
Sellers was married four times:
# Actress Anne Howe (1951–1961). They had two children, Michael and Sarah.
# Swedish actress Britt Ekland (1964–1968). They had a daughter, Victoria Sellers. The couple appeared in two films together: ''After the Fox'' (1966) and ''The Bobo'' (1967).
# Australian model Miranda Quarry (now the Countess of Stockton) (1970–1974).
# English actress Lynne Frederick (1977–1980), who later married Sir David Frost.
Again, Spike Milligan wrote this into his scripts, referring in one 1972 radio show to "The Peter Sellers Discarded Wives Memorial". At the time, Sellers was married to his third wife, Miranda Quarry.
Death
In 1964 at age 38, Sellers had suffered a near-fatal heart attack, which permanently damaged his heart. Sellers' heart condition deteriorated over the following years when he deferred proper medical treatment, instead opting for "treatment" from psychic healers.[5] He also wore a pacemaker, which caused him considerable problems.1
A reunion dinner was scheduled in London with his ''Goon Show'' partners, Spike Milligan and Harry Secombe, in the latter part of July 1980. But the reunion never took place: on 22 July 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 24 July, 1980, aged 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 heart surgery in Los Angeles within the month..
Sellers' fourth wife inherited the bulk of his estate, and his children received £800 each. Sellers' only son, Michael, died of a heart attack at age 52 during surgery on 24 July, 2006. It was 26 years to the day after his father died of the same condition. Michael was survived by his second wife, Alison, whom he married in 1986, and their two children.
Legacy
In his will, Sellers requested that the Glenn Miller song "In the Mood" be played at his funeral. The request is considered his last touch of humour, as his friends knew he hated the song. His body was cremated, and he was interred at Golders Green Crematorium in London.
The film ''Trail of the Pink Panther'', made by Blake Edwards using unused footage of Sellers from ''The Pink Panther Strikes Again'', and dedicated the film to Peter Sellers' memory. Specifically, the title read "To Peter... The one and only Inspector Clouseau."
In a 2005 poll to find ''The Comedian's Comedian'', Sellers was voted among the top 20 all-time greatest comedy acts by fellow comedians and comedy insiders.
Filmography
Comedy singles
Sellers released several comedy singles, many of them produced by George Martin and released on the Parlophone record label. These include the following hits:
★ "Any Old Iron" (1957) UK # 17
★ "Goodness Gracious Me" (1960) with Sophia Loren UK # 4
★ "Bangers and Mash" (1961), a follow-up also featuring Sophia Loren UK # 22
★ "A Hard Day's Night" (1965) UK # 14. This consisted of him speaking the lyrics using the stereotypical voice of an actor playing Shakespeare's Richard III. He also performed the song in costume on television. The recording was re-issued in 1993 and reached Number 52 in the UK Top 75 Singles chart.
He covered several other Beatles hits, including ''Help!'' and ''She Loves You''.
Albums
Peter Sellers made several albums, mostly of comedy pieces using his talent for voices.
The piece "Balham, Gateway to the South" spoofed the kind of promotional film sometimes made by local governments eager to attract businesses to relocate to their towns, especially those seeking an escape from crowding and high rents in London proper. For this he performed all the voices, including the American narrator, and male and female characters in vignettes.
Another piece lampooned the "critics forum" style of arts presentation where critics of different artistic genres discuss works they have all seen, heard or read before the programme. Sellers performed the voice of the plummy-voiced host, plus a Malcolm Muggeridge-like critic, and a slightly uncultured Scot, assisted by a comedy actress who weighed in as a strident blue-stocking academic, constantly correcting the others.
Discography:
★ ''The Best of Sellers'' (1959) UK # 3
★ ''Songs For Swinging Sellers'' (1959) UK # 3
★ ''Peter & Sophia'' (1960) UK # 5 with Sophia Loren
★ ''Fool Britania'' (1963) UK # 10 with Anthony Newley and Joan Collins.
★ ''How To Win An Election'' (1964) UK # 20 with Harry Secombe and Spike Milligan (Note: unlike ''The Last Goon Show Of All'' this release was not credited to The Goons.)
Biographies
★ ''The Life and Death of Peter Sellers'', Applause Books, 1997, Roger Lewis
★ ''Mr Strangelove;A Biography of Peter Sellers'', a book by Ed Sikov
★ ''The Life and Death of Peter Sellers'' (2004), HBO/BBC movie with Geoffrey Rush in the title role.
References
1. Mr. Strangelove: a biography of Peter Sellers, , Ed, Sikov, Pan MacMillan, 2002,
2. Dead Comics Society — Peter Sellers Annette Slattery
3. ''Parkinson: The Interviews'' series
4. YouTube: Peter Sellers' 1974 interview on ''Parkinson''
5. EXN.ca: Healing with Psychic Surgery
External links
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