Sellers was nominated three times for an Academy Award, twice for the Academy Award for Best Actor, for his performances in Dr. Strangelove and Being There, and once for the Academy Award for Best Live Action Short Film for The Running Jumping & Standing Still Film (1959). "[283], Sellers's biographer, Ed Sikov, notes that because of this retained dignity, Sellers is "the master of playing men who have no idea how ridiculous they are. Fox News Flash top entertainment and celebrity headlines are here. English filmmakers the Boulting brothers described Sellers as "the greatest comic genius this country has produced since Charles Chaplin ". [139] After practising with Southern's recording, Sellers got sufficient control of the accent, and started shooting the scenes in the aeroplane. [315], Selected works, based on award nominations. His parents were Yorkshire-born William "Bill" Sellers and Agnes Doreen "Peg" (ne Marks). His behaviour was often erratic and compulsive, and he frequently clashed with his directors and co-stars, especially in the mid-1970s when his physical and mental health, together with his alcohol and drug problems, were at their worst. 1979 Press Photo "The Prisoner of Zenda" Peter Sellers ,Elke Sommer,L Frederic. Satire and black humour were major features of many of his films, as they had been in his radio and record performances, and they had a strong influence on a number of later comedians. [106] He was nominated for the Best British Actor award at the 16th British Academy Film Awards for his role as John Lewis, a frustrated Welsh librarian whose affections swing between the glamorous Liz (Mai Zetterling) and his long-suffering wife Jean (Virginia Maskell). [212][g] Their relationship lasted a month before breaking up. Entdecke Filmplakat - Der Gefangene von Zenda ( Peter Sellers , Elke Sommer ) in groer Auswahl Vergleichen Angebote und Preise Online kaufen bei eBay Kostenlose Lieferung fr viele Artikel! He had a gift for improvising dialogue. [43] Sellers played four main charactersMajor Bloodnok, Hercules Grytpype-Thynne, Bluebottle and Henry Crunand seventeen minor ones. [99] The songs were included on an album released by the couple, Peter & Sophia, which reached number five in the UK Albums Chart. You cant possibly go back to filming., When asked in the documentary if she was actually sick, Ekland responded, Of course not., I was 21 years old, fit as a fiddle, but I had no choice, she said. [170] The film was directed by Vittorio De Sica, whose English Sellers struggled to understand. His father doubted Sellers's abilities in the entertainment field, even suggesting that his son's talents were only enough to become a road sweeper, while Sellers's mother encouraged him continuously. [214] By 1974, Sellers's friends were concerned that he was having a nervous breakdown. The pair tied the knot in 1964. [7] The family constantly toured, causing much upheaval and unhappiness in the young Sellers's life. Quotes displayed in real-time or delayed by at least 15 minutes. [87] The film received high praise from critics. Rent SD $3.99 Buy SD $14.99 Add to Watchlist Redeem a gift card or promotion code By ordering or viewing, you agree to our Terms. [303] The comic performer Sacha Baron Cohen referred to Sellers as "the most seminal force in shaping [his] early ideas on comedy". [233] Steven Bach, the senior vice-president and head of worldwide productions for United Artists, who worked with Sellers on Revenge of the Pink Panther, considered that Sellers was "deeply unbalanced, if not committable: that was the source of his genius and his truly quite terrifying aspects as manipulator and hysteric. He took me into the bedroom, which was all gold and white, and then next to it was a walk-in closet. [69], Sellers's difficulties in getting his film career to take off, and increasing problems in his personal life, prompted him to seek periodic consultations with astrologer Maurice Woodruff, who held considerable sway over his later career. "[305] The three members of Spinal TapMichael McKean, Christopher Guest and Harry Shearerhave also cited Sellers as being an influence on them,[306] as has the US talk-show host Conan O'Brien. ", After his father's death in October 1962, Sellers decided to leave England and was approached by director Blake Edwards who offered him the role of Inspector Clouseau in The Pink Panther, after Peter Ustinov had backed out of the film. After the voice comes the looks of the man. [121], "I'll play Clouseau with great dignity, because he thinks of himself as one of the world's best detectives. or redistributed. During filming, Sellers's relationship with Edwards became strained; the two would often stop speaking to each other during filming, communicating only by the passing of notes. According to the outlet, the couple met after Sellers spotted a photograph of the Swedish blonde bombshell in a newspaper and realized they were both staying at the Dorchester in London. Terry-Thomas later said that "my part was perfect, but Peter's was bloody awful. Connon remembers that "Peter got endless pleasure imitating the people in Monday Night at Eight. (Photo by Hulton-Deutsch Collection/CORBIS/Corbis via Getty Images), BEACH BOYS MIKE LOVE SAYS HE WANTED TO GIVE A LITTLE GLIMMER OF HOPE WITH THIS TOO SHALL PASS. In 1980, 16 years after his first heart attack, Sellers' heart finally gave out. After the war, Sellers made his radio debut in ShowTime, and eventually became a regular performer on various BBC radio shows. She was taking a bath when a knock at the door would forever change her life. [29] His tour also included Ceylon and Burma, although the duration of his stay in Asia is unknown, and Sellers may have exaggerated its length. [265] Sellers's final joke was the playing of "In the Mood" by Glenn Miller, a tune which all the Goons hated; he knew they would have to sit there in silence and listen to it. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. In the upcoming BBC special titled "Peter Sellers: A State of Comic Ecstasy" airing on May 9, the actress described the British comic icon, who suffered from drug and alcohol addiction, as. [117] At the end of 1962, his marriage to Anne broke down. English filmmakers the Boulting brothers described Sellers as "the greatest comic genius this country has produced since Charles Chaplin". After the first day's shooting, Sellers sprained his ankle while leaving a restaurant and could no longer work in the cramped cockpit set. BUY 2, GET 1 FREE (add 3 to cart) See all eligible items and terms. Maybe they're around somewhere. Find many great new & used options and get the best deals for PLAYBOY MAGAZINE SEPTEMBER 1970 ELKE SOMMER DEBBIE ELLISON VG ++ at the best online prices at eBay! [136] Kubrick later commented that the idea of having Sellers in so many of the film's key roles was that "everywhere you turn there is some version of Peter Sellers holding the fate of the world in his hands". Sellers portrayed Sir Guy Grand, an eccentric billionaire who plays elaborate practical jokes on people. In 1979, Sellers starred alongside Lynne Frederick, Lionel Jeffries and Elke Sommer in Richard Quine's The Prisoner of Zenda. The first Goon Show[43] was broadcast on 28 May 1951. [285] This combination of "high" and "low", exemplified by Clouseau's attempting to retain dignity after a fall, means that within the film Clouseau was "the sole representative of humanity". Mutual Fund and ETF data provided by Refinitiv Lipper. Powered and implemented by FactSet Digital Solutions. In 1982 Edwards released Trail of the Pink Panther, which was composed entirely of deleted scenes from his past three Panther films. Director Sidney Gilliat Writers Bryan Forbes (screenplay) Kingsley Amis (novel "That Uncertain Feeling") Stars Peter Sellers Mai Zetterling Virginia Maskell He won the BAFTA Award for Best Actor in a Leading Role twice, for I'm All Right Jack and for the original Pink Panther film, The Pink Panther (1963) and was nominated as Best Actor three times. [62] The Ladykillers was a success in both the UK and the US,[63] and the film was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay. For them, he is assured of a place in the history of art as entertainment. [141] The three roles Sellers undertook were distinct, "variegated, complex and refined",[142] and critic Alexander Walker considered that these roles "showed his genius at full stretch". [256], Sellers's final performances were a series of advertisements for Barclays Bank. [164] Sellers followed this with the role of the perverted Austrian psychoanalyst Doctor Fritz Fassbender in Clive Donner's What's New Pussycat?, appearing alongside Peter O'Toole, Romy Schneider, Capucine, Paula Prentiss and Ursula Andress. Britt Ekland got candid about her marriage to British comic legend Peter Sellers in a new BBC documentary. On 3 February 1951, he made a trial tape entitled The Goons, and sent it to the BBC producer Pat Dixon, who eventually accepted it. [130] Despite the views of the critics, the film was one of the top ten grossing films of the year. [122], The Pink Panther was released in the UK in January 1964[128] and received a mixed reception from the critics,[129] although Penelope Gilliatt, writing in The Observer, remarked that Sellers had a "flawless sense of mistiming" in a performance that was "one of the most delicate studies in accident-proneness since the silents". In the end, he called our agent and said, Come and pick her up. I knew that this time I could never go back.. Entertainments National Service Association, Academy Award for Best Live Action Short Film, The Running Jumping & Standing Still Film, BAFTA Award for Best Actor in a Leading Role, Golden Globe Award for Best Actor Motion Picture Musical or Comedy, San Sebastin International Film Festival Award for Best Actor, Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb, Commander of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire, Peter Sellers on stage, radio, screen and record, San Sebastin International Film Festival, "Behind Inspector Clouseau; The funny, often elusive Peter Sellers and his wives", "Forgotten film of Goons restored by BFI", "The 29th Academy Awards (1957) Nominees and Winners", Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, "Movie Review Up the Creek Up the Creek' at 55th", "Running, Jumping and Standing Still Film, The (1960)", "The 32nd Academy Awards (1960) Nominees and Winners", British Academy of Film and Television Arts, "The Annual RPI and Average Earnings for Britain, 1209 to Present (New Series)", "The 22nd Annual Golden Globe Awards (1965)", "The 37th Academy Awards (1965) Nominees and Winners", "Tortured love letter Peter Sellers wrote to Britt Ekland weeks after whirlwind marriage", "Marley Is Dead, Killed in a Nuclear War", "A Day at the Beach" was worth digging up", "The 22nd Annual Golden Globe Awards (1976)", "The 23rd Annual Golden Globe Awards (1977)", National Board of Review of Motion Pictures, "The 37th Annual Golden Globe Awards (1980)", "The 52nd Academy Awards (1980) Nominees and Winners", "Peter Sellers 'changed his will on the day he died', legal papers show", "Profile: Movie on HBO examines the life of Peter Sellers", "John Cleese on The Goon Show, His Earliest Comedy Influence", "Firezine #4: Under the Influence of the Goons", "I owe film fame to dad's Scouse sense of humour", "Will Ferrell interview: Megamind, Anchorman and playing a villain", "Eddie Murphy: I'll retire from films at 50", "The 5 Greatest Comedies of All-Time, According To Chris Rock", "Robin Williams, Parkinson interview 2002", "The Life and Death of Peter Sellers: The monster who made us laugh", Golden Globe Award for Best Actor in a Motion Picture Musical or Comedy, Evening Standard British Film Award for Best Actor, National Board of Review Award for Best Actor, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Peter_Sellers&oldid=1140062486, Best Musical or Comedy Actor Golden Globe (film) winners, Commanders of the Order of the British Empire, English people of Portuguese-Jewish descent, Royal Air Force personnel of World War II, Wikipedia articles incorporating a citation from the ODNB, Pages containing links to subscription-only content, TCMDb name template using numeric ID from Wikidata, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0, Won Tehran Film Festival Award for Best Actor, This page was last edited on 18 February 2023, at 06:44. [262], Sellers had recently started to rebuild his relationship with his son Michael after the failure of the latter's marriage. [267] British actor Stephen Mangan stated that Sellers was a large influence,[299] as did the comedians Mike Myers,[300] Alan Carr[301] and Rob Brydon. [173] Despite these conflicts, the script was praised for its wit. "[96] There is uncertainty if the relationship was anything more than platonic: a number of people, including Spike Milligan, consider it an affair, while others, including Graham Stark, think it remained only a strong friendship. He and his closest friend at the time, Bryan Connon, both enjoyed listening to early radio comedy shows. [23] He was steadily promoted, becoming a box office clerk, usher, assistant stage manager and lighting operator. The shows aired on Britain's new ITV channel. Sellers was initially hesitant about taking on these divergent characters, but Kubrick prevailed. The novel tells the story of a man ( Peter Sellers) who has to impersonate a king, whom he closely resembles, when the king is abducted by enemies on the eve of his coronation. But the marriage wasnt a fairy tale. [194], In 1969 Sellers starred opposite Ringo Starr in the Joseph McGrath-directed film The Magic Christian. The film and Sellers's directorial abilities received unenthusiastic responses from the public and critics, and Sellers rarely referred to it again. [289][j] Critic Tom Milne saw a change over Sellers's career and thought that his "comic genius as a character actor was stifled by his elevation to leading man" and his later films suffered as a result. Wesson considers that "As 'low' and 'high' comedy rolled into one, it's the performative counterpoint to Edwardian sophisticated naturalism". Elke Sommer was born as Elke Baronesse von Schletz on 5 November 1940, in Berlin, Germany, to Renata and Baron Peter von Schletz, a Lutheran minister. Vincent Canby of The New York Times said of Sellers in the film, "There is, too, something most winningly seedy about Mr. She is married to the love of her life, by now-retired hotel manager Wolf Walther, and together with her husband she lives her love for animals, sports, and Mother Nature. ", Towards the end of filming, in early February 1964, Sellers met Britt Ekland, a Swedish actress who had arrived in London to film Guns at Batasi. [202], Sellers's next films, including Rodney Amateau's Where Does It Hurt? But then I said, 'You looked like a little fat old man'. In 1980 he won the Golden Globe Award for Best Actor Motion Picture Musical or Comedy for his role in Being There, and was previously nominated three times in the same category. [135] According to some accounts, Sellers was also invited to play the part of General Buck Turgidson, but turned it down because it was too physically demanding. Roger Ebert of the Chicago Sun-Times gave the film three stars, remarking that Sellers was "back doing what he does best", although he also said that in Sellers's previous films he had "been at his worst recently". [185] During his next film, The Bobo, which again co-starred Ekland, the couple's marital problems worsened. "[263], On 21 July 1980 Sellers arrived in London from Geneva. [134] The director asked Sellers to play three roles: US President Merkin Muffley, Dr. Strangelove and Group Captain Lionel Mandrake of the RAF. There used to be a me, but I had it surgically removed. [11] Despite Sellers's deep personal problems, The Pink Panther Strikes Again was well received critically. This led to his brief appearance on 1 July 1948 on ShowTime[38] and subsequently to work on Ray's a Laugh with comedian Ted Ray. 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