Trivia

Before his death, he spoke very highly of Steve Martin and Robin Williams; both considered that a great honor.

First actor to be nominated for a single Academy Award for a film in which he portrayed three different characters: Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb (1964).

Mel Brooks considered him for - and he expressed interest in - the role of "Leo Bloom" in The Producers (1967), but nothing ever came of it, and the role eventually went to Gene Wilder. However, Sellers was instrumental in the success of the film. After its release, he happened, almost by accident, to see a private screening of it and was so impressed that the next day he took out two full-page newspaper ads at his own expense proclaiming that it was one of the greatest comedies he had ever seen. This exposure helped promote the film at a critical time when it appeared that it was destined to sink without a trace.

He was one of the favorite actors of Elvis Presley who always had Sellers' Pink Panther films with him on the airplane while he was on tour.

Sellers was the first male to appear on the cover of Playboy Magazine, in April 1964.

On 23 May 1980, only a few weeks before he died, he sent the following poignant telegram to Spike Milligan: "Dear Spike. I am desperate to have some real fun again with you and Harry [Secombe]. Please can we get together and write some more Goon Shows? We could place them anywhere. I don't want any money - I will work just for the sheer joy of being with you both again as we were. Love Peter".

Was an amateur photographer and camera nut for most of his life.

His "Goon Show" records, and other comedy recordings from the 1950s and early 1960s, were produced by George Martin, before he worked with The Beatles.

At the time of his death, he left the bulk of his estate - cash, cars, houses and art amounting to £4.5 million - to fourth wife Lynne Frederick. He left his son Michael and his daughter Sarah from his first marriage to actress Anne Howe only £800 each. "It was a calculated and considered act. Even his lawyers blushed when they told me," Michael said. Sellers had married Frederick, who was known primarily as David Frost's girlfriend (and subsequently his wife after Sellers' death), in 1977. Reportedly Sellers was in the process of excluding her from his will in the time immediately preceding his death by heart attack in 1980. A drug addict and an alcoholic herself, Frederick died at age 39 and all income from Sellers' estate, including royalties from movie profit-sharing deals, was inherited by her daughter with third husband Barry Unger.

One afternoon the doorbell rang in Sellers' London flat. As he was busy in his study, his wife Anne went to the door, where she was handed a telegram. The message: "Bring me a cup of coffee. Peter".

Served in the Royal Air Force during World War II.

His performance as Inspector Jacques Clouseau in the "Pink Panther" franchise is ranked #67 on Premiere Magazine's 100 Greatest Movie Characters of All Time.

He was fitted with a pacemaker in 1977 for his failing heart.

Became friends with the group The Beatles, and visited them at Abbey Road Studios. Was given a tape of rough mixes from the "White Album", which was auctioned (and bootlegged) after his death.

Peter Sellers, Spike Milligan, Michael Bentine and Harry Secombe performed on BBC Radio as "The Goon Show" from 1951 to 1960 (and a last reunion special in 1972). This show was enormously influential on much subsequent British comedy, from Monty Python's Flying Circus to Mr Bean.

He was best known for his portrayal of the hapless, accident-prone Inspector Clouseau from the Pink Panther movies. A final film in the franchise was to be called "Romance of the Pink Panther", but Sellers died before it could be made.

Claimed to have had a near-death experience during a heart attack in 1964, in which he saw Heaven and he met an angel who told him that it was not his time to die yet.

Married Britt Ekland after knowing her for only 10 days.

Late one night, following a disappointing day wrestling with a troublesome scene in one of the Pink Panther films, director Blake Edwards was roused by a call from Sellers. "I just talked to God!" he exclaimed, "and he told me how to do it!" The next day Edwards humored Sellers - and the result was an unmitigated disaster. "Peter," Edwards suggested, "next time you talk to God, tell him to stay out of show business!".

Sellers was widely considered by industry professionals (particularly Blake Edwards) to be mentally ill with no real personality of his own. He habitually assumed the personalities of the characters he portrayed, morphing into another one in a following role. People that knew him intermittently over years were baffled by his transformations. As an actor, Sellers could be brilliant with a strong script, but he often accepted sub-par projects and inferior roles which would wreak havoc in his personal life.

John Cleese remembered meeting Sellers one morning when the latter had overslept. Sellers first addressed him in strange voices, including upper-class, Cockney and Eastern-European accents, before he used his own. Cleese concluded that Sellers was so adept at inhabiting other characters that each morning, he had to find his own voice.

He has appeared in three films that have been selected for the National Film Registry by the Library of Congress as being "culturally, historically or aesthetically" significant: The Pink Panther (1963), Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb (1964) and Being There (1979).

An English Heritage blue plaque can be found at his place of birth on the corner of Southsea Terrace and Castle Road in Southsea. What was the family home is above a Chinese restaurant.

During his stint in the second world war, Sellers decided to impersonate a commanding officer whilst he was stationed abroad. He narrowly avoided being caught.

Died four weeks after filming a "Barclays Bank" TV commercial in Ireland, which never aired.

At the time of his death, Sellers was set to play Inspector Clouseau again in "Romance of the Pink Panther". The script had been written by Sellers and Jim Moloney and the film was to be directed by Clive Donner. Pamela Stephenson was to have played the female lead. Also in the pipeline were the leads in Lovesick (1983) and Unfaithfully Yours (1984). Both these roles were taken over by Dudley Moore.

His performance as Dr. Strangelove in Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb (1964) is ranked #75 on Premiere Magazine's 100 Greatest Movie Characters of All Time.

He was voted the 41st Greatest Movie Star of all time by Premiere Magazine.

While visiting The Beatles at Abbey Road Studios, the documentary "Let It Be" was being filmed. Sellers appeared in the documentary clowning around with John Lennon and Ringo Starr, the latter whom Seller had worked with in the comedy "The Magic Christian". However all of the scenes of Sellers' appearance was cut from the final film.

Claimed in a 1980 interview with Rolling Stone that he had fathered a son by a girlfriend while serving in the Royal Air Force during World War II, and abandoned them.

At the time of his death, he was due to undergo an angiography in preparation for potential heart surgery in Los Angeles on July 30.

Together with Nicolas Cage (Adaptation. (2002)) and Lee Marvin (Cat Ballou (1965)), and José Ferrer (Moulin Rouge (1952)), Sellers is the only actor with an Oscar nomination for playing multiple characters in a film (in Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb (1964), he plays three characters, Group Captain (G/C) Lionel Mandrake, President Merkin Muffley and Dr. Strangelove). Marvin is the only one who actually won one for a double role.

Interred at Golders Green Crematorium, London, England, UK.

Shirley MacLaine said of him, "Past lives leaking through and confusing him in this life.".

When his own son phoned Peter Sellers for moral support during a difficult time, the comedian immediately agreed to help. They met up together not long after their phone conversation, conversing for a few hours. For Michael Sellers, it was the beginning of a reconciliation with his father. Sadly, this didn't last as the comedian passed away only about 7 weeks later.

He is the primary influence on Sacha Baron Cohen, Robin Williams, Eddie Murphy, Mike Myers, and Will Ferrell.

He was awarded the CBE (Commander of the Order of the British Empire) in the 1966 Queen's Birthday Honours List for his services to drama.

Is portrayed by Geoffrey Rush in The Life and Death of Peter Sellers (2004).

Turned down the role of George Webber in Blake Edwards' 10 (1979) (George Segal was cast instead but eventually replaced by Dudley Moore). Sellers made a cameo appearance but it wound up being cut out.

During the late 70s, Sellers personally watched up and coming comedians Robin Williams and Steve Martin perform some of their stand-up routines.

Lived in Gstaad, Switzerland during the last six years of his life.

King Charles III had been a fan of Sellers since "The Goon Show". In 1975, after he had seen The Return of the Pink Panther (1975) in Montreal, he wrote to Sellers that he'd laughed so hard he had wet the dress of the woman in the next seat.

Dated Mia Farrow for a short time in 1968.

His performance as Chance the Gardener in Being There (1979) is ranked #49 on Premiere Magazine's 100 Greatest Movie Characters of All Time.

Died at 12:26am - BST at Middlesex Hospital, London after being in a coma for more than 30 hours after suffering a massive heart attack. According to one of his attending doctors, Sellers never regained consciousness after his admission to the hospital on July 22, 1980 and that he did not go into any type of cardiac arrest, but that his heartbeat literally "faded away" during his last two hours.

Father, with actress Britt Ekland, of actress Victoria Sellers.

His father was Protestant and his mother was Jewish. He attended St. Aloysius College, a Roman Catholic School.

During the beginning of his career in the entertainment industry, Peter Sellers was advertised as a "mimic and percussionist.".

Peter Sellers talking about the voice he used for Chance the gardener in 'Being There' " ........very clear enunciation, slightly American with a touch of Stan Laurel mixed in".

Stars in three of the American Film Institute's 100 Funniest Movies: Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb (1964) at #3, Being There (1979) at #26 and A Shot in the Dark (1964) at #48.