Speaking Volumes | The world and genius of Peter Sellers

Out of the chaos of Peter Sellers has come some of the best character comedy, period. From accident-prone Inspector Clouseau in “The Pink Panther” to the three unique characters in “Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb,” this beloved British comic actor’s dedication to his craft created masterpieces, but he was filled with insecurities and peculiarities that would lead to his untimely death at age 54.

Born Sept. 8, 1925 to British actors as Richard Henry Sellers, Sellers was surrounded by performers from the start. His parents would call him Peter, though, after his stillborn older brother. After leaving school at 14 years old because of approaching World War II, Sellers gained employment at the theater and performed for the troops when he joined the army.

After World War II, Sellers experimented with voices, characters, and humor itself for 10 years on BBC’s “The Goon Show.” The surreal and alternative humor flourished and inspired comedians for years.

He is most known for “The Pink Panther” movies, in which he starred as Inspector Jacques Clouseau. English actor David Niven, a decorated war hero and Hollywood actor, was supposed to be the lead in the original 1963 film as the charming burglar with his eyes on the large pink diamond, the Pink Panther.

Yet, Sellers stole the show with slapstick – falling constantly, getting his hand stuck in weird places, tripping over potted plants, and more. Sellers found his characters in their voices – Sellers’ faux French accent would be perfected and further exaggerated in “A Shot in the Dark” (an accidental sequel) by imitating a strange hotel manager’s accent.

One huge success of his career was playing three characters in Stanly Kubrick’s dark comedy about the cold war, “Dr. Strangelove.” He played title character Dr. Strangelove, an ex-Nazi who assimilated, as well as Group Captain Lionel Mandrake, a British officer who tries to reason with a mad man, and President Merkin Muffley, a serious American president from the Midwest.

During his career, Sellers suffered from mental and physical health issues, and substance abuse problems. As a result, his behavior on set became increasingly ill-tempered and difficult to work with. He had a massive heart attack around the time of “A Shot in the Dark” (1964) that nearly ended his life. He managed to recover and resumed his career, which included more “Pink Panther” films, despite his heart condition.

Sellers died after suffering another major heart attack in 1980. Shortly before his death, he completed two films – the slow-paced masterful comedy “Being There” (1979) and the financial flop, “The Fiendish Plot of Dr. Fu Manchu” (1980), perhaps best exemplifying his best and worst work.

What Peter Sellers was most of all was an artist. From radio fame, to a mass popularity, from quietly groundbreaking films, Sellers was perhaps one of the best comedians of all time. If you want to witness an expert in comedy at work, feel free to check out Manatee Libraries for our collection of Peter Sellers films or to learn more about his life and career.

Your library is online: www.mymanatee.org/library. Free masks are available at all library locations.

Speaking Volumes is written by staff members with the Manatee County Public LIbrary System. Olivia Tooker is on the staff at the Braden River Library.

This story was originally published September 19, 2020 at 7:00 AM with the headline "Speaking Volumes | The world and genius of Peter Sellers."