Overview

• Born on 8 September 1925 in Southsea, Portsmouth, Sellers became a transatlantic star through radio, British cinema and Hollywood.
• Signature work ranged from The Goon Show and Clouseau in The Pink Panther to Quilty in Lolita, three roles in Dr. Strangelove and the lead in Being There.
• Recognition included two Academy Award nominations and a Golden Globe for Being There, plus a San Sebastián best actor prize.
• Several performances now draw scrutiny for racialized caricature, and accounts describe a turbulent private life marked by jealousy and volatile behavior.
• Reporting notes a severe 1964 cardiac episode after amyl nitrite, his death in 1980 at 54 from a heart attack, and later reuse of outtakes to extend the Clouseau franchise.