Peter Sellers Net Worth

What was Peter Sellers’ Net Worth?

Peter Sellers was a British actor, comedian, singer, writer, and director known for his role as Inspector Clouseau in “The Pink Panther” film series. He had a net worth of $10 million at the time of his death in 1980.

Sellers had over 80 acting credits to his name, including the films “Lolita,” “Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb,” and “Being There,” and the television series “And So to Bentley” and “The Telegoons.” He also released several albums, directed and produced short films, and was appointed a Commander of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire in 1966.

Sadly, Sellers passed away in July 1980 at the age of 54 after suffering a heart attack.

Peter Sellers’ Early Life and Career

Peter Sellers, born in 1925 in Portsmouth, England, was the child of variety entertainers Agnes and William Sellers. As a child, he traveled with his parents on the vaudeville circuit and attended St Aloysius’ College in North London. Sellers did well in school, excelling in drawing, and attending dancing classes. However, his formal education ended at age 14 when the family moved to Ilfracombe in North Devon, and he started working at the Victoria Palace Theatre, where he performed several jobs, including as an assistant stage manager and playing drums for touring bands.

Sellers joined the Entertainments National Service Association during World War II, where he did comedy routines, sang, and played ukulele. He later enlisted in the Royal Air Force and was accepted into the RAF Gang Show troupe, serving in France and Germany after the war ended.

Peter Sellers’ Career Highlights

Peter Sellers started his career in 1948 with an appearance on the TV show “New To You.” He became a regular radio performer after impressing BBC radio producer Roy Speer with his acting skills. From 1951 to 1960, he voiced several characters on “The Goon Show,” which has been described as “probably the most influential comedy show of all time.” He appeared in several films, including “The Ladykillers” (1955), “The Pink Panther” (1963), “Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb” (1964), “Being There” (1979), and more. He won several awards, including a BAFTA Award, a Golden Globe, and nominations for an Academy Award. His final film was 1980’s “The Fiendish Plot of Dr. Fu Manchu.”

Peter Sellers’ Marriages and Health Issues

Peter Sellers married Anne Howe in 1951, and they had two children before divorcing in 1963. He then married Britt Ekland in 1964, and they had a daughter before divorcing in 1968. He married Miranda Quarry in 1970 and divorced four years later. He then married Lynne Frederick in 1977, and they were still married at the time of his death.

In 1964, Peter had a series of heart attacks after inhaling amyl nitrites. In 1977, he had a major heart attack and was fitted with a pacemaker. In 1980, he collapsed in Dublin due to his heart problems and attended the Cannes Film Festival against his doctors’ advice. His friends urged him to seek further treatment, and he made an appointment for an angiogram at L.A.’s Cedars-Sinai Medical Center.

Peter Sellers’ Death

Peter Sellers, the British actor best known for his role in the “Pink Panther” series, died of a heart attack on July 24, 1980, at the age of 54. He collapsed in his London hotel room just before a reunion dinner with his former co-stars Spike Milligan and Harry Secombe. A private funeral was held on July 26th, followed by a memorial service on September 8th, which would have been Sellers’ birthday, at St Martin-in-the-Fields.

Sellers’ death was a shock to Britain and the entertainment industry. His “Pink Panther” co-star, Burt Kwouk, said that it seemed like the whole country came to a stop when he died. Sellers was a well-loved actor, and his death left a void in the industry.

Peter Sellers’ Estate and the Future of the Pink Panther

Peter Sellers reportedly began the process of excluding his fourth wife, Lynne Frederick, from his will at the time of his death. However, Frederick inherited nearly the entire estate, worth an estimated £4.5-5 million, while Sellers’ children received just £800 each. Sellers’ son, Michael, passed away 26 years after Peter, also from a heart attack.

Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer attempted to continue the “Pink Panther” films after Sellers died, first offering his role to Dudley Moore before turning to director Blake Edwards, who refused to recast the part. In 1982, Edwards released “Trail of the Pink Panther,” sparking a lawsuit from Frederick, who alleged breach of contract and was awarded $1 million as well as a percentage of the film’s gross revenue and profits.

When Frederick died in 1994, her daughter Cassie Unger inherited the assets and rights to Sellers’ estate despite being born four years after his death.

Peter Sellers’ Awards and Honors

Peter Sellers was nominated for three Academy Awards and won a Golden Globe for Best Actor in a Motion Picture – Comedy or Musical for “Being There” in 1980. He also received a Primetime Emmy nomination and four BAFTA Award nominations, winning Best British Actor for “I’m All Right Jack” in 1960.

Additionally, Sellers won a San Francisco International Film Festival Golden Gate Award, a San Sebastián International Film Festival award for Best Actor, and an Evening Standard British Film Award.

Posthumously, Sellers was inducted into the OFTA Film Hall of Fame for Acting in 2018 and for Character in 2021.

Peter Sellers Net Worth - Pulptastic