name	Sophia Loren
birth name	Sofia Villani Scicolone
birth date	September 20, 1934
birth place	Rome, Italy
other names	Sofia LazzaroSofia Scicolone
spouse	Carlo Ponti(m. 1957-62, annulled; 1966-2007, his death)
children	Carlo Ponti, Jr., Edoardo Ponti
relatives	Alessandra Mussolini (niece)
years active	1950–present
occupation	Actress
nationality	Italian
residence	Geneva, Switzerland }}

Sophia Loren, OMRI (born Sofia Villani Scicolone; 20 September 1934) is an Italian actress.

In 1962, Loren won the Academy Award for Best Actress for her role in ''Two Women'', along with 21 awards, becoming the first actress to win an Academy Award for a non-English-speaking performance. Loren has won 50 international awards, including two Oscars, seven Golden Globe Awards, a Grammy Award, a BAFTA Award and a Laurel Award. Her other films include: ''Houseboat'' (1958), ''El Cid'' (1961), ''Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow'' (1963), ''Marriage Italian-Style'' (1964), and ''A Special Day'' (1977). She has received critical and commercial success in movies for home box-office such as ''Courage'' (1986) and in American blockbusters such as ''Grumpier Old Men'' (1995), and ''Nine'' (2009). In 1994 she starred in Robert Altman's ''Ready to Wear'', which earned her a Golden Globe nomination in 1995. The same year she received the Cecil B. DeMille Award for lifetime achievements.

In 1999, Loren was listed by the American Film Institute on AFI's 100 Years... 100 Stars as #21 of 25 American female screen legends of all time. In 2002, she was honored by the National Italian American Foundation (NIAF) at its annual Anniversary Gala and was inducted into its Italian American Hall of Fame. In 2009, the Guinness Book of World Records recognized her as "Italy's Most Awarded Actress".

In 1991, the Republic of France awarded her a Distinction of la Légion d'honneur (the Legion of Honor) with the grade of Chevalier (Knight). In 1994, she was awarded with the Honorary Golden Bear at the 44th Berlin International Film Festival. In 1997, Loren was invested Cavaliere di Gran Croce Ordine al Merito della Repubblica Italiana (Knight Grand Cross of the Order of Merit of the Italian Republic). In 2010, she was awarded the Praemium Imperiale by the Imperial Family of Japan on behalf of the Japan Art Association.

Early life

Loren was born in the Clinica Regina Margherita in Rome, daughter of Romilda Villani (1914–1991) and Riccardo Scicolone, a construction engineer. Scicolone refused to marry Villani, leaving her, a piano teacher and aspiring actress, without support. Loren's parents had another child together, her sister Anna Maria Villani Scicolone, in 1938. Loren has two younger paternal half-brothers, Giuliano and Giuseppe. Romilda, Loren, and Maria lived with Loren's grandmother in Pozzuoli, near Naples, to survive.

During World War II, the harbour and munitions plant in Pozzuoli was a frequent bombing target of the Allies. During one raid, as Loren ran to the shelter, she was struck by shrapnel and wounded in the chin. After that, the family moved to Naples, where they were taken in by distant relatives.

After the war, Loren and her family returned to Pozzuoli. Grandmother Luisa opened a pub in their living room, selling homemade cherry liquor. Villani played the piano, Maria sang and Loren waited on tables and washed dishes. The place was very popular with the American GIs stationed nearby.

When she was 14 years old, Loren entered a beauty contest in Naples and, while not winning, was selected as one of the finalists. Later she enrolled in acting class and was selected as an extra in Mervyn LeRoy's 1951 film ''Quo Vadis'', launching her career as a motion picture actress. She eventually for 1952's La Favorita, her first larger role, Ponti changed her name to Sophia Loren.

Career

Beginnings

After being credited professionally as Sofia Lazzaro, she began using her current stage name in 1952's ''La Favorita''. Her first starring role was in ''Aida'' (1953), for which she received critical acclaim. After playing the lead role in ''Two Nights with Cleopatra'' (1953), her breakthrough role was in ''The Gold of Naples'' (1954), directed by Vittorio De Sica. ''Too Bad She's Bad'', also released in 1954, became the first of many films in which Loren co-starred with Marcello Mastroianni. Over the next three years she acted in many films such as ''Scandal in Sorrento'' (1955) and ''Lucky to Be a Woman'' (1956). In 1957, Loren's star had begun to rise in Hollywood, with the films ''Boy on a Dolphin'' (her U.S. film debut), ''Legend of the Lost'' with John Wayne, and ''The Pride and the Passion'' in which she starred opposite Cary Grant and Frank Sinatra.

International fame

Loren became an international film star with a five-picture contract with Paramount Pictures in 1958. Among her films at this time were ''Desire Under the Elms'' with Anthony Perkins, based upon the Eugene O'Neill play; ''Houseboat'', a romantic comedy co-starring Cary Grant; and George Cukor's ''Heller in Pink Tights'', in which she appeared as a blonde for the first time.

In 1961, she starred in Vittorio De Sica's ''Two Women'', a stark, gritty story of a mother who is raped while trying to protect her daughter in war-torn Italy. Originally cast as the daughter, Loren fought against type and was re-cast as the mother (actress Eleonora Brown would portray the daughter). Loren's performance earned her many awards, including the Cannes Film Festival's best performance prize, and an Academy Award for Best Actress, the first major Academy Award for a non-English-language performance and to an Italian actress. She won 22 international awards for ''Two Women''. The film proved to be extremely well accepted by the critics and it was a huge commercial success.

Loren is known for her sharp wit and insight. One of her most frequently-quoted sayings is her quip about her famously-voluptuous figure: "Everything you see, I owe to spaghetti." However, on the 20 December 2009, episode of CBS News Sunday Morning, Loren denied ever saying the line.

During the 1960s, Loren was one of the most popular actresses in the world, and she continued to make films in both the U.S. and Europe, acting with leading male stars. In 1964, her career reached its zenith when she received $1 million to act in ''The Fall of the Roman Empire''. In 1965, she received a second Academy Award nomination for her performance in ''Marriage Italian-Style.

Among Loren's best-known films of this period are Samuel Bronston's epic production of ''El Cid'' (1961) with Charlton Heston, ''The Millionairess'' (1960) with Peter Sellers, ''It Started in Naples'' (1960) with Clark Gable, Vittorio De Sica's triptych ''Yesterday, Today, and Tomorrow'' (1963) with Marcello Mastroianni, Peter Ustinov's ''Lady L'' (1965) with Paul Newman, the 1966 classic ''Arabesque'' with Gregory Peck, and Charlie Chaplin's final film, ''A Countess from Hong Kong'' (1967) with Marlon Brando.

Loren received four Golden Globe Awards between 1964 and 1977 as "World Film Favorite - Female."

Mid-career and musical recordings

Once she became a mother, Loren worked less. Most of her acting during the next two decades was in Italian features. During the 1970s, she was paired with Richard Burton in the last De Sica-directed movie, ''The Voyage'' (1974), and a remake of the film ''Brief Encounter'' (1974). In 1976 she starred in ''The Cassandra Crossing'', a disaster film featuring such veteran stars as Richard Harris, Martin Sheen, and Ava Gardner. She also co-starred with Marcello Mastroianni in Ettore Scola's ''A Special Day'' (1977), an Italian film for which she was nominated for several awards. Loren then starred in the Hollywood thrillers ''Brass Target'' (1978), set during World War II, and ''Firepower'' (1979), that had a moderate success. In 1980, Loren portrayed herself, as well as her mother, in a made-for-television biopic adaptation of her autobiography titled ''Sophia Loren: Her Own Story''. Actresses Ritza Brown and Chiara Ferrari played Loren at younger ages. In 1981, she became the first female celebrity to launch her own perfume, ''Sophia'', and a brand of eyewear followed soon thereafter. She made headlines in 1982 when she served an 18-day prison sentence in Italy on tax evasion charges, a fact that didn't damage her career or popularity. In fact, Bill Moore, then employed at Pickle Packers International advertising department, sent her a pink pickle-shaped trophy for being "the prettiest lady in the prettiest pickle". She acted infrequently during the 1980s and turned down the role of Alexis Carrington in 1981 on the TV series ''Dynasty'' and although she was set to star in thirteen episodes of CBS' ''Falcon Crest'' in 1984 as Angela Channing's half-sister Francesca Gioberti, negotiations fell through at the last moment and the role instead went to Gina Lollobrigida. Sophia, preferring to devote more time to raising her sons. In 1988 she starred in the miniseries ''The Fortunate Pilgrim''.

Loren has also recorded well over two dozen songs throughout her career, including a best-selling album of comedic songs with Peter Sellers; reportedly, she had to fend off his romantic advances. It was partly owing to Sellers' infatuation with Loren that he split with his first wife, Anne Howe. Loren has made it clear to numerous biographers that Sellers' affections were reciprocated only platonically. This collaboration was covered in ''The Life and Death of Peter Sellers'' where actress Sonia Aquino portrayed Loren. It is said that the song "Where Do You Go To (My Lovely)" by Peter Sarstedt was inspired by Loren.

Later career

In 1991, Loren received the Academy Honorary Award for her contributions to world cinema and was declared "one of the world cinema's treasures." In 1995, she received the Golden Globe Cecil B. DeMille Award. She presented Federico Fellini with his Honorary Oscar. In 2009 Loren stated on Larry King Live that Fellini had planned to direct her in a film shortly before his death in 1993.

Throughout the 1990s and 2000s, Loren was selective about choosing her films and ventured into various areas of business, including cook books, eyewear, jewellery and perfume.

She received a Golden Globe nomination for her performance in Robert Altman's film ''Ready to Wear'' (1994), co-starring Julia Roberts.

In the comedy ''Grumpier Old Men'' (1995), Loren played a femme fatale opposite Walter Matthau, Jack Lemmon, and Ann-Margret. The film was a box-office success and became Loren's biggest U.S hit in years.

In 2001, Loren received a Special Grand Prix of the Americas Award at the Montreal World Film Festival for her body of work. She filmed two projects in Canada during this time: the independent film ''Between Strangers'' (2002), directed by her son Edoardo and co-starring Mira Sorvino, and the television miniseries ''Lives of the Saints'' (2004).

In 2009, after five years off the set and fourteen years since she starred in a prominent US theatrical film, Loren starred in Rob Marshall's film version of ''Nine'', based on the Broadway musical that tells the story of a director whose midlife crisis causes him to struggle to complete his latest film; he is forced to balance the influences of numerous formative women in his life, including his deceased mother. Loren was Marshall's first and only choice for the role. The film also stars Daniel Day-Lewis, Penelope Cruz, Kate Hudson, Marion Cotillard, and Nicole Kidman. As a part of the cast she received her first nomination for a Screen Actors Guild Award.

In 2010, Loren played her own mother in a two-part Italian television miniseries about her early life, directed by Vittorio Sindoni, entitled ''La Mia Casa È Piena di Specchi'' (translated ''My House Is Full of Mirrors''), based on the memoir written by her sister Maria.

Personal life

Loren's primary residence has been in Geneva, Switzerland since late 2006. She also owns homes in Los Angeles and New York.

In September 1999, Loren filed a lawsuit against 76 adult websites for posting altered nude photos of her on the internet.

Loren is a huge fan of the football club S.S.C. Napoli. In May 2007, when the team was third in Serie B, she told the ''Gazzetta dello Sport'' that she would do a striptease if the team won.

Loren posed scantily-clad at 72 for the 2007 Pirelli Calendar along with such actresses as Penelope Cruz and Hilary Swank.

Marriage and family

Loren first met Carlo Ponti in 1950 when she was 15 and he was 37. They married on 17 September 1957. However, Ponti was still officially married to his first wife Giuliana under Italian law because Italy did not recognize divorce at that time. The couple had their marriage annulled in 1962 to escape bigamy charges. In 1965, Ponti obtained a divorce from Giuliana in France, allowing him to marry Loren on 9 April 1966. They later became French citizens after their application was approved by then French President Georges Pompidou.

The couple had two sons: Carlo Ponti Jr. (born 29 December 1968) and Edoardo Ponti (born 6 January 1973).

Loren remained married to Carlo Ponti until his death on 10 January 2007 of pulmonary complications.

When asked in a November 2009 interview if she is ever likely to marry again, Loren replied "No, never again. It would be impossible to love anyone else."

Her daughters-in-law are Sasha Alexander and Andrea Meszaros. Loren has three grandchildren: Lucia Ponti (born 12 May 2006), Vittorio Ponti (born 3 April 2007). and Leonardo Fortunato (born 20 December 2010).

Filmography

! Year	! Title	! Role	Notes
1950	''I Am the Capataz''	Secretary of the Dictator
1950	''Barbablu's Six Wives''	Girl kidnapped
1950	''Tototarzan''	A tarzanide
1950	''I Devote, Thee''	A popular to the party of piedigrotta
1950		Extra	Uncredited
1951	''White Leprosy''	A girl in the boardinghouse
1951	''Owner of the Vapor''	Ballerinetta
1951	''Milan Billionaire''	Extra	Uncredited
1951	''Magician for Force''	The bride
1951		Lygia's slave	Uncredited
1951	''It's Him!... Yes! Yes!''	Odalisca
1951		Night club assistant	Uncredited
1952	''And Arrived the Accordatore''	Amica di Giulietta
1952	''I Dream of Zorro''	Conchita	As Sofia Scicolone
1952	''''	Leonora
1953	''''	Bonbon
1953	''Pilgrim of Love''
1953	''We Find Ourselves in Arcade''	Marisa
1953	''Two Nights with Cleopatra''	Cleopatra/Nisca
1953	''Girls Marked Danger''	Elvira
1953	''Good Folk's Sunday''	Ines
1953		Aida
1953	''Africa Under the Seas''	Barbara Lama
1954	''Neapolitan Carousel''	Sisina
1954	''''	Anna
1954	''''
1954	''Poverty and Nobility''	Gemma
1954	''''	Sofia	Segment "Pizze a Credito"
1954		Honoria
1954	''Too Bad She's Bad''	Lina Stroppiani
1955	''''	Agnese Tirabassi
1955	''''	Carmela
1955	''''	Nives Mongolini
1955	''Scandal in Sorrento''	Donna Sofia
1956	''Lucky to Be a Woman''	Antonietta Fallari
1957	''Boy on a Dolphin''	Phaedra
1957	''''	Juana
1957	''Legend of the Lost''	Dita
1958		Anna Cabot
1958	''''	Stella
1958	''''	Rose Bianco	Volpi Cup
1958		Cinzia Zaccardi
1959	''That Kind of Woman''	Kay
1960	''Heller in Pink Tights''	Angela Rossini
1960	''It Started in Naples''	Lucia Curio	Nominated — Golden Globe Award for Best Actress – Motion Picture Musical or Comedy
1960	''''	Epifania Parerga
1960	''''	Princess Olympia
1960	''Two Women''	Cesira
1961	''''	Jimena
1962		Catherine Hubscher, said "Madame Sans-Gêne"
1962	''Boccaccio '70''	Zoe	Segment "La Riffa"
1963		Adelina Sbaratti/Anna Molteni/Mara	David di Donatello for Best Actress
1964	''''	Lucilla
1964	''Marriage Italian-Style''	Filumena Marturano
1965		Nora
1965	''Lady L''	Lady Louise Lendale/Lady L
1966		Judith
1966		Yasmin Azir
1967	''''	Natascha
1967	''More Than a Miracle''	Isabella Candeloro
1968	''Ghosts - Italian Style''	Maria Lojacono
1970		Giovanna
1971	''Lady Liberty''	Maddalena Ciarrapico
1971	''''	Valeria Billi
1972		Aldonza/Dulcinea
1973	''''	Hermana Germana
1974	''''	Adriana de Mauro
1974		Teresa Leoni
1974		Anna Jesson
1975	''Sex Pot''	Pupa
1976	''''	Jennifer Rispoli Chamberlain
1977	''''	Antoinette
1978		Titina Paterno
1978	''Brass Target''	Mara/cameo role
1978	''Angela''	Angela Kincaid
1979		Adele Tasca/cameo role
1980	''Sophia Loren: Her Own Story''	herself/Romilda Villani (her mother)
1984		Aurora	Television film
1986		Marianna Miraldo	Television film
1988	''''	Lucia	Television miniseries
1989	''Running Away''	Cesira
1990	''Saturday, Sunday and Monday''	Rosa Priore
1994		Isabella de la Fontaine
1995	''Grumpier Old Men''	Maria Sophia Coletta Ragetti
1997	''Soleil''	Maman Levy
2001	''Francesca e Nunziata''	Francesca Montorsi
2002	''Between Strangers''	Olivia
2004	''Too Much Romance... It's Time for Stuffed Peppers''	Maria
2005	''Lives of the Saints''	Teresa Innocente
2009		Mamma
2010	''My House Is Full of Mirrors''	Romilda Villani
2010	''Femina''		Pre-production
2011		Herself	Argentinian television sitcom

References

External links

Category:1934 births Category:BAFTA winners (people) Category:Best Actress Academy Award winners Category:César Award winners Category:Grammy Award winners Category:Italian female singers Category:Italian emigrants to France Category:Italian film actors Category:Living people Category:Naturalized citizens of France Category:People from Rome (city) Category:RCA Victor artists Category:United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees Goodwill Ambassadors Category:Italian expatriates in the United States Category:Academy Honorary Award recipients Category:Miscarriage victims

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name	Peter Sellers
birth name	Richard Henry Sellers
birth date	September 08, 1925
birth place	Southsea, Hampshire, England, United Kingdom
death date	July 24, 1980
death place	London, England, United Kingdom
death cause	Heart Attack
nationality	British
occupation	Actor, comedian
ethnicity	Jewish
years active	1948–1980
spouse	Anne Hayes(m. 1951-1961; divorced)Britt Ekland(m. 1964-1968; divorced)Miranda Quarry(m. 1970-1974; divorced)Lynne Frederick (m. 1977-1980; his death)
children	Michael (deceased), Sarah, Victoria }}

Richard Henry Sellers, CBE (8 September 1925 – 24 July 1980), known as Peter Sellers, was a British comedian and actor. Perhaps best known as Chief Inspector Clouseau in ''The Pink Panther'' film series, he is also notable for playing three different characters in ''Dr. Strangelove'', as Clare Quilty in ''Lolita'', and as the man-child and TV-addicted Chance the gardener in his penultimate film, ''Being There''. Leading actress Bette Davis once remarked of him, "He isn't an actor—he's a chameleon."

Sellers rose to fame on the BBC Radio comedy series ''The Goon Show''. His ability to speak in different accents (e.g., French, Indian, American, German, as well as British regional accents), along with his talent to portray a range of characters to comic effect, contributed to his success as a radio personality and screen actor and earned him national and international nominations and awards. Many of his characters became ingrained in public perception of his work. Sellers' private life was characterized by turmoil and crises, and included emotional problems and substance abuse. Sellers was married four times, and had three children from the first two marriages.

An enigmatic figure, he often claimed to have no identity outside the roles that he played, but he left his own portrait since, "he obsessively filmed his homes, his family, people he knew, anything that took his fancy right to the end of his life—intimate film that remained undiscovered until long after his death in 1980." The director Peter Hall has said: "Peter had the ability to identify completely with another person, and think his way physically, mentally and emotionally into their skin. Where does that come from? I have no idea. Is it a curse? Often, I think it's not enough, though, in this business to have talent. You have to have talent to handle [your] talent. And that I think Peter did ''not'' have."

Early life

Sellers was born in Southsea, Portsmouth, to a family of entertainers. Though christened Richard Henry, his parents always called him Peter, after his elder stillborn brother, and, according to Bryan Forbes, "was, during his formative years, totally smothered in maternal affection". He attended the North London Roman Catholic school St. Aloysius College, although his father, Yorkshire-born Bill Sellers, was Protestant and his mother, Agnes Doreen 'Peg' ''née'' Marks was Jewish. His great-great-grandfather was Daniel Mendoza, the 18th century British prizefighter of Jewish ancestry. As an adult, notes film critic Alexander Walker, Mendoza was the ancestor Sellers "most revered," and he usually kept an engraving of him hanging in his office. At one time he planned on having Mendoza's image for his production company's logo.

According to Sellers' biographer Roger Lewis, Sellers was intrigued by Catholicism, but soon after entering Catholic school, he "discovered he was a Jew—he was someone on the outside of the mysteries of faith." Sellers says that teachers referred to him as "The Jew", which led to his subsequent sensitivity to anti-semitic innuendos. He was a top student at the school, and recalls that the teacher once scolded the other boys for not studying: "The Jewish boy knows his catechism better than the rest of you!"

Later in his life, Sellers is quoted as saying "My father was solid Church of England but my mother was Jewish—Portuguese Jewish—and Jews take the faith of their mother." Film critic Kenneth Tynan noted after his interview with Sellers that one of the main "motive forces" for his ambition as an actor was "his hatred of anti-semitism." Tynan explained:

In scholars, lawyers, doctors and vaudeville comedians, Jewishness is tolerated. In legitimate actors, much less often. . . . Hence [Peter Seller's refusal] to be content with the secure reputation of a great mimic and his determination to go down in history as something more—a great actor, perhaps, or a great director.

Sellers was of the opinion that "becoming part of some large group never does any good. Maybe that's my problem with religion," he said during an interview. He explained:

"I wasn't baptized. I wasn't Bar Mitzvahed. I suppose my basic religion is doing unto others as they would do unto me. But I find it all very difficult. I am more inclined to believe in the Old Testament than in the New . . . .

Accompanying his family on the variety show circuit, Sellers learned stagecraft, which proved valuable later. He performed at age five at the burlesque Windmill Theatre in the drama ''Splash Me!'', which featured his mother. However, he grew up with conflicting influences from his parents and developed ambivalent feelings about show business. His father lacked confidence in Peter's abilities to ever become much in the entertainment field, even suggesting that his son's talents were only enough to become a road sweeper, while Sellers' mother encouraged him continually.

Sellers got his first job at a theatre in Ilfracombe, when he was 15, starting as a janitor. He was steadily promoted, becoming a box office clerk, usher, assistant stage manager, and lighting operator. He was also offered some small acting parts. Working backstage gave him a chance to see serious actors at work, such as Paul Scofield. He also became close friends with Derek Altman, and together they launched Sellers' first stage act under the name "Altman and Sellers," where they played ukuleles, sang, and told jokes. They also both enjoyed reading detective stories by Dashiell Hammett, and were inspired to start their own detective agency. "Their enterprise ended abruptly when a potential client ripped Sellers' fake moustache off."

At his regular job backstage at the theatre, Sellers began practising on a set of drums that belonged to the band "Joe Daniels and His Hot Shots." Joe Daniels began noticing his efforts and gave him some practical instructions. Sellers' biographer Ed Sikov writes that "drumming suited him. Banging in time Pete could envelop himself in a world of near-total abstraction, all in the context of a great deal of noise."

World War II period

As war broke out in Europe, Sellers continued to develop his drumming skills, which strongly impressed even his father and landed Sellers his first drumming job with a band in Blackpool.

He later enlisted, and during World War II Sellers was an airman in the Royal Air Force, rising to corporal, though he had been restricted to ground staff because of poor eyesight. His tour included India and Burma, although the duration of his stay in Asia is unknown and its length may have been exaggerated by Sellers himself. He also served in Germany and France after the war. As a distraction from the life of a non-commissioned officer, Sellers joined the Entertainments National Service Association (ENSA), which his father had earlier also signed up with, allowing him to hone his drumming and comedy. By the end of the war in 1945, more than four out of five British entertainers had worked for ENSA, whose focus was on boosting morale of soldiers and factory workers.

He occasionally impersonated his superiors, and his portrayal of RAF officer Lionel Mandrake in the film ''Dr. Strangelove'' may have been modelled on them. He bluffed his way into the Officers' Mess using mimicry and the occasional false moustache, although as he told Michael Parkinson in the 1972 interview, occasionally older officers would suspect him. The voice of ''Goon Show'' character Major Dennis Bloodnok came from this period.

Early career

The Goon Show

After his discharge and return to England in 1948, Sellers supported himself with stand-up routines in variety theatres whose impresarios needed to legitimise their business. Sellers telephoned BBC radio producer Roy Speer, pretending to be Kenneth Horne, star of the radio show ''Much Binding in the Marsh'', to get Speer to speak to him. Speer reportedly called Sellers a "cheeky young sod" for this.

As a result, Sellers was given an audition, which led to his work on ''Ray's a Laugh'' with comedian Ted Ray. His principal radio work was on ''The Goon Show'' with Spike Milligan, Harry Secombe and (originally) Michael Bentine. Sellers followed this with television work.

Records

In the late 1950s, Sellers released two comedy records produced by George Martin: ''The Best of Sellers'' and ''Songs for Swinging Sellers''. ''The Best of Sellers'' album cover (first released in 10" format in 1958 and his debut LP) pictured him polishing a Rolls-Royce motor car. The most popular tracks on this album were "Balham, Gateway to the South" (a parody travelogue) and "Suddenly It's Folksong" where a group of people end up smashing up a pub after a row over someone playing a bum note. The ''Songs for Swinging Sellers'' album, released in 1959, whose title parodied Frank Sinatra's album Songs for Swinging Lovers, contained material written by Frank Muir and Denis Norden, and featured Sellers performing "Puttin on the Style" (a parody of the skiffle movement's performer Lonnie Donegan). Sellers also appeared with guest Irene Handl on the track "Shadows on the Grass" where he played the part of a Frenchman befriending a lady in the park. Musical direction was by Ron Goodwin.

In 1963, Sellers worked with Anthony Newley, Leslie Bricusse and Joan Collins to produce the LP ''Fool Britannia''. This comprised a series of sketches satirizing the British political scandal the Profumo Affair, in which the Minister for War was revealed to have lied about his relationship with a prostitute who was also involved with a Russian diplomat. The album was controversial, in part perhaps because of material involving the royal family, and would-be buyers in the United Kingdom found it especially hard to obtain.

A 1965 hit was a spoof spoken version of the Beatles' "A Hard Day's Night", in the style of Laurence Olivier. This followed up various pieces of Olivier-style speech in the Goons.

In 1979 he released a new gatefold album entitled ''Sellers' Market'' (the cover shows him standing next to traders reading the ''Financial Times'' and the ''Wall Street Journal'' whereas Sellers is reading the ''Finchley Press'') which included comic singing and a feature called the "All England George Formby Finals" where he parodies the late George Formby and his ukulele playing. Also featured was the ''Complete Guide to Accents of the British Isles''. The album was not as popular as his first two in 1958 and 1959 although it is still sought after by collectors. All of his albums exploited Sellers's ability to use his flexible voice to comedic effect.

Acting technique and preparation

In an October 1962 interview for ''Playboy'', Sellers described how he prepared for acting roles once he agreed to play the part:

Film career

Sellers' film success arrived with British comedies, including ''The Ladykillers'', ''I'm All Right Jack'' and ''The Mouse That Roared''. In his early film roles, he continued to exploit his ability to do accents and different voices, often in character parts and occasionally playing several distinct roles in a single film. In his second movie, he played two parts; in his third, six (see chart below).

In ''The Smallest Show on Earth'', the 27-year-old actor played a doddering, drunken elderly projectionist twice his actual age. In ''The Mouse That Roared'', set in a small European country, he played three major and distinct roles, the elderly queen, the ambitious Prime Minister, and the innocent and clumsy farm boy selected to lead an invasion of the United States. In the United States he received considerable publicity for playing three parts, a stunt he would do again in ''Dr. Strangelove''.

He began receiving international attention for his portrayal of an Indian doctor in ''The Millionairess'' with Sophia Loren. The film inspired the George Martin-produced novelty hit single ''Goodness Gracious Me'' and its follow-up ''Bangers and Mash'', both featuring Sellers and Loren.

''Lolita''

In 1962, Stanley Kubrick asked Sellers to play the role of Clare Quilty in ''Lolita'' opposite James Mason and Shelley Winters. Kubrick had seen Sellers in his earlier films and was intrigued by his range, also demonstrated during ''The Goon Show'' period when Sellers had done impressions of famous people, such as Winston Churchill, the Queen, and Lew Grade.

However, Sellers felt the part of a flamboyant American television playwright was beyond his ability, mainly because Quilty was, in Sellers' words, "a fantastic nightmare, part homosexual, part drug addict, part sadist...". He became nervous about taking on the role, and many people came up to him and told him they felt the role believable. Kubrick eventually succeeded in persuading Sellers to play the part, however. Kubrick had American jazz musician and producer Norman Granz record Sellers' portions of the script for Sellers to listen to, so he could study the voice and develop confidence.

Unlike most of his earlier well-rehearsed movie roles, Sellers was encouraged by Kubrick to improvise throughout the filming in order to exhaust all the possibilities of his character. Moreover, in order to capture Sellers at his most creative heights, Kubrick often used as many as three cameras. Sellers and Kubrick created the multiple disguises used by Sellers, such as a state trooper and a German psychologist. As filming progressed, the other actors and the crew would notice Sellers' greatly enjoying his acting and, according to Kubrick, reaching "...what can only be described as a state of comic ecstasy". The movie's cinematographer, Oswald Morris, further commented that, "the most interesting scenes were the ones with Peter Sellers, which were total improvisations."

Because of this experience, Sellers found that his relationship with Kubrick became one of the most rewarding of his career.

''Dr. Strangelove''

{{Image gallery |title= |lines=1 |width=200 |height= |Dr. Strangelove - Group Captain Lionel Mandrake.png||Group Captain Mandrake |Dr. Strangelove - President Merkin Muffley.png||President Merkin Muffley |Dr. Strangelove.png||Dr. Strangelove }} In Kubrick's next film, ''Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb'' he asked Sellers to be in the leading role. Sellers played three extremely different characters: U.S. President Merkin Muffley, Dr. Strangelove, a heavily German-accented nuclear scientist, and Group Captain Lionel Mandrake of the RAF. Sellers was initially hesitant about taking on the task, but Kubrick convinced him that there was no better actor that could play these parts.

Muffley and Dr. Strangelove appeared in the same room throughout the film, with the help of Kubrick's special effects. Sellers was originally also cast to play a fourth role as bomber pilot Major T. J. "King" Kong but although script contributor Terry Southern (a native Texan) taped his own voice reading Kong's lines to coach the actor in the strong Texas accent required, Sellers was unable to master it. Shortly before he was to shoot the scenes as Kong, he reportedly fell and fractured his ankle, forcing Kubrick to recast the part with Slim Pickens. For his performance in all three roles, Sellers was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Actor. Kubrick again gave Sellers a free rein to improvise throughout the filming. Sellers once said, "If you ask me to play myself, I will not know what to do. I do not know who or what I am."

''Pink Panther''

thumb|left|175px|Peter Sellers as [[Inspector Clouseau|Chief Inspector Clouseau in the ''The Pink Panther'']] From 1963, Sellers was cast as the bumbling Chief Inspector Clouseau in the ''The Pink Panther'' movies. This character gave Sellers a worldwide audience, beginning with ''The Pink Panther'' and its sequel, ''A Shot in the Dark'', in which he featured more prominently. He returned to the character for three more sequels from 1975 to 1978. ''The Trail of the Pink Panther'', containing unused footage of Sellers, was released in 1982, after his death. His widow, Lynne Frederick, successfully sued the film's producers for unauthorized use. Sellers had prepared to star as Chief Inspector Clouseau in another Pink Panther film; he died before the start of this project, ''Romance of the Pink Panther''.

''Being There''

In 1979, Sellers played the role of Chance, a simple gardener addicted to watching TV, in the black comedy ''Being There'', considered by some critics to be the "crowning triumph of Peter Sellers's remarkable career," as well as a great achievement for novelist Jerzy Kosinski. During a BBC interview in 1971, Sellers said that more than anything else, he wanted to play the role of Chance.

Kosinski, the book's author, felt that the novel was never meant to be made into a film, but Sellers succeeded in changing his mind, and Kosinski allowed Sellers and director Hal Ashby to make the film, provided he could write the script. According to film critic Danny Smith, Sellers was "naturally intrigued with the idea of Chance, a character who reflected whatever was beamed at him".

Sellers's performance was praised by some critics as achieving "the pinpoint-sharp exactitude of nothingness. It is a performance of extraordinary dexterity", and "...[making] the film's fantastic premise credible".

Sellers's experience of working on the film was both humbling and powerful for him. During the filming, in order not to break his character, he refused most interview requests, and even kept his distance from other actors. He tried to remain in character even after he returned home. Sellers considered Chance's walking and voice the character's most important attributes, and in preparing for the role, Sellers worked alone with a tape recorder, or with his wife, and then with Ashby, to perfect the clear enunciation and flat delivery needed to reveal "the childlike mind behind the words."

Critic Frank Rich noted the acting skill required for this sort of role, with a "schismatic personality that Peter had to convey with strenuous vocal and gestural technique. . . . A lesser actor would have made the character's mental dysfunction flamboyant and drastic. . . . [His] intelligence was always deeper, his onscreen confidence greater, his technique much more finely honed."

''Being There'' earned Sellers his best reviews since the 1960s, a second Academy Award nomination and a Golden Globe award. A few months after the film was released, ''Time'' magazine wrote a cover-story article about Sellers, entitled, "Who is This Man?" The cover showed many of the characters Sellers had portrayed, including Chance, Quilty, Strangelove, Clouseau, and the Grand Duchess Glorianna XII. Sellers was pleased by the article, written by critic Richard Schickel, and wrote an appreciative letter to the magazine's editor."

Final projects

Sellers' last movie was ''The Fiendish Plot of Dr. Fu Manchu'', a comedic reimagining of the classic series of adventure novels by Sax Rohmer. In this new version, Sellers played both "Fu Manchu" and his arch nemesis, police inspector Nayland Smith. Production of the film ran into problems from the start, with Sellers' poor health and mental instability causing long delays and bickering between star and director Piers Haggard. With roughly 60% of the movie shot, Sellers had Haggard sacked and took over direction himself. Haggard later complained that the reshoots Sellers ordered added nothing to the production, and had resulted in the film being incoherent and unfocused. The movie contains references to Sellers' serious heart troubles, including scenes where Fu revives his ancient body with large electric shocks.

Sellers died shortly before ''Fu Manchu'' was released, with his very last performance being that of conman "Monty Casino" in a series of adverts for Barclays Bank. In 1982, Sellers returned to the big screen as Inspector Clouseau in ''Trail of the Pink Panther'', which was composed entirely of deleted scenes from his past three ''Panther'' movies, in particular ''The Pink Panther Strikes Again'', with a new story written around them. David Niven also reprised his role of Sir Charles Lytton in this movie. Along with what many, notably his widow Lynne Frederick, saw as exploitation of Sellers, the manner in which Niven's cameo was handled has earned the movie a lasting unsavoury reputation. Edwards continued the series with a further instalment called the ''Curse of the Pink Panther'', which was shot back to back with the framing footage for ''Trail'', but Sellers was wholly absent from this film.

After ''The Fiendish Plot of Dr. Fu Manchu'', Sellers was scheduled to appear in another Clouseau comedy, ''The Romance Of The Pink Panther''. Its script, written by Peter Moloney and Sellers himself, had Clouseau falling for a brilliant female criminal known as 'The Frog' and aiding her in her heists with the aim to reform her character. Blake Edwards did not participate in the planning of this new Clouseau instalment, as the working relationship between him and Sellers had broken down during the filming of ''Revenge Of The Pink Panther''. The final draft of the script, including a humorous cover letter signed by "Pete Shakespeare", was delivered to United Artists' office less than six hours before Sellers died. Sellers death ended the project, along with two other planned movies for which Sellers had signed contracts in 1980. The two films—''Unfaithfully Yours'' and ''Lovesick''—were rewritten as vehicles for Dudley Moore; both performed poorly at the box office upon release. Trade papers such as ''Variety'' carried an elaborately curlicued advert for the former movie, with Sellers at the top of the cast list, in early June 1980.

Other roles

Director Billy Wilder hired Sellers to co-star with Dean Martin for the ribald 1964 comedy ''Kiss Me, Stupid'', but six weeks into filming, Sellers suffered a heart attack. Wilder replaced him with Ray Walston.

Sellers was a versatile actor, switching from broad comedy, as in ''The Party'', in which he portrayed a bumbling Indian actor Hrundi Bakshi, to more intense performances as in ''Lolita''.

Sellers appeared in an episode of the American television series ''It Takes a Thief'' in 1969. By the early 1970s he faced a downturn, however, and was dubbed "box office poison". Sellers never won an Oscar but won the BAFTA for ''I'm All Right Jack''.

Sellers appeared on ''The Muppet Show'' television series in 1977. He chose not to appear as himself, instead appearing in a variety of costumes and accents. When Kermit the Frog told Sellers he could relax and be "himself," Sellers (while wearing a Viking helmet, a girdle and one boxing glove, claiming to have attempted to dress as Queen Victoria), replied, "There is no me. I do not exist. There used to be a me, but I had it surgically removed."

Personal life

Sellers was reticent about discussing his private life. He was invited to appear on Michael Parkinson's eponymous chat show in 1974, but agreed under the condition that he could appear in character. Sellers appeared dressed as a member of the Gestapo, impersonating the Kenneth Mars character in ''The Producers''. After a few lines in keeping with his assumed character, he stepped out of the role and settled down for what is considered one of Parkinson's most memorable interviews.

Marriages

Sellers was married four times and fathered three children:

Anne Hayes (née Howe, 1951–1961). They had a son, Michael, and a daughter, Sarah.

Swedish actress Britt Ekland (1964–1968). They had a daughter, Victoria Sellers. The couple appeared in three films together: ''Carol For Another Christmas'' (1964), ''After the Fox'' (1966), and ''The Bobo'' (1967).

Australian model Miranda Quarry (now the Countess of Stockton; 1970–1974).

English actress Lynne Frederick (1977–1980), who was briefly married to Sir David Frost shortly after Sellers' death.

Spike Milligan wrote Sellers' multiple marriages into his scripts, referring in one 1972 radio show to "The Peter Sellers Discarded Wives Memorial". At the time, Sellers was married to Quarry.

Depression, substance abuse, and health problems

It has been suggested that Sellers suffered depression spurred by deep-seated anxieties of artistic and personal failure and exacerbated by substance abuse. It is believed that his drug use, especially amyl nitrites, contributed to heart attacks in 1964 (see below). Sellers' difficulties in his career and life prompted him to seek periodic consultations with astrologer Maurice Woodruff, who seemed to have held considerable sway over his later career.

Relationships

Other celebrities

Sellers had casual friendships with two Beatles, George Harrison and Ringo Starr. Harrison told occasional Sellers stories in interviews, and Starr appeared with him in the anarchic movie ''The Magic Christian'', which was based on Terry Southern's novel and whose theme song was Badfinger's "Come and Get It", written by Paul McCartney. Starr's two-week hiatus from the Beatles during the ''White Album'' recordings was spent aboard Sellers's yacht, where he wrote "Octopus's Garden". Starr also gave Sellers a rough mix of songs from the Beatles' ''White Album''; the tape was auctioned and bootlegged after his death. Sellers recorded a cover version of "A Hard Day's Night", in the style of Laurence Olivier's interpretation of Richard III, as well as various versions of "She Loves You", including as Dr. Strangelove, a cockney, and an Irish dentist.

Sellers's friends included actor and director Roman Polanski, who shared his passion for fast cars. Sellers had a close relationship with Sophia Loren, but accounts differ on whether or not their relationship was consummated. Sellers was the first man on the cover of ''Playboy''—he appeared on the April 1964 cover with Karen Lynn.

Sellers was a Freemason and belonged to Chelsea Lodge No 3098, a lodge whose membership consists of celebrities and performers, through which means he socialised with a number of other actors and comedians.

Royal Family

In her autobiography ''True Britt'', Britt Ekland described Sellers' close relationship with the Royal Family. "I was completely unaware of his (Sellers) connection with the British monarchy. One afternoon before we married he had disappeared saying that he had to do something 'important'. I was to learn he had spent afternoon tea with the Queen Mother at Clarence House." He was a close friend of Princess Margaret, who appears in one of his home movies.

Obsession with automobiles

Sellers had a lifelong obsession with cars, briefly parodied in a fleeting cameo in the short film ''Simon Simon'', directed by friend Graham Stark. His love of cars was also referenced in ''The Goon Show'' episode "The Space Age," where Harry Secombe introduces Sellers by saying, "Good heavens, it's Peter Sellers, who has just broken his own record of keeping a car for more than a month." In "The Last Goon Show of All", announcer Andrew Timothy cued him with "Mr. Sellers will now sell a gross of his cars and take up a dramatic voice."

Personal conflicts

Sellers' personality was described by others as difficult and demanding and he often clashed with fellow actors and directors. He had a strained relationship with friend and director Blake Edwards, with whom he worked on the ''Pink Panther'' series and ''The Party''. The two sometimes stopped speaking to each other during filming.

His work with Orson Welles on ''Casino Royale'' deteriorated as Sellers became jealous of Welles's casual relationship with Princess Margaret. The relationship between the two actors created problems during filming, as Sellers refused to share the set with Welles, who himself was no stranger to strident behaviour.

Sellers could be cruel and disrespectful, as demonstrated by his treatment of actress Jo Van Fleet on the set of ''I Love You, Alice B. Toklas''. On one occasion, Van Fleet had declined an invitation to his house, soon followed by a misunderstanding between the two actors during filming. This prompted Sellers to launch a tirade against Van Fleet in front of actors and crew.

Sellers' difficulties to maintain civil and peaceful relationships also extended into his private life. He assaulted his then wife, Britt Ekland, prompted by jealousy. Sellers sometimes blamed himself for his failed marriages. In a 1974 ''Parkinson'' interview, he admitted that "I'm not easy to live with".

Death

In the spring of 1964, at age 38, Sellers suffered a series of heart attacks (13 in a few days) while working on the set of Billy Wilder's ''Kiss Me, Stupid'', and he was replaced by Ray Walston. At one point, Sellers was pronounced dead. Sellers reportedly saw a loving, bright white light, but then looked down at the operating table where he saw a doctor attempting to resuscitate him. He also reportedly heard a voice which told him that it wasn't his time, and he returned back to his body. Although Sellers survived, his heart was permanently damaged. Sellers chose to consult with psychic healers rather than seek Western medical treatment, and his heart condition continued to deteriorate over the next 16 years. In late 1977, he suffered a second major heart attack, resulting in his being fitted with a pacemaker to regulate his heartbeat. Once again, Sellers refused to slow down, nor did he follow doctors' orders and consider open heart surgery, which could well have extended his life by several years.

A reunion dinner was scheduled in London with his ''Goon Show'' partners, Spike Milligan and Harry Secombe, for 25 July 1980. But around noon on 22 July, Sellers collapsed from a massive heart attack in his Dorchester Hotel room and fell into a coma. He died in a London hospital just after midnight on 24 July 1980, aged 54. He was survived by his fourth wife, Lynne Frederick, and his three children. At the time of his death, he was scheduled to undergo heart surgery in Los Angeles on 30 July 1980.

Although Sellers was reportedly in the process of excluding Frederick from his will a week before he died, she inherited almost his entire estate worth an estimated £4.5 million while his children received £800 each. When Frederick died in 1994 (aged 39), her mother Iris inherited everything, including all of the income and royalties from Sellers' work. When Iris dies the whole estate will go to Cassie, the daughter Lynne had with her third husband, Barry Unger. Sellers' only son, Michael, died of a heart attack at 52 during surgery on 24 July 2006 (26 years to the day after his father's death). Michael was survived by his second wife, Alison, whom he married in 1986, and their two children.

In his will, Sellers requested that the Glenn Miller song "In the Mood" be played at his funeral. The request is considered his last touch of humour, as he hated the piece. His body was cremated and he was interred at Golders Green Crematorium in London. After her death in 1994, the ashes of his former widow Frederick were co-interred with his.

Legacy and influence

The stage play, “Being Sellers,” premiered in Australia in 1998, three years after release of the biography by Roger Lewis, “The Life and Death of Peter Sellers.” The play premiered in New York in December 2010. In 2004, the book was turned into an HBO film, ''The Life and Death of Peter Sellers'', starring Geoffrey Rush.

The film ''Trail of the Pink Panther'', made by Blake Edwards using unused footage of Sellers from ''The Pink Panther Strikes Again'', is dedicated to Sellers's memory. The title reads "To Peter ... The one and only Inspector Clouseau."

In a 2005 poll to find "The Comedian's Comedian", Sellers was voted 14 in the list of the top 20 greatest comedians by fellow comedians and comedy insiders. British comedian Sacha Baron Cohen frequently referred to Peter Sellers "as the most seminal force in shaping his early ideas on comedy". Cohen was considered for the role of the biopic ''The Life and Death of Peter Sellers'' (the role went to Australian actor Geoffrey Rush).

Filmography

Year	Film	Role	Notes
1950	''The Black Rose''	Alfonso Bedoya	Voice (uncredited)
	''Penny Points to Paradise''	The Major/Arnold Fringe
	Groucho/Giuseppe/Cedric/Izzy/Gozzunk/Crystal Jollibottom
1952	''Down Among the Z Men''	Major Bloodnok
1953	''Our Girl Friday''	Parrot	Voice (uncredited)
1954	''Orders are Orders''	Private Griffin
	''John and Julie''	Police Constable Diamond
''The Ladykillers''	Mr. Robinson
	''The Case of the Mukkinese Battle Horn''	Narrator/Supt. Quilt/Asst. Commissioner Sir Jervis Fruit/Henry Crun
''The Man Who Never Was''	Winston Churchill	Voice only
	''Insomnia Is Good for You''	Hector Dimwiddle	Short film
''The Smallest Show on Earth''	Leslie Quill
	Sonny McGregor
		CPO Doherty
	Antony
	''Carlton-Browne of the F.O.''	Prime Minister Amphibulos
''The Mouse That Roared''	Grand Duchess Gloriana XII / Prime MinisterCount Rupert Mountjoy / Tully Bascombe	Three roles.
''I'm All Right Jack''	Fred Kite
	Mr. Martin
	''The Running Jumping & Standing Still Film''	Photographer
''Never Let Go''	Lionel Meadows
''The Millionairess''	Dr. Ahmed el Kabir
''Two-Way Stretch''	Dodger Lane
1961	''Mr. Topaze''	Auguste Topaze	Also Director
	''Only Two Can Play''	John Lewis
	General Leo Fitzjohn
''The Road to Hong Kong''	Indian Neurologist	Uncredited
	Clare Quilty	Nominated — Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actor – Motion Picture
	Wilfred Morgenhall
	''The Wrong Arm of the Law''	Pearly Gates
''Heavens Above!''	The Reverend John Smallwood
	Chief Inspector Jacques Clouseau
	''Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb''	Group Captain Lionel Mandrake / President Merkin Muffley / Dr. Strangelove
''The World of Henry Orient''	Henry Orient
	Chief Inspector Jacques Clouseau
	''Birds, Bees and Storks''	Narrator	Voice
''What's New Pussycat''	Doctor Fritz Fassbender
	''The Wrong Box''	Doctor Pratt
''After the Fox''	Aldo Vanucci
		Evelyn Tremble	Also (Uncredited) Writer
''Woman Times Seven''	Jean
''The Bobo''	Juan Bautista
		Hrundi V. Bakshi
''I Love You, Alice B. Toklas!''	Harold
1969		Sir Guy Grand KG, KC, CBE	Also Writer
	''A Day at the Beach''	Salesman
	Benjamin Hoffman
''Simon, Simon''	Man with two cars
''There's a Girl in My Soup''	Robert Danvers
	''Where Does It Hurt?''	Dr. Albert T. Hopfnagel
	The March Hare
	''Ghost in the Noonday Sun''	Dick Scratcher
''The Blockhouse''	Rouquet
	Sam
	''Soft Beds, Hard Battles''	Général Latour / Major Robinson / Herr Schroeder / Adolf Hitler / The President / Prince Kyoto	Played six roles.
	Queen Victoria
1975	''The Return of the Pink Panther''	Chief Inspector Jacques Clouseau
	''Murder by Death''	Sidney Wang
''The Pink Panther Strikes Again''	Chief Inspector Jacques Clouseau	Fourth film by Sellers in the Pink Panther seriesNominated — Golden Globe Award for Best Actor – Motion Picture Musical or Comedy
			Episode 43 originally aired February 27, 1978 in New York, and February 24, 1978 in Los Angeles
''Kingdom of Gifts''	Larcenous Mayor	Voice only
''Revenge of the Pink Panther''	Chief Inspector Jacques Clouseau	Fifth film by Sellers in the Pink Panther series
		Rudolf IV / Rudolf V / Syd Frewin	Played three roles.
''Being There''	Chance	Fotogramas de Plata for Best Foreign PerformanceGolden Globe Award for Best Actor – Motion Picture Musical or ComedyLondon Film Critics Circle Award
1980	''[[The Fiendish Plot of Dr. Fu Manchu''	Dennis Nayland Smith / Dr. Fu 'Fred' Manchu	Last film. Played two roles.Also (Uncredited) Director
1982	''Trail of the Pink Panther''	Chief Inspector Jacques Clouseau	Footage of Sellers used.

Comedy singles

Sellers released several comedy singles, many of them produced by George Martin and released on the Parlophone record label. These include the following hits:

"Any Old Iron" (1957) UK # 17

"Goodness Gracious Me" (1960) with Sophia Loren UK # 4

"Bangers and Mash" (1961), a follow-up also featuring Sophia Loren UK # 22

"A Hard Day's Night" (1965) UK # 14. This consisted of him speaking the lyrics using the stereotypical voice of an actor playing Shakespeare's Richard III. He also performed the song in costume on television. The recording was re-issued in 1993 and reached Number 52 in the UK Top 75 Singles chart.

He covered several other Beatles hits, including "Help!" and "She Loves You". Sellers also recorded a parody version of "Unchained Melody", which long went unreleased.

When asked in 1960 what he thought the music business would be like in ten years' time, Sellers retorted: ''NME'', November 1960.

Albums

Sellers made several albums, mostly of comedy pieces using his talent for voices.

Discography:

''The Best of Sellers'' (1959) UK # 3

''Songs For Swinging Sellers'' (1959) UK # 3

''Peter & Sophia'' (1960) UK # 5 with Sophia Loren

''Fool Britannia'' (1963) UK # 10 with Anthony Newley and Joan Collins.

''How To Win An Election'' (1964) UK # 20 with Harry Secombe and Spike Milligan (Note: unlike ''The Last Goon Show Of All'' this release was not credited to The Goons.)

''He's Innocent of Watergate'' (1974) with Spike Milligan

''Sellers Market'' (1979) his final album

Further reading

1108 pages. Published in the U.S. via Applause Books Roger Lewis's biography of Sellers is very comprehensive, and includes a very comprehensive index. ''Mr Strangelove;A Biography of Peter Sellers'', a book by Ed Sikov ''P.S. I Love You'' by Michael Sellers 1981 ''A Hard Act to Follow'' Michael Sellers (with Gary Morecambe, 1996). '' Sellers on Sellers'' Michael Sellers (2000, co-written with Gary Morecambe)

See also

''The Life and Death of Peter Sellers'' (2004), HBO/BBC movie with Geoffrey Rush in the title role.

References

External links

John Atrobus recalls his memorable Christmas with Peter Sellers Daily Mail Dec. 27, 2009.

Video clips

"The Unknown Peter Sellers", documentary

Peter Sellers tribute

Peter Sellers on "The Goon Show," playing drums

in stage skit of "A Hard Day's Night"

in ''Lolita''

as U.S. president in ''Dr. Strangelove''

as Dr. Strangelove

as British captain Mandrake in ''Dr. Strangelove''

in ''The Party''

in ''Being There''

Category:1925 births Category:1980 deaths Category:BAFTA winners (people) Category:Best British Actor BAFTA Award winners Category:Best Musical or Comedy Actor Golden Globe (film) winners Category:Commanders of the Order of the British Empire Category:Deaths from myocardial infarction Category:English comedians Category:English film actors Category:English impressionists (entertainers) Category:English Jews Category:English radio actors Category:English television actors Category:Jewish actors Category:Jewish comedians Category:People from Southsea Category:People from Portsmouth Category:Royal Air Force airmen

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name	Jean-Paul Belmondo
birth name	Jean-Paul Charles Belmondo
other names	Bebel
birth date	April 09, 1933
birth place	Neuilly-sur-Seine, France
spouse	Elodie Constantin (1953–1965)Natty Belmondo (2002–2008)
awards	Best Actor1989 ''Itinéraire d'un enfant gâté'' }}

Jean-Paul Belmondo (born 9 April 1933) is a French actor initially associated with the New Wave of the 1960s.

Career

Born in Neuilly-sur-Seine, Hauts-de-Seine, west of Paris, Belmondo did not perform well in school, but developed a passion for boxing and football. "''Did you box professionally very long?''" "Not very long. I was never a professional, just an amateur." "''Did you want to be one?''" "Yes, when I was 17, I dreamed of being a champion boxer. I trained at the Avia Club with Pierre Dupain, along with Maurice Auzel, who's now European welter-weight champion." "''Why did you quit?''" "Because you have to really love it and sacrifice for it, I had other ambitions and didn't want to sacrifice my life for it. To be a champion, you have to sacrifice everything. Since at the time I also loved acting, I thought it would be easier and less dangerous than boxing. It would hurt less. There might be blows to your morale, but in boxing you take blows to your body as well, so I chose just blows to my morale." – 1961

His breakthrough role was in Jean-Luc Godard's ''Breathless'' (1960), which made him a major figure in the French New Wave. Later he acted in Jean-Pierre Melville's philosophical movie ''Leon Morin, Priest'' (1961) and in Melville's Film Noir crime film ''The Fingerman'' (''Le Doulos'', 1963) and Godard again with ''Pierrot le fou'' (1965). With ''That Man From Rio'' (1965) he switched to commercial, mainstream productions, mainly comedies and action films but did appear in the title role of Alain Resnais' masterpiece Stavisky (1974), which some critics regard as Belmondo's finest performance. Until the mid-1980s, when he ceased to be one of France's biggest box-office stars, Belmondo's typical characters were either dashing adventurers or more cynical heroes. As he grew older, Belmondo preferred concentrating on his stage work, where he encountered success. He suffered a stroke in 2001 and had since been absent from the stage and the screen until 2009 when he appeared in ''Un homme et son chien'' (''A Man and His Dog'').

He was made ''Chevalier'' (Knight) of the Ordre national du Mérite, promoted ''Officier'' (Officer) in 1986 and promoted ''Commandeur'' (Commander) in 1994.

He was made ''Chevalier'' (Knight) of the Légion d'honneur, promoted ''Officier'' (Officer) in 1991 and promoted ''Commandeur'' (Commander) in 2007.

In 2010 the Los Angeles Film Critics Association Awards gave him a Career Achievement award. Belmondo attended the ceremony and made appearances in the Los Angeles area.

Personal life

Belmondo's father, Paul Belmondo, was a sculptor of Italian descent.

In 1953, Belmondo married Élodie Constantin, with whom he had three children: Patricia (1958), Florence (1960) and Paul (1963). Paul became a Formula One driver; his eldest daughter Patricia was killed in a fire in 1994. In 1966, due to a well-publicized affair between Belmondo and actress Ursula Andress, Belmondo and his wife divorced.

In 1989, Belmondo met Nathalie Tardivel who was 24 at the time, she and Belmondo married in 2002. On 13 August 2003, when he was 70, his fourth child Stella Eva Angelina was born. In 2008, Belmondo and Tardivel divorced.

Cultural references

Belmondo is saluted in a 1967 episode of the U.S. television sitcom ''Get Smart''. In the episode "The Spirit is Willing" a top agent of the sinister spy agency KAOS is named Paul John Mondebello, an obvious alteration of Belmondo's name. He is also mentioned in a song about "Masculinity" in the play ''La Cage Aux Folles'', and is mentioned in the Donovan song "Sunny South Kensington" on the ''Mellow Yellow'' album.

Filmography

''Molière'' (1956)

''On Foot, on Horse, and on Wheels'' (1957)

''Les Copains du dimanche'' (1958)

''Sois belle et tais-toi'' (1958)

''Sunday Encounter'' (1958)

''Les Tricheurs'' (1958)

''Ein Engel auf Erden'' (1959)

''Les trois mousquetaires'' (1959)

''À double tour'' (1959)

''Breathless'' (1960)

''The Big Risk'' (1960)

''Moderato Cantabile'' (1960)

''Love and the Frenchwoman'' (1960) (segment "L'Adultère")

''Trapped by Fear'' (1960)

''Charlotte et son Jules'' (1960)

''Rita'' (1960)

''Two Women'' (1960)

''The Lovemakers'' (1961)

''A Woman Is a Woman'' (1961)

''Leon Morin, Priest'' (1961)

''Famous Love Affairs'' (1961) (segment "Lauzun")

''Un nommi La Rocca'' (1961)

''Cartouche'' (1962)

''Un singe en hiver'' (1962)

''Le Doulos'' (1962)

''Beach Casanova'' (1962) (uncredited)

''The Shortest Day'' (1962)

''Banana Peel'' (1963)

''L'Ainé des Ferchaux'' (1963)

''Dragées au poivre'' (1963)

''Mare matto'' (1963)

''That Man from Rio'' (1964)

''Cent mille dollars au soleil'' (1964)

''Backfire'' (1964)

''La Chasse à l'homme'' (1964)

''Weekend at Dunkirk'' (1964)

''Crime on a Summer Morning'' (1965)

''Pierrot le fou'' (1965)

''Chinese Adventures in China'' (1965)

''Is Paris Burning?'' (1966)

''Tender Scoundrel'' (1966)

''The Thief of Paris'' (1967)

''Casino Royale'' (1967)

''Ho!'' (1968)

''The Brain'' (1969)

''Mississippi Mermaid'' (1969)

''Un homme qui me plaît'' (1969)

''Dieu a choisi Paris'' (1969)

''Borsalino'' (1970)

''The Burglars'' (1971)

''Les Mariés de l'an II'' (1971)

''Dr. Popaul'' (1972)

''La Scoumoune'' (1972)

''L'Héritier'' (1973)

''Le Magnifique'' (1973)

''Stavisky'' (1974)

''Peur sur la ville'' (1975)

''L'Incorrigible'' (1975)

''Hunter Will Get You'' (1976)

''Body of My Enemy'' (1976)

''L'Animal'' (1977)

''Cop or Hood'' (1979)

''Le Guignolo'' (1980)

''The Professional'' (1981)

''L'As des as'' (1982)

''The Outsider'' (1983)

''Les Morfalous'' (1984)

''Happy Easter'' (1984)

''Rufianes Y Tramposos'' (1984)

''Hold-Up'' (1985)

''The Loner'' (1987)

''Itinéraire d'un enfant gâté'' (1988)

''Stranger in the House'' (1992)

''Les Cent et Une Nuits de Simon Cinéma'' (1995)

''Les Misérables'' (1995)

''Désiré'' (1996)

''Half a Chance'' (1998)

''Peut-être'' (1999)

''Actors'' (2000)

''Amazon'' (2000)

''Down in the Boondocks'' (2008)

''A Man and His Dog'' (2009)

See also

Cinema of France

References

External links

Jean-Paul Belmondo’s fans forum (eng)

Belmondo Biography on newwavefilm.com

Jean-Paul Belmondo at filmsdefrance.com

Category:1933 births Category:Living people Category:People from Neuilly-sur-Seine Category:French film actors Category:French stage actors Category:French film producers Category:César Award winners Category:Commandeurs of the Ordre national du Mérite Category:Commandeurs of the Légion d'honneur Category:French people of Italian descent Category:French people of Sicilian descent

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name	Sophie Ellis-Bextor
background	solo_singer
birth name	Sophie Michelle Ellis-Bextor
alias	Mademoiselle EB (To the release of the Single "Circles (Just My Good Time)"
birth date	April 10, 1979
origin	Hounslow, London, England
instrument	Guitar, piano, bass guitar, voice
genre	Electropop, Dance, Disco, House
occupation	Singer, songwriter, model
years active	1997–present
label	Polydor, Fascination
associated acts	Theaudience, Manic Street Preachers, Spiller, The Freemasons,
website	sophieellisbextor.net
notable instruments	Guitar, piano }}

Sophie Michelle Ellis-Bextor (born 10 April 1979) is an English singer, songwriter, model and occasional DJ. She first came to prominence in the late 1990s, as the lead singer of the indie rock band Theaudience. After the group disbanded, Ellis-Bextor went solo, achieving widespread success in the early 2000s. Her music is a mixture of mainstream pop, disco, nu-disco, and 1980s electronic influences.

Her solo debut album, ''Read My Lips'', was released in September 2001. The album reached number two on the UK albums chart and was certified double platinum by the British Phonographic Industry (BPI). The record experienced international success; it sold more than 2 million copies worldwide. It produced four singles, three of which reached the top three in the UK. In 2003, ''Read My Lips'' won the Edison Award for "Best Dance Album". Ellis-Bextor's second album, ''Shoot from the Hip'', was released in October 2003. The album reached number nineteen in the UK and produced two top ten singles. ''Trip the Light Fantastic'', her third album, was released in May 2007. It album reached number seven in the UK. The album produced three singles, one of which reached the top ten in the UK.

Sophie has released on 15 June 2009 "Heartbreak (Make Me a Dancer)", collaborating with the Freemasons, becoming her 9th Top 20 hit in the UK, and a worldwide dance smash hit. Sophie's first extended play, ''Sophie Ellis-Bextor: iTunes Live in London'', was released on iTunes in August 2009. Her fourth studio album ''Make a Scene'' was released in May 2011 in Russia and was released on 13 June 2011 in the UK.

History

1994

She appeared with her mother Janet Ellis along in a children's dvd compilation songs video entitled 'a day full of songs' which was released by retailer Marks & Spencer.

1997-99: ''The Audience''

Ellis-Bextor began her musical career in 1997, with an indie band called Theaudience. She sang the lead vocal in the band. While she was a band member, readers of ''Melody Maker'' elected her to the number-one position among the 'most sexy people in rock'. She recorded a duet with Manic Street Preachers—"Black Holes for the Young"—as a B-side for their 1998 single "The Everlasting". Several songs released by Theaudience are "I Got the Wherewithal", "If You Can't Do It When You're Young; When Can You Do It?", "I Know Enough (I Don't Get Enough)", and "A Pessimist Is Never Disappointed" (perhaps their best-known single). The band split in December 1998. In 1999, Ellis-Bextor made an appearance on the Departure Lounge album ''Out of Here''.

2000-03: ''Read My Lips''

After Theaudience split, Ellis-Bextor took a year off from singing. In 2000, Ellis-Bextor collaborated with Italian DJ Spiller on adding vocals to his then-instrumental club track "Groovejet", her first recorded work since that with Theaudience. "Groovejet (If This Ain't Love)" entered the UK charts at number one, just beating former Spice Girl Victoria Beckham on her first solo outing to the top spot. Since then, the two have been described as rivals. Both women deny, however, that there is any rivalry between the two of them. "Groovejet" won several awards: No. 1, Pop Top 20; No. 1, ILR; No. 1, Radio 1; No. 8, top dance track of 2000 and single of the year in ''Melody Maker''. In the ''Metro Newspaper'', it received ninth place in the contest for the Greatest No. 1 of all time. In 2000, it was a finalist in ''The Record of the Year''. In that same year, it won the awards for Best Single and Best Ibiza Tune at the Ericsson Muzik Awards.

In 2001, Ellis-Bextor released her debut album, ''Read My Lips''. It reached number two on the UK charts and spawned four top-twenty hit singles. Her rework of Cher's "Take Me Home" reached number two, as did "Murder on the Dancefloor", which became Ellis-Bextor's biggest single and was on charts for twenty-three weeks. "Murder on the Dancefloor" became Europe's most played song of 2002. In 2002, ''Read My Lips'' was re-released with two new songs (and a live version of "Groovejet") and Ellis-Bextor won the Recording Artist Award at that year's Showbusiness Awards. Her third single, "Get Over You"/"Move This Mountain", was released in June 2002 and reached number three. The fourth single, "Music Gets the Best of Me", rose to number fourteen in December. At the beginning of 2002, Ellis-Bextor was nominated for the "British Female Solo Artist" BRIT Award, going on to be nominated for a further two consecutive years.

2003–06: ''Shoot from the Hip''

Her second album, ''Shoot from the Hip'', was released in October 2003. Although it was not as commercially successful as her previous material, it held two further top-ten singles. The album reached no higher than number fourteen on the UK charts; its two singles were "Mixed Up World", which reached number seven, and "I Won't Change You", reaching number nine. Around this time, rivalry against Victoria Beckham was suggested again; Beckham's single "This Groove"/"Let Your Head Go" reached number three, a higher position in the charts than "I Won't Change You". During this time Ellis-Bextor became pregnant and plans for a third and fourth single from the album, as well as the Shoot from the Hip Tour, were scrapped. After that, Ellis-Bextor took a break from her musical career to take care of her first child.In early 2005, she performed on a track by the duo Busface, entitled "Circles (Just My Good Time)"; she was credited as "Mademoiselle E.B." in order to not have this be mistaken for a single from her next album.

In 2006, her track "Dear Jimmy" was released on the Popjustice compilation. It is believed to have been recorded in the same sessions as those for her third studio album, Trip The Light Fantastic, and was originally intended for use as the B-side to her single Catch You.

2007–08: ''Trip the Light Fantastic''

Her third album, ''Trip the Light Fantastic'', was released in May 2007 and debuted at number seven on the UK Albums Chart. Fred Schneider of The B-52s, Richard Barone (formerly of The Bongos), Shelly Poole (formerly of Alisha's Attic), Cathy Dennis and Kerin Smith (formerly of Theaudience) contributed to produce an album of disco-pop music. Before the album, two singles were released: "Catch You", which charted in the UK at number eight, and "Me and My Imagination (number twenty-three). ''Trip the Light Fantastic'' was certified Gold in July 2008, for selling 100,000 copies in the United Kingdom. The third single, "Today the Sun's on Us", debuted on the UK Singles Chart at number sixty-four.

Ellis-Bextor supported George Michael on his UK tour leg in June 2007. Her own UK tour, the Trip the Light Fantastic Tour, was due to start in August 2007, but it was postponed after Ellis-Bextor was invited to be the "special guest" on the forthcoming Take That European Tour, which commenced in October 2007. Ellis-Bextor stated that her tour would be re-scheduled for March 2008, with all tickets purchased being valid for the rescheduled concerts. The tour was never re-scheduled, and Ellis-Bextor subsequently refused to discuss the issue in interviews. In September 2007, Ellis-Bextor took part in Sopot Festival 2007 in Poland, representing the UK.

The song "If I Can't Dance" was announced as a single but later retracted, as was "Love Is Here"; Ellis-Bextor was supposed to release a single in late November to promote a greatest hits album, but the release date was pushed back to March 2008, and subsequently cancelled. However, "If I Can't Dance" has appeared on several compilations in Spain such as Supermodelo 2008 CD and ''Disco Estrella 2008''.

2009–present: ''Make a Scene ''

According to Ellis-Bextor in April 2008, recording sessions for her greatest hits collection proved fruitful, so she decided to release a fourth studio album before a hits compilation. She further indicated that she was considering a change in musical direction after the release of these two albums.

In October 2008, Ellis-Bextor covered the Dolly Parton song "Jolene"; the track was released on the soundtrack to the BBC2 sitcom Beautiful People.

In early November 2008, Ellis-Bextor recorded a track with the French DJ Junior Caldera; "Can't Fight This Feeling" was released in 2009. Caldera had released it as the fourth single from his album "Début". Ellis-Bextor released the single in February 2010 in France and was a Top 20 hit in the country.

In November 2008, Ellis-Bextor confirmed her next single would be "Sophia Loren", which was used in a Rimmel ad campaign in which she also starred, but a single release never materialised. In August 2009, she released a five-track live EP from the 2009 iTunes London Festival, during which she performed previous singles of hers and a new track, "Starlight" (not included on the EP). Freemasons worked with Ellis-Bextor for their album Shakedown 2 on "Heartbreak (Make Me a Dancer)", which was released as a single in June 2009 and peaked at number thirteen in the UK. Ellis-Bextor performed at Birmingham's Nightingale Club in January 2010.[15]

Ellis-Bextor's fourth album, ''Make a Scene'', was released in June 2011, a week after the single "Starlight" was released in May 2011. Calvin Harris has contributed two songs, "Calling It Love" and "Off and On", an outtake from Róisín Murphy's 2007 album ''Overpowered'' written with Cathy Dennis; he also remixed "Off and On" for club play. At one point, "Off and On" had been chosen as the second single from the album. She also worked with Armin van Buuren ("Not Giving Up on Love"), Richard X ("Magic", "Starlight"), Dimitri Tikovoi, Hannah Robinson, Metronomy, and Liam Howe from the Sneaker Pimps.

The first single from the album, "Bittersweet" (co-written by Freemasons and Hannah Robinson), was released in May 2010 and reached number twenty-five on the UK Singles Chart. "Not Giving Up on Love" was released as the second single from the album, on 20 August 2010 in Europe, and made available worldwide on iTunes. On 13 April 2011 "Starlight" was announced as the new single through her official website with the release date given as 30 May 2011, with the album to follow on 13 June.

In May 2011 she revealed that she has already began work on her fifth album.

Other projects

In 2007, Ellis-Bextor appeared at Christmas in the Robbie the Reindeer episode, "Close Encounters of the Herd Kind". Ellis-Bextor was depicted as a female alien at the closure of the story, singing the song 'Supersonic', the last track on her third solo studio album ''Trip The Light Fantastic''. In November of this year she also launched the npower Greener Schools Programme, which aims to give schools in the UK a 'green makeover' by providing free energy audits, implementing tailor-made energy efficiency measures to reduce their carbon footprint, and educating children on how to be greener She also launched Capital Radio's Capital 95.8 'Lights Out London' campaign, which asks Londoners to switch off their lights for one hour in a bid to save 750 MWh and send a message to the world on the importance of climate change.

In 2008 she features in the short musical film The Town that Boars Me by photographer Ben Charles Edwards. The film also features Jodie Harsh, Kelly Osbourne and Zandra Rhodes amongst others. The film is set to debut in late summer at the Portobello Film Festival and is produced by Glass Loves and Shoot to Kill Productions.

An advocate for animal rights, she posed for PETA's anti–fur clothing advertisement. She is also currently fronting a campaign for The Children's Society encouraging people to log onto the Hundreds and Thousands of Childhood Memories Website to donate their favourite childhood memory.

She auditioned for the 2001 movie ''Moulin Rouge!'' for the part of Satine.

In May 2008 Ellis-Bextor was hired by cosmetics brand Rimmel as one of their new faces. A new song performed by Ellis-Bextor is featured in one of the Rimmel London' spot for the line "Sexy Curves". Ellis-Bextor is appearing as an advocate for Verdi on BBC World News classical music programme ''Visionaries'' in August 2008. Ellis-Bextor performed live at Manchester's Gay Pride, on 23 August 2008, having just arrived back from Moscow. On 24 August 2008, Ellis-Bextor performed a live cover version of Carly Simon's "Nobody Does It Better" outside Buckingham Palace as part of the Visa London 2012 Handover Party in the Mall.

Ellis-Bextor and her husband Richard Jones launched a DJ club project, called "Modern Love" in London.

Ellis-Bextor and her mother Janet Ellis appeared on Channel 4's game show The Million Pound Drop Live playing for charity. Despite losing on the final question, £5000 was donated to their chosen charity.

Ellis-Bextor will also be making a cameo appearance in the BBC2 sitcom, Life's Too Short, created by Ricky Gervais and Stephen Merchant, which centers on an angry entertainment agency boss who exploits his fellow dwarf clients. The sitcom will premiere in Autumn 2011.

Personal life

Ellis-Bextor was born in London on 10 April 1979, the daughter of Robin Bextor and former ''Blue Peter'' presenter Janet Ellis. As a young girl, she appeared on several ''Blue Peter'' items, with no indication given on-screen that she was Ellis's daughter.

She attended St. Stephen's School and later Godolphin and Latymer School in Hammersmith. Among her earliest public performances were with the W11 Opera children's opera from the age of thirteen, and she is now a patron of the organisation.

In 2005, Ellis-Bextor married The Feeling bassist Richard Jones in Italy. Ellis-Bextor's second son was born on 7 February 2009 weighing 2 lb 10oz nine weeks premature. This was her second complicated birth; her first son was born eight weeks prematurely by emergency cesarean section in April 2004 after Ellis-Bextor developed pre-eclampsia.

Current Band Members

Drums: Jackson Ellis Leach

Bass: James Ahwai

Keyboards: Christian Gulino

Guitar: Neil Jones

Tours

2002-2003: "Read My Lips Tour" (United Kingdom and Europe)

2006: "25 Live" (Supporting George Michael on his tour leg around the United Kingdom and Ireland)

2007: "Beautiful World Live" (Supporting Take That on their tour in the United Kingdom and Ireland)

2009/2010: "Straight to the Heart 2010 Tour" (United Kingdom, Europe, Asia and USA) 2010: "The Pandemonium Tour" (Supporting Pet Shop Boys on their UK Leg]

2011: "Erasure Total Pop! Forest UK Tour" (Supporting Erasure)

Discography

Studio albums

2001: ''Read My Lips''

2003: ''Shoot From The Hip''

2007: ''Trip the Light Fantastic''

2011: ''Make a Scene''

Extended plays

2009: ''Sophie Ellis-Bextor: iTunes Live in London''

DVD

2002: ''Watch My Lips''

References

External links

Ellis-Bextor's official website

[ Sophie Ellis-Bextor] at Allmusic

I am Sophie Ellis-Bextor... Heat World Interview (2009)

Category:1979 births Category:Living people Category:English female singers Category:English songwriters Category:English singer-songwriters Category:English dance musicians Category:English pop musicians Category:Fascination Records artists Category:LGBT rights activists from England Category:Old Dolphins Category:Polydor Records artists Category:Nu-disco musicians Category:British disco musicians

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