The Real Peter Sellers
Throughout the world, people regard Peter Sellers purely as a comedic genius: surely, one of the greatest ever to have lived. But, the astute observer will notice that he always appeared to be acting, even when being interviewed. So, who was Peter Sellers?

Sellers once said, "I could never be myself you see. There is no 'Me'. I do not exist. There used to be me, but I had it surgically removed." Clearly, this was not intended to be taken literally. Instead, the inference is that somehow, he had lost his sense of identity.

To discover the real Peter Sellers is no easy task, and when we do, what we encounter is a totally different persona from the comedic characters that he portrayed on the screen.

Sellers had celebrity status: a succession of beautiful wives; immense wealth; magnificent motor cars; expensive yachts; a house in Mayfair, and various palatial residences. But far from being happy, he was plagued by self-doubt; ambitious, but never satisfied. And so, he resorted to superstition, clairvoyance, and drugs to get himself through the day.

For all Sellers’ worldwide fame as ‘Inspector Clouseau’, many regard the film Being There, in which he played the character ‘Chance’, a gardener, as his masterpiece. In fact, the film was a damning indictment of the false god of materialism.

Sellers’ obsession with the character of ‘Chance’, makes it seem likely that this was the kind of person he aspired to be, and wished that he had been.
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The Real Peter Sellers
Throughout the world, people regard Peter Sellers purely as a comedic genius: surely, one of the greatest ever to have lived. But, the astute observer will notice that he always appeared to be acting, even when being interviewed. So, who was Peter Sellers?

Sellers once said, "I could never be myself you see. There is no 'Me'. I do not exist. There used to be me, but I had it surgically removed." Clearly, this was not intended to be taken literally. Instead, the inference is that somehow, he had lost his sense of identity.

To discover the real Peter Sellers is no easy task, and when we do, what we encounter is a totally different persona from the comedic characters that he portrayed on the screen.

Sellers had celebrity status: a succession of beautiful wives; immense wealth; magnificent motor cars; expensive yachts; a house in Mayfair, and various palatial residences. But far from being happy, he was plagued by self-doubt; ambitious, but never satisfied. And so, he resorted to superstition, clairvoyance, and drugs to get himself through the day.

For all Sellers’ worldwide fame as ‘Inspector Clouseau’, many regard the film Being There, in which he played the character ‘Chance’, a gardener, as his masterpiece. In fact, the film was a damning indictment of the false god of materialism.

Sellers’ obsession with the character of ‘Chance’, makes it seem likely that this was the kind of person he aspired to be, and wished that he had been.
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The Real Peter Sellers

The Real Peter Sellers

by Andrew Norman
The Real Peter Sellers

The Real Peter Sellers

by Andrew Norman

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Overview

Throughout the world, people regard Peter Sellers purely as a comedic genius: surely, one of the greatest ever to have lived. But, the astute observer will notice that he always appeared to be acting, even when being interviewed. So, who was Peter Sellers?

Sellers once said, "I could never be myself you see. There is no 'Me'. I do not exist. There used to be me, but I had it surgically removed." Clearly, this was not intended to be taken literally. Instead, the inference is that somehow, he had lost his sense of identity.

To discover the real Peter Sellers is no easy task, and when we do, what we encounter is a totally different persona from the comedic characters that he portrayed on the screen.

Sellers had celebrity status: a succession of beautiful wives; immense wealth; magnificent motor cars; expensive yachts; a house in Mayfair, and various palatial residences. But far from being happy, he was plagued by self-doubt; ambitious, but never satisfied. And so, he resorted to superstition, clairvoyance, and drugs to get himself through the day.

For all Sellers’ worldwide fame as ‘Inspector Clouseau’, many regard the film Being There, in which he played the character ‘Chance’, a gardener, as his masterpiece. In fact, the film was a damning indictment of the false god of materialism.

Sellers’ obsession with the character of ‘Chance’, makes it seem likely that this was the kind of person he aspired to be, and wished that he had been.

Product Details

ISBN-13: 9781526786845
Publisher: Pen & Sword Books Limited
Publication date: 04/04/2023
Sold by: Barnes & Noble
Format: eBook
Pages: 208
File size: 9 MB

About the Author

Andrew Norman was born in Newbury, Berkshire, UK in 1943. Having been educated at Thornhill High School, Gwelo, Southern Rhodesia (now Zimbabwe), Midsomer Norton Grammar School, and St Edmund Hall, Oxford, he qualified in medicine at the Radcliffe Infirmary. He has two children Bridget and Thomas, by his first wife. From 1972-83, Andrew worked as a general practitioner in Poole, Dorset, before a spinal injury cut short his medical career. He is now an established writer whose published works include biographies of Charles Darwin, Winston Churchill, Thomas Hardy, T.E. Lawrence, Adolf Hitler, Agatha Christie, Enid Blyton, Beatrix Potter, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, and Robert Mugabe. Andrew married his second wife Rachel, in 2005.

Table of Contents

About the Author vii

Acknowledgements viii

Authors Note ix

Preface xi

Chapter 1 Who Was Peter Sellers? 1

Chapter 2 Sellers and His Father 'Bill' 4

Chapter 3 Sellers and His Mother 'Peg' 6

Chapter 4 Sellers Embarks on a Career 10

Chapter 5 Wife Number One: Anne Aspinwall-Howe (Married to Sellers 1951-1963) 16

Chapter 6 Wife Number Two: Britt Ekland (Married to Sellers 1964-1968) 23

Chapter 7 Wife Number Three: Miranda Quarry (Married to Sellers 1970-1974) 28

Chapter 8 Ambition: Talent: Humility 31

Chapter 9 Getting into the Mindset of His Characters 33

Chapter 10 Sellers' Wonderful Sense of Humour 35

Chapter 11 The Real Peter Sellers 37

Chapter 12 Sellers' Core Beliefs 42

Chapter 13 Generosity and Acts of Kindness 56

Chapter 14 Nostalgia 59

Chapter 15 Some Notable Film and Stage Appearances 61

Chapter 16 Insecurity and the Need to Escape 64

Chapter 17 Low Self-Esteem and its Possible Origins 66

Chapter 18 Sellers and Religion 70

Chapter 19 Sellers and Superstition 71

Chapter 20 Sellers and the Paranormal 75

Chapter 21 Sellers and Spiritualism 78

Chapter 22 Was Sellers Insane? A Personality Disorder? 82

Chapter 23 Possible Origins of Sellers' Personality Disorder 90

Chapter 24 A Rollercoaster of Joy and Despair 95

Chapter 25 Why Sellers Could Not Be Happy for Any Length of Time 99

Chapter 26 Being There 103

Chapter 27 Being There and its Significance for Sellers 113

Chapter 28 Wife Number Four: Lynne Frederick (Married to Sellers 1977-1980) 119

Chapter 29 The Death of Sellers: Aftermath 124

Chapter 30 In Conclusion 128

Notes 133

Bibliography 147

Index 148

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