Peter Sellers: A 1960 Interview (Enhanced DVD)

Peter Sellers (1925 - 1980), known for his slapstick comedy performances as Inspector Clouseau in the "Pink Panther" movies and his Oscar nominated performances in Being There and Dr. Strangelove, sat down for an interview in 1960, a few years before the international fame he would achieve. In the interview, Sellers discusses the differences between being a character actor and a movie star. According to Sellers, the former has the task in film of creating a character, or inhabiting a temporary persona, while a real movie star allows their personality to define the part they are playing. Sellers discusses his film roles such as “I’m Alright, Jack” and “The Mouse That Roared” in which Sellers portrayed several characters within each, just as he did in the film that earned him worldwide notoriety, the 1962 film “Lolita.” Sellers, who was born in Southsea/Hampshire in England, started out wanting to be a professional drummer, and discusses his failure in the career and how he turned to comedic acting. He also discusses his participation in the popular radio comedy program, "The Goon Show," which aired from 1951 to 1960 on the BBC. Sellers describes how he met his fellow performers from that show and the origins of the program, as well as the style of satirical political comedy they performed, which he referred to as “general madness.” Sellers discusses his desire for off-camera privacy and links it to his philosophy on being a character actor, fearing that exposing his true self would harm his ability to project “the guise that he takes on.”

Peter Sellers: A 1960 Interview

• Enhanced DVD
• ISBN: 978-1-61753-841-4
• Run Time: 29 Minutes
• Copyright Date: 1960
• CC