The Life and Death of Peter Sellers - Revision history

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	{{Short description\|2004 television film directed by Stephen Hopkins}}		{{Short description\|2004 television film directed by Stephen Hopkins}}
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	{{Infobox television		{{Infobox television
	\| image = The Life and Death of Peter Sellers starring Geoffrey Rush.jpg		\| image = The Life and Death of Peter Sellers starring Geoffrey Rush.jpg

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Production

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	{{multiple image		{{multiple image
	\| perrow = 2		\| perrow = 2
	\| align = ~~left~~		\| align = right
	\| image1 = Peter Sellers at home Allan Warren.jpg		\| image1 = Peter Sellers at home Allan Warren.jpg
	\| width1 = 220		\| width1 = 220
	\| image2 = Geoffrey Rush (6397243785).jpg		\| image2 = Geoffrey Rush (6397243785).jpg
	\| width2 = 163		\| width2 = 163
	\| footer = [[Peter Sellers]] and [[Geoffrey Rush]].		\| footer = [[Peter Sellers]] and [[w:Geoffrey Rush\|Geoffrey Rush]].
	\| total_width = 350		\| total_width = 350
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	The role of Sellers was portrayed by [[Geoffrey Rush]], "who approached the role with the enthusiasm of a hungry child in a candy store", notes a reviewer.<ref name="drax">{{cite web\|date=26 October 2005\|title=Draxblog Movie Reviews: The Life and Death of Peter Sellers (2004)\|url=http://draxreview.blogspot.com/2005/10/life-and-death-of-peter-sellers-2004.html\|access-date=7 December 2012\|publisher=DensityChecker}}</ref> Rush impersonates most of the important characters that Sellers played in his film career. Director [[Blake Edwards]] is played by [[John Lithgow]], and the film exposes some of the behind-the-scenes personality conflicts between Sellers and Edwards, which contributed to their unhappy and tumultuous working relationship, despite the success of their films. In the interview for the film, included on the DVD, Edwards credited Rush with portraying Sellers' characters with uncanny similarity to the real Peter Sellers, and in 2004 claimed that it was the best acting he had ever seen Rush perform.		The role of Sellers was portrayed by [[w:Geoffrey Rush\|Geoffrey Rush]], "who approached the role with the enthusiasm of a hungry child in a candy store", notes a reviewer.<ref name="drax">{{cite web\|date=26 October 2005\|title=Draxblog Movie Reviews: The Life and Death of Peter Sellers (2004)\|url=http://draxreview.blogspot.com/2005/10/life-and-death-of-peter-sellers-2004.html\|access-date=7 December 2012\|publisher=DensityChecker}}</ref> Rush impersonates most of the important characters that Sellers played in his film career. Director [[Blake Edwards]] is played by [[w:John Lithgow\|John Lithgow]], and the film exposes some of the behind-the-scenes personality conflicts between Sellers and Edwards, which contributed to their unhappy and tumultuous working relationship, despite the success of their films. In the interview for the film, included on the DVD, Edwards credited Rush with portraying Sellers' characters with uncanny similarity to the real Peter Sellers, and in 2004 claimed that it was the best acting he had ever seen Rush perform.

	Rush stated in interviews that the film was itself structured to be reminiscent of a Peter Sellers film. However, it was darker than Sellers' actual films since it depicted Sellers' troubled experiences in his life (including his tantrums and mental instability). This included at various times Rush (as Sellers) dressing up to play other characters in his life (several were ultimately edited out, but are included within the special features on the DVD).<ref>{{cite web\|url=https://www.amazon.co.uk/Death-Peter-Sellers-Uncensored-extras/dp/B00360HH02/ref=sr_1_6?s=dvd&ie=UTF8&qid=1296310430&sr=1-6 \|title=Life and death of Peter Sellers (2004) (import): Amazon.co.uk: Geoffrey Rush, Emily Watson, Peter Vaughan, Stephen Fry, Charlize Theron, Stephen Hopkins: Film & TV \|publisher=Amazon.co.uk \|access-date=7 December 2012}}</ref> In these instances he broke the [[fourth wall]] to give a monologue to the audience.		Rush stated in interviews that the film was itself structured to be reminiscent of a Peter Sellers film. However, it was darker than Sellers' actual films since it depicted Sellers' troubled experiences in his life (including his tantrums and mental instability). This included at various times Rush (as Sellers) dressing up to play other characters in his life (several were ultimately edited out, but are included within the special features on the DVD).<ref>{{cite web\|url=https://www.amazon.co.uk/Death-Peter-Sellers-Uncensored-extras/dp/B00360HH02/ref=sr_1_6?s=dvd&ie=UTF8&qid=1296310430&sr=1-6 \|title=Life and death of Peter Sellers (2004) (import): Amazon.co.uk: Geoffrey Rush, Emily Watson, Peter Vaughan, Stephen Fry, Charlize Theron, Stephen Hopkins: Film & TV \|publisher=Amazon.co.uk \|access-date=7 December 2012}}</ref> In these instances he broke the [[fourth wall]] to give a monologue to the audience.

	Roger Lewis: "It was the melancholia of Sellers I was drawn to; all those shuffling little ghostly figures he used to play in [[Boulting brothers]] films, or Clouseau, with those soulful, mournful brown eyes. For all the success and the women, he is rather a lonely and melancholic figure. And that is what redeems him." Hollywood was immediately interested in adapting Lewis's biography. In the mid-1990s [[Madonna (entertainer)\|Madonna]]'s company Maverick bought the rights, but the Sellers project did not get off the ground. Many different writers worked on the screenplay, among them [[Lee Hall (playwright)\|Lee Hall]]; eventually the writers [[Christopher Markus and Stephen McFeely]] came up with a script to tell the story. Director Stephen Hopkins ultimately distanced himself from Lewis's book, and said he was inspired by Sellers's 16mm home movies, which were featured in a 1995 [[BBC]] ''[[Arena (UK TV series)\|Arena]]'' documentary, "The Peter Sellers Story", directed by Peter Lydon.<ref>{{IMDb name\|528001\|Peter Lydon}}</ref><ref>Being Peter Sellers, ''[[The Independent]]'', 28 April 2004</ref>		Roger Lewis: "It was the melancholia of Sellers I was drawn to; all those shuffling little ghostly figures he used to play in [[Boulting brothers]] films, or Clouseau, with those soulful, mournful brown eyes. For all the success and the women, he is rather a lonely and melancholic figure. And that is what redeems him." Hollywood was immediately interested in adapting Lewis's biography. In the mid-1990s [[w:Madonna (entertainer)\|Madonna]]'s company Maverick bought the rights, but the Sellers project did not get off the ground. Many different writers worked on the screenplay, among them [[w:Lee Hall (playwright)\|Lee Hall]]; eventually the writers [[w:Christopher Markus and Stephen McFeely\|Christopher Markus and Stephen McFeely]] came up with a script to tell the story. Director Stephen Hopkins ultimately distanced himself from Lewis's book, and said he was inspired by Sellers's 16mm home movies, which were featured in a 1995 [[w:BBC\|BBC]] ''[[w:Arena (UK TV series)\|Arena]]'' documentary, "The Peter Sellers Story", directed by Peter Lydon.<ref>{{IMDb name\|528001\|Peter Lydon}}</ref><ref>Being Peter Sellers, ''[[w:The Independent\|The Independent]]'', 28 April 2004</ref>

	==Release==		==Release==

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External links

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	* {{YouTube\|REGUwlu8Axo\|Interview with Geoffrey Rush}}		* {{YouTube\|REGUwlu8Axo\|Interview with Geoffrey Rush}}
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	~~{{Navboxes~~
	~~\|title = Awards for ''The Life and Death of Peter Sellers''~~
	~~\|list =~~
	~~{{Golden Globe Award for Best Miniseries or Television Film}}~~
	~~{{Producers Guild of America Award for Best Long-Form Television}}~~
	}}

	{{DEFAULTSORT:Life And Death Of Peter Sellers}}		{{DEFAULTSORT:Life And Death Of Peter Sellers}}

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	* {{IMDb title\|0352520\|The Life and Death of Peter Sellers}}		* {{IMDb title\|0352520\|The Life and Death of Peter Sellers}}

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	~~{{Christopher Markus & Stephen McFeely}}~~
	{{Navboxes		{{Navboxes
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Removed country category per Wikipedia talk:WikiProject Film/Archive 79#Should "films by country" categories remain all-inclusive?

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{{Short description|2004 television film directed by Stephen Hopkins}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2022}}
{{Infobox television
| image = The Life and Death of Peter Sellers starring Geoffrey Rush.jpg
| caption = Film poster
| director = [[Stephen Hopkins (director)|Stephen Hopkins]]
| screenplay = [[Christopher Markus and Stephen McFeely|Christopher Markus Stephen McFeely]]
| starring = [[Geoffrey Rush]] [[Charlize Theron]] [[Emily Watson]] [[John Lithgow]] [[Miriam Margolyes]] [[Peter Vaughan]] [[Sonia Aquino]] [[Stanley Tucci]] [[Stephen Fry]]
| based_on = ''The Life and Death of Peter Sellers'' by [[Roger Lewis]]
| music = [[Richard Hartley (composer)|Richard Hartley]]
| country = United Kingdom United States
| language = English
| producer = Simon Bosanquet
| editor = John Smith
| cinematography = [[Peter Levy (cinematographer)|Peter Levy]]
| runtime = 121 minutes
| company = [[HBO Films]] [[BBC Films]] [[Company Pictures]] HD Vision Studios Labrador Films De Mann Entertainment
| distributor =
| budget =
| network = [[HBO]]
| first_aired = {{Film date|2004|5|21|[[2004 Cannes Film Festival|Cannes]]|2004|10|1|United Kingdom|2004|12|5|United States}}
| last_aired =
| preceded_by =
| followed_by =
}}

'''''The Life and Death of Peter Sellers''''' is a 2004 [[television film]] about the life of English comedian [[Peter Sellers]], based on [[Roger Lewis]]'s book<ref>[https://aux.avclub.com/roger-lewis-the-life-and-death-of-peter-sellers-1798193196 Roger Lewis: The Life And Death Of Peter Sellers|AV Club]</ref> of the same name.<ref name="Lewis">{{cite book | last= Lewis | first= Roger | title= The Life and Death of Peter Sellers. | year= 1995 | publisher= Arrow Books | location= London | isbn= 0-09-974700-6}} 1108 pages. [http://www.applausepub.com/itemDetail.jsp?itemid=314323&order=0&keywords=peter+sellers Published in the U.S. via Applause Books] A very comprehensive biography, with very comprehensive index.</ref> It was directed by [[Stephen Hopkins (director)|Stephen Hopkins]] and stars [[Geoffrey Rush]] as Sellers, [[Miriam Margolyes]] as his mother Peg Sellers, [[Emily Watson]] as his first wife Anne Howe, [[Charlize Theron]] as his second wife [[Britt Ekland]], [[John Lithgow]] as [[Blake Edwards]], [[Stephen Fry]] as [[Maurice Woodruff]] and [[Stanley Tucci]] as [[Stanley Kubrick]].

The film won the [[Golden Globe Award for Best Miniseries or Television Film]] and Rush won [[Golden Globe Award for Best Actor – Miniseries or Television Film|Best Actor – Miniseries or Television Film]].<ref>[https://www.goldenglobes.com/tv-show/life-and-death-peter-sellers Golden Globes]</ref> It also won nine [[Primetime Emmy Award]]s, including [[Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Limited Series or Movie|Outstanding Lead Actor in a Miniseries or Movie]] for Rush.<ref>[https://www.emmys.com/shows/life-and-death-peter-sellers Television Academy]</ref>

== Plot ==
The film opens with Peter Sellers walking up to a [[Director's chair|director’s chair]]. An unseen [[Studio audience|live audience]] applauds as Peter directs their gaze toward the movie of his life.

In 1950s [[London]], Peter Sellers is a household name as a performer on ''[[The Goon Show]]'' but is failing to branch out into film. He returns home to his family after a failed audition but is urged by his controlling mother Peg ([[Miriam Margolyes]]) to “bite the hand that feeds you”. A now inspired Peter utilizes his talent for impersonation to disguise himself as the elderly war veteran character he was auditioning for. Once the casting agent ([[Alison Steadman]]) has divulged that he’s perfect for the role, Peter reveals himself and is reluctantly given the part.

Peter wins a [[British Academy Film Awards|British Academy Award]] for ''[[I'm All Right Jack]].'' Peg and Peter's father, Bill ([[Peter Vaughan]]), watch their son's acceptance speech but dismissed by Peg, a dejected Bill walks away leading to the first transformation of the film; Peter is now playing his father, and with a heavy Yorkshire accent breaks [[Fourth wall|the fourth wall]] to tell us about Peter's childhood.

Before the shooting of ''[[The Millionairess]]'' has begun, Peter is already besotted with his co-star [[Sophia Loren]] ([[Sonia Aquino]]), while his marriage to wife Anne ([[Emily Watson]]) is becoming strained and his children are subjected to their father's rages and subsequent extravagant gifts as compensation. When Sophia mentions that Peter is too far away in the countryside to take her home, he takes this as a cue to buy a house in the heart of London. To subdue some of the guilt Peter feels about his feelings for Sophia, he hires a decorator, Ted Levy, and insists that his wife and Ted should have drinks together. Peter leaves them and goes to have dinner alone with Sophia, who is surprised that Peter’s wife is not joining them and slowly realises that this is a date. She rejects Peter’s advances and tells him to go home to his family. Peter does so and announces his love for Sophia Loren to Anne and their two children.

Seeing [[Carlo Ponti]] ([[Joseph Long (actor)|Joseph Long]]) has come to visit his wife Sophia on set, Sellers distracts himself with Sophia’s stand-in and the two have sex in Peter's [[Rolls-Royce Motors|Rolls-Royce]]. Meanwhile, a weary Anne surrenders to quietly spending the night with Ted. Once Peter returns home and realises his wife has left, he wreaks havoc in the house. Anne comes home the morning after to find Peter on the balcony threatening to jump if she leaves. The two argue and Anne walks out. We then see Peter's second transformation, this time in [[Drag (clothing)|drag]] as Anne, who is [[Dubbing (filmmaking)|dubbing]] the breakup to make it look as though they had reconciled.

Peter returns home to Peg’s care to recuperate after the divorce and begins to see [[Maurice Woodruff]] ([[Stephen Fry]]), a [[Clairvoyance|clairvoyant]] to the stars, hoping to gain some direction; Woodruff's influence leads him to the Pink Panther series.

On a flight to Italy, he sees a pack of [[Matthew Webb|Captain Webb]] [[match]]es, which inspires the physical appearance of [[Inspector Clouseau]]. Filming of ''[[The Pink Panther (1963 film)|The Pink Panther]]'' begins and his portrayal is a huge success, but Peter is disappointed with the final product and blames [[Blake Edwards]] ([[John Lithgow]]).

Peter returns to England to find his father on [[life support]], which Peg had been keeping from him. After Bill has stated how proud he is of his son, he passes away. Peter is heartbroken and cannot forgive Peg for not calling him; their close bond is irreversibly severed and Peter leaves.

At [[The Dorchester|The Dorchester Hotel]], Peter is taking a woman back to his room but is interrupted by [[Stanley Kubrick]] ([[Stanley Tucci]]), who has come to persuade Peter to be in his new film, ''[[Dr. Strangelove]].'' Peg comes to visit Peter on-set, but Peter decides to stay in character as the [[Dr. Strangelove#Dr. Strangelove|titular scientist]] to avoid confronting reality. Peg is unsettled and eventually leaves, feeling as though she hadn’t truly seen her son.

While Stanley and Peter are discussing the fourth character he is due to play, Peter grows aggravated about his workload, insisting he won’t play the [[Dr. Strangelove#Slim Pickens as Major T. J. "King" Kong|American bomber pilot]]. After he storms off, we watch the third change; Peter becomes Stanley, who turns to look at us with the [[wiktionary:Kubrick stare|Kubrick stare]] and tells us that Peter Sellers wasn’t a person, simply a vessel, “but even an empty vessel can become too full”. Peter’s way out of playing Major Kong is by showing up to set with [[crutch]]es and pretending he had injured himself getting out of a taxi.

Meanwhile, Maurice Woodruff is taking a bribe to convince Peter into doing another Pink Panther film. He informs Peter that a very special partnership involves the initials B.E., meaning Blake Edwards. Peter instead pursues his new neighbour [[Britt Ekland]] ([[Charlize Theron]]). He asks her to be his date to the cinema where they see Dr Strangelove. They wed just 10 days after meeting.[[Image:Transformations_in_The_Life_and_Death_of_Peter_Sellers.jpg|thumb|262x262px|A few of the scenes where Geoffrey Rush as Peter plays other roles, a core storytelling device in the film.]]While on their honeymoon in [[Hollywood, Los Angeles|Hollywood]], Peter inhales [[Poppers|amyl nitrites]] during sex, causing him to have a series of eight [[Myocardial infarction|heart attacks]]. He is rushed to the hospital and Peg watches the [[breaking news]] of Peter’s critical condition from her home in England being broadcast on “both channels”. During the resuscitation, a [[dream sequence]] takes place in Peter's consciousness with his many characters surrounding him, before he notices that he has a ticking bomb attached to his chest. When he wakes, he believes himself to now be invincible.
Peter’s next film is ''[[Casino Royale (1967 film)|Casino Royale]]'', but with his new lease of life he wants to play it straight, much to the dismay of everyone involved. He abandons the film after no one takes him seriously.

Britt informs Peter that she has fallen pregnant, but is met with an unimpressed Peter, who doesn't want more children. However, Britt insists on keeping the baby. Once the baby is born, Peter and Britt’s relationship becomes strained and they fight as the newborn interrupts scenes of ''[[After the Fox|After The Fox]].''

In costume as the blue matador for ''[[The Bobo]],'' Peter receives a call from Peg, where she tells Peter that she’s in hospital and that she needs to see him. However, Peter pretends to be called away and hangs up. The fourth narrative change is Peter becoming Peg, who defends Peter’s behaviour, just as the real Peg always did. As Peg, he climbs into a coffin before reverting back to himself. Peter is distraught at Peg’s funeral and Britt tries to comfort him, but he instead cries on his first wife Anne’s shoulder.

When they get home, Peter antagonizes Britt while she is trying to comfort him. A physical fight ensues and Britt smashes a picture of Peg over Peter’s head. She leaves for good, taking their daughter with her, and Peter is alone with his thoughts, triggering a psychedelic sequence which swiftly takes Peter through the 70's.

During one of their sessions, Maurice Woodruff listens to Peter talk about his obsession with ''[[Being There (novel)|Being There]],'' a book Peter loves so much that he wants it to be his next film, but Maurice [[Mediumship|uses the spirit of Peg]] to persuade Peter to instead do ''[[The Pink Panther Strikes Again]]'' and a superstitious Peter relents.

At the screening for the film, a drunken Peter gives a speech which becomes more and more uninhibited until he abruptly leaves. Watching his [[home movies]] alone, Peter gets a voicemail from his now adult son [[Michael Sellers (actor)|Michael]], who wishes him well with his new [[Artificial cardiac pacemaker|pacemaker]]. Once the recording ends, Peter looks to the table beside him and opens the script for ''[[Revenge of the Pink Panther]].'' In costume as the "old salty Swedish sea dog", Peter collapses in his trailer while an unaware Blake bangs at his door. The fifth and final transformation is Peter into Blake Edwards, who tells us what it’s like to work with the “difficult” but “mesmerizing” Peter Sellers.

The only project Peter never gave up on was ''[[Being There]].'' Scenes of Peter carefully constructing the main character in his home are interspersed with him destroying his own memorabilia, including some of his own home movies. Peter is exasperated that he can’t find the look of Chance, but meditates on the memory of his lowly father. This allows Peter to not rely on a comical accent or costume, but to instead channel his still and simple father.

Peter quietly rewatches scenes from ''Being There,'' proud of something he made. A tired and visibly prematurely ageing Peter walks through the [[Switzerland|Swiss]] snow to meet with Blake Edwards, who has the script for ''The Romance of the Pink Panther.'' Instead of entering, Peter hesitates and watches through the window, eventually turning to stand motionless under a streetlight. Blake comes out, confused to find Peter standing perfectly still. They don’t share a word and Blake kisses Peter on the cheek, eventually leaving him alone. Facts about the final years of Sellers' life are shown over the motionless Peter in the snow.

The film finishes with the same version of Peter that we saw at the start. The movie about his life has now ended. He sits in the director’s chair and shrugs, stands up and walks through the film’s set pieces, surrounded by bustling [[Film crew|crew]], to his trailer and smiles to the camera, “You can’t come in here”.

==Cast==
{{cast listing|
* [[Geoffrey Rush]] as [[Peter Sellers]]
* [[Charlize Theron]] as [[Britt Ekland]]
* [[Emily Watson]] as Anne Sellers
* [[John Lithgow]] as [[Blake Edwards]]
* [[Miriam Margolyes]] as Peg Sellers
* [[Peter Vaughan]] as Bill Sellers
* [[Sonia Aquino]] as [[Sophia Loren]]
* [[Stanley Tucci]] as [[Stanley Kubrick]]
* [[Stephen Fry]] as [[Maurice Woodruff]]
* [[Henry Goodman]] as Dennis Selinger
* [[Alison Steadman]] as the Casting Agent
* [[Edward Tudor-Pole]] as [[Spike Milligan]]
* [[Steve Pemberton]] as [[Harry Secombe]]
* [[Nigel Havers]] as [[David Niven]]
* [[Mackenzie Crook]] as a Car Salesman
* [[Lance Ellington]] as [[Ray Ellington]]
* [[Lucy Punch]] as a Stewardess
* [[Heidi Klum]] as [[Ursula Andress]]
* [[Joseph Long (actor)|Joseph Long]] as [[Carlo Ponti]]
* [[Sam Dastor]] as [[Hal Ashby]]
* [[Mona Hammond]] as [[Ruth Attaway|Ruth Attaway/Louise the Maid]]
* Tope Oluwole as Beautiful Black Woman
* [[Tom Wu]] as [[Burt Kwouk]]
* [[Richard Ayoade]] as a Photographer at Wedding
* [[Emilia Fox]] as [[Lynne Frederick]] (scenes deleted)
}}

==Production==
{{multiple image
| perrow = 2
| align = left
| image1 = Peter Sellers at home Allan Warren.jpg
| width1 = 220
| image2 = Geoffrey Rush (6397243785).jpg
| width2 = 163
| footer = [[Peter Sellers]] and [[Geoffrey Rush]].
| total_width = 350
}}
The role of Sellers was portrayed by [[Geoffrey Rush]], "who approached the role with the enthusiasm of a hungry child in a candy store", notes a reviewer.<ref name="drax">{{cite web|date=26 October 2005|title=Draxblog Movie Reviews: The Life and Death of Peter Sellers (2004)|url=http://draxreview.blogspot.com/2005/10/life-and-death-of-peter-sellers-2004.html|access-date=7 December 2012|publisher=DensityChecker}}</ref> Rush impersonates most of the important characters that Sellers played in his film career. Director [[Blake Edwards]] is played by [[John Lithgow]], and the film exposes some of the behind-the-scenes personality conflicts between Sellers and Edwards, which contributed to their unhappy and tumultuous working relationship, despite the success of their films. In the interview for the film, included on the DVD, Edwards credited Rush with portraying Sellers' characters with uncanny similarity to the real Peter Sellers, and in 2004 claimed that it was the best acting he had ever seen Rush perform.

Rush stated in interviews that the film was itself structured to be reminiscent of a Peter Sellers film. However, it was darker than Sellers' actual films since it depicted Sellers' troubled experiences in his life (including his tantrums and mental instability). This included at various times Rush (as Sellers) dressing up to play other characters in his life (several were ultimately edited out, but are included within the special features on the DVD).<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.amazon.co.uk/Death-Peter-Sellers-Uncensored-extras/dp/B00360HH02/ref=sr_1_6?s=dvd&ie=UTF8&qid=1296310430&sr=1-6 |title=Life and death of Peter Sellers (2004) (import): Amazon.co.uk: Geoffrey Rush, Emily Watson, Peter Vaughan, Stephen Fry, Charlize Theron, Stephen Hopkins: Film & TV |publisher=Amazon.co.uk |access-date=7 December 2012}}</ref> In these instances he broke the [[fourth wall]] to give a monologue to the audience.

Roger Lewis: "It was the melancholia of Sellers I was drawn to; all those shuffling little ghostly figures he used to play in [[Boulting brothers]] films, or Clouseau, with those soulful, mournful brown eyes. For all the success and the women, he is rather a lonely and melancholic figure. And that is what redeems him." Hollywood was immediately interested in adapting Lewis's biography. In the mid-1990s [[Madonna (entertainer)|Madonna]]'s company Maverick bought the rights, but the Sellers project did not get off the ground. Many different writers worked on the screenplay, among them [[Lee Hall (playwright)|Lee Hall]]; eventually the writers [[Christopher Markus and Stephen McFeely]] came up with a script to tell the story. Director Stephen Hopkins ultimately distanced himself from Lewis's book, and said he was inspired by Sellers's 16mm home movies, which were featured in a 1995 [[BBC]] ''[[Arena (UK TV series)|Arena]]'' documentary, "The Peter Sellers Story", directed by Peter Lydon.<ref>{{IMDb name|528001|Peter Lydon}}</ref><ref>Being Peter Sellers, ''[[The Independent]]'', 28 April 2004</ref>

==Release==
Although intended as a television production, the film was given a limited theatrical release in the United Kingdom and was also theatrically released in a number of other countries including Spain, Italy, Iceland, Ireland, New Zealand and Australia.<ref>[https://www.boxofficemojo.com/movies/intl/?page=&id=_fTHELIFEANDDEATHO01 Box Office Mojo]</ref> The film achieved its highest theatrical success in Australia, earning over US$1 million at the box office.<ref>[https://www.the-numbers.com/movie/Life-and-Death-of-Peter-Sellers-The/Australia#tab=summary Australia Box Office for The Life and Death of Peter Sellers - The Numbers]</ref>

==Reception==
On [[Rotten Tomatoes]] the film has an approval rating of 69% based on reviews from 26 critics. The site's critics consensus states: "The Life and Death of Peter Sellers struggles to truly capture its subject's singular genius, but remains a diverting tribute -- and a showcase for the talents of Geoffrey Rush."<ref>{{cite web |title=The Life and Death of Peter Sellers (2004) |url=https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/1142298-life_and_death_of_peter_sellers |website=[[Rotten Tomatoes]] |access-date=2020-05-04}}</ref>

The ''[[Belfast Telegraph]]'' notes how the film captured Sellers's "life of drugs, drink, fast cars and lots and lots of beautiful women".<ref name="DM1004">{{cite web|url=http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1P2-10713796.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121107203029/http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1P2-10713796.html|url-status=dead|archive-date=7 November 2012|title=The Life and Death of Peter Sellers: The monster who made us laugh |work=[[Belfast Telegraph]]|date=8 October 2004|access-date=4 August 2012}} {{subscription required}}</ref>
Todd McCarthy of [[Variety (magazine)|Variety]] wrote: "Sustains interest most of the way, but combination of an unsympathetic central figure and patchy recreation of events involving numerous famous people makes for an ambitiously told life story that finally doesn't cut it."<ref>{{cite web |date=22 May 2004 |last1=McCarthy |first1=Todd |author-link=Todd McCarthy |title=The Life and Death of Peter Sellers |url=https://variety.com/review/VE1117923938 |website=Variety}}</ref>

==Accolades==
''The Life and Death of Peter Sellers'' was nominated for the [[Palme d'Or]] at the [[2004 Cannes Film Festival]].<ref name="festival-cannes.com">{{cite web |url=http://www.festival-cannes.com/en/archives/ficheFilm/id/4200639/year/2004.html |title=Festival de Cannes: The Life and Death of Peter Sellers |access-date=30 November 2009|work=[[Cannes Film Festival]]}}</ref> The film won the [[Golden Globe Award]] for [[Golden Globe Award for Best Miniseries or Television Film|Best Miniseries or Television Film]] and Geoffrey Rush won for [[Golden Globe Award for Best Actor – Miniseries or Television Film|Best Actor – Miniseries or Television Film]]. Rush also won the [[Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Miniseries or Television Movie]] and the [[Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Limited Series or Movie|Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Miniseries or Movie]].

;[[57th Primetime Emmy Awards]]
* [[Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Limited Series or Movie|Outstanding Lead Actor in a Miniseries or Movie]] – [[Geoffrey Rush]] '''(won)'''
* [[Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Cinematography for a Limited Series or Movie|Outstanding Cinematography for a Miniseries or Movie]] – [[Peter Levy (cinematographer)|Peter Levy]] '''(won)'''
* [[Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Single-Camera Picture Editing for a Limited Series or Movie|Outstanding Single-Camera Picture Editing for a Miniseries or Movie]] – John Smith '''(won)'''
* [[Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Directing for a Limited Series, Movie, or Dramatic Special|Outstanding Directing for a Miniseries, Movie, or Dramatic Special]] – [[Stephen Hopkins (director)|Stephen Hopkins]] '''(won)'''
* [[Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Writing for a Limited Series, Movie, or Dramatic Special|Outstanding Writing for a Miniseries, Movie, or Dramatic Special]] – [[Christopher Markus and Stephen McFeely]] '''(won)'''
* [[Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Prosthetic Makeup for a Series, Limited Series, Movie or Special|Outstanding Prosthetic Makeup for a Series, Miniseries, Movie, or Special]] – Wesley Wofford and Davy Jones '''(won)'''
* [[Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Hairstyling for a Limited Series or Movie|Outstanding Hairstyling for a Miniseries, Movie, or Special]] – Veronica McAleer, Enzo Angileri, and Ashley Johnson '''(won)'''
* [[Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Sound Editing for a Limited Series, Movie, or Special|Outstanding Sound Editing for a Miniseries, Movie, or Special]] – Tim Hands, Geoffrey G. Rubay, James Mather, Victoria Brazier, Zack Davis, Laura Lovejoy, Anna MacKenzie, Richard Ford, Felicity Cottrell, and Ruth Sullivan '''(won)'''
* [[Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Special Visual Effects|Outstanding Special Visual Effects for a Miniseries, Movie, or Special]] – Joe Pavlo, Barrie Hemsley, Paul Tuersley, Andrew MacLeod, Andy Fowler, Camille Cellucci, Mark Intravartolo, Robin Huffer, and Neil Culley '''(won)'''

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
* {{YouTube|REGUwlu8Axo|Interview with Geoffrey Rush}}
* {{IMDb title|0352520|The Life and Death of Peter Sellers}}

{{Stephen Hopkins}}
{{Christopher Markus & Stephen McFeely}}
{{Navboxes
|title = Awards for ''The Life and Death of Peter Sellers''
|list =
{{Golden Globe Award for Best Miniseries or Television Film}}
{{Producers Guild of America Award for Best Long-Form Television}}
}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Life And Death Of Peter Sellers}}
[[Category:2004 films]]
[[Category:British comedy-drama films]]
[[Category:British biographical films]]
[[Category:BBC Film films]]
[[Category:2000s comedy-drama films]]
[[Category:Films about filmmaking]]
[[Category:Biographical films about actors]]
[[Category:Films shot in England]]
[[Category:Films based on biographies]]
[[Category:Films directed by Stephen Hopkins]]
[[Category:HBO Films films]]
[[Category:Best Miniseries or Television Movie Golden Globe winners]]
[[Category:Films with screenplays by Christopher Markus and Stephen McFeely]]
[[Category:American comedy-drama films]]
[[Category:Cultural depictions of Stanley Kubrick]]
[[Category:Peter Sellers]]
[[Category:2004 comedy films]]
[[Category:2004 drama films]]