Comedian Peter Sellers Hid Disturbing Secrets
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- Опубліковано 26 лис 2023
- Peter Sellers always claimed that underneath his colorful roles and funny voices, there was nobody-that he “did not exist” as a person. The truth, however, was so much darker.
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My dad was a very good natured man. But when it came to comedies, he wouldn't laugh much. The most would be a chuckle. One night, watching Peter Sellers in "The Party" was the only time I ever saw my Dad laugh uncontrollably. It is one of the best memories from childhood. Too bad Peter Sellers was so damaged in real life
😅 "Birdie num-num" ...
I now want to see THE PARTY 😊 Thanks for sharing.
@@duvessa2003 😄👍 I want to see it again! It was too long since last time I saw it. Such a funny movie. 🤪
I was a kid when I had constant tears streaming lmao. I can see why the memory is a great one 👍
Same with mine and Fred Sanford in Sanford And Son. Not quite uncontrollable laughter - but that was the only TV show he'd ever spend any time watching, sitting there and laughing throughout. I was larger than he was, and called Big Dummy by him once in awhile.
My father once advised me to never read a biography about someone I liked or admired because you always learn something about them you don't like. Sellers is a perfect example.
True! All my old heroes were villains
You got that right. Very good advice
You are spot on/correct. I still admire his acting abilities even though it is clear he was a jerk of the highest order. He didn't realize his place in the world. Humility is something he never learned. Having said that, he was great because he had no self. He's not exaggerating about that at all. He didn't know how to "be", so he became others.
To quote Osgood’s last line: “Nobody’s perfect.”
People would be surprised if they could read their own biography. Not too long ago slavery was accepted. The kind of traits that allow for horrible nature are in all of us. We should read into other peoples lives. It helps us find our own flaws. Your flaws might consume you or your family, like it did Sellers.
When my son (now 22) was little, my hubby introduced him to the pink panther movies and he never laughed so hard, even to this day, he’s watched them a million times and still laughs like it was the first time watching them, as do I. Such a brilliant comedian, am I allowed to feel sorry for him? 😢😢
Sellers was probably correct when he said “There is no me” all the signs were for NPD not bi-polar. Narcissistic collapse is often mistaken for depression.
yes.
Almost sounds more like BPD, doesn't it? Intense but short relationships characterized by wild reversals of emotions. Extreme insecurity. Mood swings, which could look like bipolar disorder. And a pervading sense of emptiness or a lack of self.
ok doctor
UA-cam rule number 1. Every comment section will have at least one clueless, unqualified person accusing another person of being a narcissist…usually based on watching a video posted by someone equally clueless and unqualified.
triggered much? @@annoyingbstard9407
For someone with an intense fear of the color green, it's a miracle he even appeared on The Muppet Show.
First thing I thought when I saw the frog.
A nutter, but one of his best performances!
clever
It ain't easy facing green 😁
I heard that Sellers went ballistic when the Outtakes were put in at the end credits of
"Being There" .
It ends with him walking across the lake, leaving the Audiences wondering who Chance really is
Then goes to the Bloopers totally destroying the mood and Character that Sellers says he worked hard to develop.
That sounds very petty of him, films are a collaborative medium, actors shouldn't e get to dictate the output any more than a grip or gaffer should.
@@symbiote1982pk Comparing the star of a film to a gaffer is the most ridiculous thing I've heard....
WHAT!! That wasn't a comedy was it? Are you sure they included the out takes in the end of that film, I've never seen it myself, I have the Blue Ray Ladykillers, that movie is great I don't remember him being in it, I guess he was young.
Yes. Don't fall asleep at a team meeting if you're a rookie. But if Troy Aikman falls asleep, you just have somebody nudge him awake.
This is so interesting…I’ve always loved Peter Sellers acting and I never had a clue he had such a tragic life. Great comedians often have this tragic side.
"Every comedy a tragedy and every tragedy a comedy."
I read your comment first, and still ignored your father's advice unfortunately. Still, not quite as despicable as others that I can't watch anymore. "Being Ther" was such a good film, it transcends any personal flaws in the actor.
It's not really "tragic" when it's your own fault.
Y "tragic" ?
@@Joelswinger34
It's ALWAYS our own fault.... Most of the times. Wish I could go back in time...
Excellent summary of a complex individual. The stuff about his kids is really heartbreaking.
Right there is all the reason you need to be an antinatalist... Just perpetuating the misery for another generation.
He wasn't "complex" LMFAO!!!! He just a piece of shit with a talent for funny acting. Nothing "complex" about it unless you're a doofus.
As with everything these days im going to Google them. I hope they did ok? That was very bad on the part of his last wife.
Nothing complex about him. He was slime.
@@funkymunkyunless that's from personal acquaintance, how would you know?
So, Peter Sellers was my first-favorite celebrity. His role in "The Party" did it for me as a kid (plus Pink Panther, natch). Funny enough, when I was nine years old my family vacationed in London, and I saw Peter Sellers in an elevator at The Dorchester the day before he died. I'll never forget how excited I was to see one of my heroes, only to find out in the newspaper he died the next day.
Waiting for his birdie num-nums.....num-nums all gone.
I don’t know whether to laugh or cry. 😂😢
Disturbing secrets? LOL @ this clickbait.
Wow that's wild that's a Forrest Gump Monument if I ever heard of one. I have many but wow, the timing. Blessings and Truth For All
@@skinnie2838 huh? Nobody here mentioned disturbing secrets.
The Party is a timeless classic. It's hilarious. I saw it when I was a kid and then saw it several times after that. The utter havoc he manages to inflict on that set alongside his expressions (and actions) of kindness and ingenuity are priceless. Made in a time were people would laugh of comic stereotypes without being "aware", it's a must see. Even if it's just to counterpoint the kind of comedy done nowadays.
Ive just downloaded it 😜
probably my favorite Peter Sellers movie. Magnificent
"Birdie Num-Nums..."
I need to get the DVD
The female lead in the Party, Claudine Longet, also had issues, being charged and found guilty of negligent homicide.
I met Spike Milligan and Harry Secombe at different times in Brisbane a long time ago. Spike Milligan was here to promote his book and Harry Secombe when he performed at a large venue in the city. After meeting both, I can honestly say that they were both hilarious 😂 and at the same time soooo different to anybody I have ever met. Super polite and friendly yet distant to what was happening around them. Never met Peter Sellers but he comes across as a very aloof and easily distracted person. That's genius for you I guess. What a team they made on the Goon Show on Radio 📻. Heaven must be full of laughter now. 😊 God Bless
On that Parkinson show he actually said he ‘had a romance’ with Sophia Loren, but it was all in his head. She was happily married to Carlo Ponti. Pete was crazy.
Named for his stillborn older brother?
Same thing was done to Vincent van Gogh, who every day on his way to school, walked past a grave with his own name on it.
It was common in the past to name babies after dead siblings, because children were often named after relatives and infants died left and right. Parents didn’t want to lose the opportunity to honor their forebears.
That was pretty common a long time ago. Even today, worldwide, being alive by five is quite rare. A long time ago parents counted on losing some of their children. It didn't make it easier, I'm sure, but it was expected.
@@stillhere1425 Indeed, I've visited old graveyards where there are 3, 4 or even 5 children of the same first name, none of whom survived past the age of four. You just hope that maybe there was an "Abigail" or "Nathaniel" who lived to adulthood and was buried elsewhere with their own family.
Thx for the info, had no clue😮
@@karenvincent5202 " Even today, worldwide, being alive by five is quite rare" - if that were true the human race would have died out.
Peter the great Sellers is a good illustration that there's a very thin line between genius and insanity. RIP Inspector Clouseau.
Madness as you know, is like gravity, all it takes is a little push.
He had little of the genius and a lot in the insanity. though, much of that is just a greedy selfish spoiled man.
very, very...very..VERY thin line. Its invisible too. lol
Thin line? Sometimes. Maybe it depends on the type of genius. My bestie was truly a genius and a kinder, more stable & altruistic person you couldn’t hope to meet. We mustn’t always pathologise genius.
And how do you even know its true. Their is a very thin line between lies and truth. This is another Amber Heard situation.
Peter Sellers was like a lot of comedians, if you study the lives of the biggest comics you will find most suffer depression and bi polar , his work goes from genius to poor choice, his best work will entertain future generations.
They have had to have suffered to be as funny as they are, I've read a lot of biographies and the ones about comedians always say they were manic depressives 😎
@@ackerjawaka4742I have a theory that the depression helps comics to weather the endless criticism of their work in real time. In a sense, there is nothing a crowd can say to a manic depressive that they haven't already said to themselves. This must sustain them where the artists who take themselves very seriously have that chink in their armour and can't sit in failure.
I loved the Pink Panther movies and I loved Being There. The genius of Being There are the outakes of him flubbing his lines and totally breaking character that I think were shown while the credits were rolling. He's laughing and having a great time but it does show the incredible focus it took for him to play the role of Chance. He deserved the accolades he received for that film.
AMEN
I did not order a bumb 😎
He didn’t know who he was. His mimicking talent was an escape into temporary certainty.
Surrounded by his friends, he sits so silently and unaware of anything.
"... mimicking talent".
What utter rot. Criticise him for some of the unsavoury things he did, but don't deny his talent. He is worth 100x more than most celebrities today.
@@JohnSmith-be1vl You have misread it. It refers to his ability to mimic people so well. e.g. He often turned away guests by simply mimicking his butler’s voice over the phone.
Nonsense the man was a full blown narcissist@@JohnSmith-be1vl
@@dezzadiggler3693Pretending to be someone else so often can lead a mentally weak man I to insanity. They don't live in reality
I've read a book about Sellers, and it mentions an incident when one of his young children had tried to wash his dad's car as a surprise, and had scratched the paintwork. In response, Sellers exploded with rage, stormed up into his kid's bedroom and proceeded to savagely stamp on his toys, destroying them.
When he finished Sellers roared at his sobbing child saying "now you know how it feels!"
Yeah and? Same shit happened to me... Till I got bigger... And started smashing everything off theirs back...
That's horrendous. Why do such vile, damaged people have children? I guess the most unsuitable parents are the same people to see children as objects and feel entitled to having them, regardless of how the children feel about it.
Careful we’ve got a badass here....
@@mattmatthews1525 Nice one Matt! That response was classic. And , as I think about it, it is total nonsense or very childish. Smashing everything OFF theirs back. I had a step-mom from hell. She tormented me daily from 3 yrs. old. My father never came to my defense, he often even took her side knowing full well that she was wrong. One night in 1986 she began her games by running around the house like a maniac, blocking the doors so I couldn`t walk out of the house. I was 19 friggin yrs. old!! So I did something that scared her so much that she fainted. I did not hit her, yell at her, nothing like it. So I made sure she was okay, and breathing well, and she was waking up. I stepped around her and walked out the door to my car. It was the last time I ever set foot in that house. It was time to go. Time to become a man. My only regret is that I did not leave a year earlier, right after H.S., but I had to get some cash together. Sorry, I really don`t know why I just told you that, but I guess the comment about smashing stuff got me remembering. It ain`t a good memory at all. I guess it just had to come to the boiling point with me. Again, my apologies.
My sister threatened to do something like that, I accidentally spilt orange juice on her carpet when I was a teenager and she was in her twenties with her own place, and although it was clearly an accident she was raging and asked if it would be OK if she now went back to mum and dad's house and poured juice all over my guitar, I said "You could do that but you would be reacting to what was an accident by being purposely spiteful and vindictive." She still hit me and kicked her out of her house but I like to think it was for embarrassing her rather than damaging her carpet. My whole family have petty streaks like that so we've had to endure many years-long feuds with neighbours and extended family members over the tiniest of sleights like returning an already heavily scratched lawnmower with an extra scratch on it.
It's an odd universe when the youngest member of a family gets all of the maturity.
Oh man, that last line about him not having a self - let’s hope we’ve all become more aware (and more understanding and kind) to mental illness and the complexity of the mind. He was enabled and handled rather than treated, for sure.
He didn't dress up as a Gestapo officer for Parkinson. That's highly misleading.
Seller's was a huge fan of Mel Brooke's film The Producers. So Peter dressed as the movies lunatic German playwright character and did an impersonation of him for the Parkinson show. He even quoted some of the dialogue the character spoke in the movie. So he simultaneously got to hide behind the character as well as promote the Brookes movie.
It's always sad to hear about actors who were loved by moviegoers being such trainwrecks in their real lives.
It's always sad to hear about moviegoers like you who don't realize that actors are just artists and the better they are at acting the more crazy and fucked up they're likely to be. Sad to hear about people out of touch with reality. 😭
It's only sad if you think most people who get that big aren't terrible people. I hate to break it to you but it's very hard to get to that position in life without doing some terrible things and that kind of lifestyle tends to attract terrible people. At minimum they just climb on the backs of those around them to elevate themselves. At worst they do outright criminal things.
I have an adage I live by. All artists are assholes until proven otherwise. I say this as an artist. There's a reason they say you should never meet your heroes. Besides it's far better to follow good ideas and good work. People will always let you down.
@@agenerichuman👍
@@agenerichuman I agree completely and would even say that fame warps them even more so it's like a positive feedback loop. There is something inherent in that kind of power whether it's politics or art that corrupts even well meaning people.
@@richardrallo6605artists lol 😂😂😂 no performing monkeys nothing more
A LOT of Narscissts are misdiagnosed as Bipolar. People are either painted black or white. HG Tudor's Knowing the Narscissts is an excellent source of info
It is generally accepted that it is a good idea to learn how to spell a world like narcissists before using it. Especially when referencing a book title that contains the word since it wasn't as sufficient a source of info to you to enable you to spell it, eh? 😉
It could also be argued that a lot of bipolar are misdiagnosed as narcissists.
@SpeccyMan, spell a world? 🤔
@@SpeccyMan it's the comments section. It's very rude the way you're pointing out a spelling error.
And a lot of bipolar is misdiagnosed as narcasism by people that have no idea what they are talking about and just want to look like they know something but really are just parroting other comments to feel included
This is patently not true. They may be misdiagnosed for a while during a manic episode but when things calm down the psychiatrists usually do a pretty good job recognizing Bipolar Disorder for what it is.
As a father I cant imagine abandoning my daughter for anyone, let alone putting her through some of the things Sellers reportedly put his children through.
Awful.
Obviously he was mentally ill.
Sellers was not 'awful', he was badly damaged in a society and time which wasn't really equipped to help. Your comment is a pathetic, modern retrospective which expects standards expected today to be applied to the past.
Personally, I don't disagree with your analysis of the behaviour and I would never have subjected my son or daughter to anything like it. But, I do understand that others were (and still are) exposed to different experiences which form them differently to me. That doesn't make them 'awful'.
@@B-26354 I don't particularly disagree with you, but it is far too easy to just consider the actions rather than how they come about. As I understand it, and perhaps quite typically, Sellers was a creation of his own childhood and his constant desire to chase younger women likely demonstrates a serious self-worth issue.
It may appear that I'm excusing him - that isn't the case and no-one would care one way or another about either of our opinions anyway - but to ignore the reasons for people like this is to accept that it will always happen. I prefer to stimulate discussion and consideration of how this could be prevented rather than just castigate individuals and pointlessly describe them as awful.
@@davidstephen2253Well put young man👍
@@davidstephen2253yeah, but not seeking help negates his reasons for being that way , I think. They're excuses at that point, I think. Although the psychiatrists and therapists of the time were less effective than today's, I think doing those things to your family and not seeking help to change might make him awful after all. (Daddy Dearest - does anyone show sympathy for Joan Crawford, for example?)
What a fascinating yet tragic life of a very talented yet troubled man, thank you Sir for an excellent episode!!!🙏😢📽️❣️
I remember that "Muppet Show" guest appearance. He sounded very sincere when he said he didn't exist- and very much like someone who really needed help.
I grew up in L.A. and have more than a few friends who are children of famous actors and musicians and also with friends who are and were actors and child actors or in famous bands. Victoria Sellers is one of those people. We never became very good friends but we have many mutual friends and she seems as sweet as can be and well liked by everyone. I knew about her father and his problems but unfortunatley all families have problems and in Hollywood it is normal to hear or witness for yourself the disfunction of families of famous people. Money and fame doesn't give people happiness or cure emotional and or mental issues. Sometimes it will make things worse for those who have fame and fortune.
Yep. It must be quite harsh to be unhappy or empty only to reach Hollywood and become a movie star(thus fulfilling your dream) only to realize you are just as, if not more empty, than you were before.
@@brianmeen2158 --- the really sad part of what you wrote is that it happens that way way more than the world knows.
Most (at least in my opinion) people who get into acting are in real life, not happy with who they are, or have no idea who they are because they've been acting even in real life. We all act, to a certain extent, by trying to fit in with the group of kids at school you want to identify with be it sports, music, drama, whatever, and we hope we can pull it off convincingly. Some people can be part of every clique but never get too deep into any particular one. Then there are those who don't fit in anywhere, by choice? Or because they think they have nothing to offer to any group.
But,a lot of the time, the ones who choose acting are the ones who are shy, or embarrassed about themselves and maybe their family. Getting on stage lets them become someone else. Lets them hide behind the character and the pre written script so they always know what to say at the right time. Acting becomes a crutch, it affords them the ability to socialize with the other actors and make friends, etc... but they are still that awkward up person when they are alone orbwhen they get into relationships. They don't know how to be themselves or if they do know who they are, they stay in character from fear of people getting to know them and not liking them as a person.
The human brain can only play make believe for so long before it starts to fight back or firing off in strange behaviors and addictions start in order to slowly destroy itself and unfortunately anyone close to that person, spouses, children, coworkers, etc.. everyone pays the price.
A similar type of person that has a screwed up childhood and or parents and siblings that are all disfunctional beyond the normal family dynamics, a lot of those people, especially females, will do well in school and they go into the psychology education, and become therapists, psychiatrists, psychologists, etc... they will tell you that they are just fascinated by it or find it interesting and want to help people, which is mostly true but, when you get to know those people or already know them from years ago, you will discover that the reason they actually went into studying that field is to try and understand their family and their own childhood because their family has major mental health issues of every variety and that has caused that person to have issues with social skills, relationships, trust, etc...
Actors and mental health workers tend to be the same type of inwardly screwed up person. They use their disfunction in a positive way on the outside to get through life, but on the inside it never stops eating at them year after year and eventually they crash.
I've dated and know and my brother and my friends have dated and know women who went into the mental health world of education and became doctors and or therapists, teachers, etc... and each one of them is completely screwed up themselves.
It is really sad and really fascinating at the same time.
@@13_13k Thank you for sharing. Really interesting perspective and it gives Sellers' quote from the Muppet Show more context and sadness.
Great observations and insights. How good of you to put in a kind word about his daughter. My father was also famous and beloved by the public ( and privately more difficult) It's a lot of pressure to know that everyone I meet will repeat their impression as a story to tell for years. Fame is so misunderstood, full of unanticipated blessings and curses ... but such is life, as you have wisely observed...
I bet you could write a fascinating book.
@@TM-np5lq ---- thank for your kind words.
It's very funny that you say I could write a book. Just about everybody that I know and a lot of people that I just meet if I tell them or they know my background and what I've done they all say the same thing that I should write a book about my life. I probably should. Or at the very least start recording and writing down everything before I forget things. You know I don't even like telling people stories about things that I've done and places I've been people I know because it's it's so crazy that even I don't believe myself sometimes, it sounds like I'm lying. I've done a hundred things the average person would be over joyous to just to have done one of those things. It's not all good stuff, either. I mean I've been through some crazy stuff been in jail bunch of times and been beat up by cops and robbed at gunpoint a couple of times and yeah I mean it's been a wild wild life. I've had Paparazzi following me around when I was Almost Famous trying to get me to talk to them taking pictures of me candidly, ended up in the National Enquirer and on current affair talked about on talk shows. I've made money, lost everything, chose to live in my car for about a year while starting my business from the ground up, then two years in a motel, then started making money, over $100k a year after 4 years. 25 years ago or so I was given VIP sterling silver Playboy Bunny head tie pin they gave me access to all parties except for Hef's private parties, but any other Playboy event at the mansion or any party or Playboy sponsored event I got in. There is so much more, even cooler things.
No one can watch the opening scene of "Lolita" with Sellers as Quilty without immediately observing that the actor was a disturbed, miserable man.
This is why the truly funniest person on earth is just your neighbor or the guy or gal you went to college with. While professional comedians and entertainers certainly have a knack for making people laugh, it's very rare that they are actually authentically funny people. It's just an act.
There is a difference between being bipolar, and being an asshole.
Not necessarily. It is quite possible to be both an arsehole (yes that is how it is spelled) and bipolar.
@@SpeccyMan I've yet to meet someone "diagnosed" as bipolar who doesn't take mood-altering substances (legal or illegal drugs, including junk food) that yanks their brain up and down like a yo-yo. Begs the questions, does bipolar even exist? And can we just blame chemicals for someone being an a-hole????
not really. When they are in the grips of the disorder, they become a truly different person.
Lots of a holes are bipolar
No, bipolar is real and your observations don't hold water.@@mikethats4thebirds600
The saddest part is that he would throw his drink on his young daughter because of an artless comment. He was emotionally very immature.
that was wrong,he should never have fathered children,never.
His wife added insult to injury leaving the children a mere 800 lbs inheritance ... women are useless and greedy
Narcissistic personality disorder is dangerous to everyone around the mentally ill individual
The chap had serious mental health issues. That's not a lifestyle choice. You calling him emotionally very immature is ridiculous. What is wrong with the world today? He might not have been the most friendly or empathetic person ever but at least he had a reason unlike many folk these days who are just limited in their thinking and judge people at face value.
@@thebrowns5337 Being immature is not an insult.many men who were not cut from mommy's apron strings behave in very similar ways. They are always looking for mommy in there relationships.Elvis presley had similar issues.
I still am in awe of his brilliance. His difficulties in private life are something that I cannot judge. Mental Health issues were treated so differently then, and ruined careers.
It was something to be ashamed of.
I suffer from PTSD, and I am thankful that I can have the help, with none of the stigma.
"Being There" was BRILLIANT! He should have won the Oscar. I think that it would have validated him...
I have my share of psychological problems and it does make me behave a bit nasty at times, and I certainly do hope for a little patience and understanding, even forgiveness from my close ones, so I guess I see where you are approaching this from.
On the other hand, he was clearly showing strong narcissistic tendencies, besides his possible bipolar disorder. True, it must have made his life double difficult, but think of how difficult it must have been for those around him. He was virtually destroying his romantic partners and children. I rather sympathise with his family than him, in this story.
Btw, the practice of naming a child after the deceased older sibling used to be quite common back in the day of higher infant mortality, and it wasn't such a big deal for those people, from what I have read... his family of origin probably was indeed dysfunctional, otherwise he wouldn't have been the way he was, but that one detail is just something people used to do, and not an intention to rob a child of his personality.
What I am trying to say, while we all deserve compassion, in my opinion it's still ok to say, that this was a good comedian, but not a very good person.
@@SKOMonster
Thank you for sharing your story .
@@SKOMonsterI very much agree with you good sir on everything you say. It is true that he is a very good comedian possibly one of the best like Rowan Atkinson, Olan Rogers and maybe alexclark and others. There are so many comedians on UA-cam like stanzi and funkyfrogbait.
His treatment of his kids was abominable, regardless of whatever issues he had
The Parkinson interview was hilarious and very informative about Peter. The dismissive stab at Peter’s “inappropriate” Nazi routine is unfounded. It was a silly, pisstake of the Nazi regime. Peter sat down thereafter and shared some interesting and funny anecdotes with a high level of natural humour. He even serenaded the audience with his musical talent. A must watch
Sounds like classic narcissism with perhaps a bipolar edge. A very talented man, but I always felt a strangeness when watching him perform.
It is amazing how much suffering a bad upbringing can cause, to everyone. Take mental health seriously people. If you see the world as strange or see other families as strange, you may be the strange one. Find the courage to see your suffering, don't deny it.
Interesting. Yes, bad upbringing can destroy anyone. That said, I see the world as shocking and bizarre. Endless wars sold with the same tired lies, real conspiracies are the rule rather than the exception, and the general public still voting for the same proven psychopaths and the same corrupt parties who are bringing us to almost certain annihilation. I am suffering and I am the strange one in this mess. Better that than be a part of what I see around me.
Watching your video about Sellers was like watching a train wreck in slow motion. You know what is going to happen, but you just can't look away. Sellers was always one of my favorite comedic actors and I always thought of him as a great dramatic actor as well. It was saddening to see what a disaster his personal life was and to learn what an emotionally ill man he was, and that he refused to acknowledge it and seek help. Strangely his mental illness was probably what contributed to his talent of losing himself into so many characters that I found extraordinarily entertaining but at times disturbing . . . I'm thinking of his role in "Lolita." But aren't so many of those who entertain us also terribly troubled individuals.
QUILTY.
That character was a total waste of time for Lolita,dont know what Kubrik was thinking with that stuff
@@BlowmeRogerI thought Sellers' Quilty was over the top, too. The movie did convey that Quilt was eccentric and predatory, but it fell flat with me once Quilty was extemporizing on the hotel patio in a pestering way. His German psychiatrist worked better.
Even if he had sought help, in the 1950's, there wouldn't have been much that could have been done. It's thought he may have had bipolar disorder, and even Lithium salts weren't FDA approved until the late 70's.
He seems to be a bit like robin Williams, brilliant comedy actor , character,but deeply troubled.
God that was fascinating and yet you’ve destroyed the image I had of Peter sellers!
How desperately sad for his children! I’m going to binge watch your other videos now. Great video and full of good information. ❤
"There are two types of tragedy. One is not getting what you want. The other is getting it." - Oscar Wilde.
A perfect summary of Peter Sellers. Like Tony Hancock, Jerry Lewis, Richard Pryor and many more, their humour never truly masked their internal pain.
Wow I love that ...hadnt heard it before
Yes, that’s incredibly accurate…thank you for sharing the source too!
Their pain ?? They were all affogant dick heads.....money ruined them
I feel like there are so many that the tragic clown may as well be an archetype
Abbott and Costello
Yes, his life was a mess, and his marriages were disastrous, but there’s no denying Peter Sellers was a brilliant actor. His “Dr. Strangelove” performance is immortal.
I agree. He was great. The Pink Panther series was great too! I listened to the Goon Show when I was a kid in the 1970’s. That and Monty Python. Me and my buddies were considered weird since we were Americans.
@@jamesdellaneve9005….you were Americans? I hope this isn’t your ghost writing your comment 😂
He was a brilliant actor because he was a mess
@@MoonSpinners Haha. No. We were 13 years old at the time. We used to memorize the Python skits. Along with the Bill Cosby and George Carlin records.
This reminds me of Tom Baker of Doctor Who fame. He married his young co star for a year. He said his short one year marriage was full of turmoil and strife, but oh what a year!
I have always loved Peter Sellers, watching him in the Pink Panther films when I was a girl he was my first major crush . He was a tortured soul as many comic genuis' are. Still have a major crush on him at 52 ❤
For a funny man he sure had some intense issues. I never would've thought he was so troubled. I hope he's finally at peace.
Poor guy , I have know a person that has been diagnosed bi-polar and it’s the sadest friend I’ve ever known.She cries as do I .such a complex thing the mind.All I can do is love without reservation one side of her and try to accept and comfort her other self.Thankfully 95% of her is pure fun and an amazing person
Yeah, but only you can fix you. No one else can. If you are also a complete jerk 24/7 to people around you, even if they know it's a mental thing, the abuse still hurts. Hurts to point where you don't care if they live or die. He didn't want to get fixed. He preferred being a jerk. "OH NO......Anyways".
@matthewcaldwell1384 There are excellent medications available to treat bi-polar. There's no need for suffering any more. My close friend has the condition and leads a happy and healthy life. She has a great job..
@LizaFergison THEY DON'T WORK FOR EVERYONE.
@@dlewis9760 Ah, so you're confident you could overcome any mental illness eh? Congratulations to your greatness. It's truly stunning.
Your a angel. My wife wasn't as fun😮😮😮😮😮😮😮
He gave me many hours of laughter. His performance in Being There was outstanding. RIP funny man.
Loved him in Lolita with James Mason. RIP
Sellers almost single-handedly ruined Lolita. He was awful in it.
I appreciate this channel! I love listening to what is behind the "scenes. "
Always saw him as a brilliant comedian, sad to learn how badly he failed in his relationships- clearly his sensitivity was self centered.
Marijuana: WEED with ROOTS in HELL
All sensitivity is self centered. It's the interpretation that gives us nuance, for Sellers it seems he interpreted most things as an attack. His daughters fat joke is a good example, most of us would interpret it as a non-threat.
Maybe you should watch the movie "The Life and Death of Peter Sellers" from 2004. It's very insightful.
Failed relationships are pretty common in Hollywood. What's shocking is how he treated his children. And I can't believe he survived eight heart attacks in one day. I didn't think that was possible.
Didn’t all comedians fail as “tender” human beings back in the “good old days?”?
I wish the last wife increased the children's inheritance. 800 pounds, even in 1980, was an insult to be sure.
considering he told his kids he didn't want to see them, and got mad at them after he received the answer of who they liked best (him or their mother)... honestly that inheritance was barely an afterthought. I wouldnt be surprised if his kids burned it out of spite.
Nasty as you could get...
Didn't do her any good in the end, a subsequent marriage to David Frost notwithstanding. Her career and reputation never recovered from the "gold-digger" tag (which, to be fair, was not entirely deserved - she DID go to a lot of trouble to try and look after Sellers, a near-impossible task).
@@Krzyszczynski excellent 👌
Peter Sellers sold out as a buyer of what Hellywood was selling and that was to sell his soul like the rest of the acting Hellywood buyers. Now more than likely he's in the cellar.⬇️👿😂
although his wife inherited his estate refusing to give the children more money, Lynne Frederick lived a miserable life, blacklisted and declining until she died aged 39. Sellers was scheduled to have heart surgery but had put it off due to fear
What a clickbait title. There was no terrible secret he hid from her 🙄
He was stark, raving mad; but it was no secret.
Thank you for saving my time.
I think Peter’s behavior could best be described as “maniacal”…
Manic depressive.
Psychopath
@svenjansen2134 The posh name for manic depression is bipolar disorder. My husband suffered with it I stuck with him for 48 years till his death. It was very hard.
People who suffer with it hate how they behave to others but they cannot control it. Sometimes they are so happy that they become deranged and other times they are so depressed that they want to die. There is no cure only control by drugs like lithium.
Peter refused all help by the look of it. He was so talented and in mental agony at the same time.
@@ladywalker8200 There is a cure it's called diet.
Sellers' behaviour could also be described as "narcissistic".
Thank you! I’m always hearing “talented, troubled, terrible” about Peter, but never heard an adequate explanation. His poor kids, but mental illness is not something a person can just stop, and there were few alternatives for treatment in his time.
He didn't even try
@@lilithowlright? apologists 🙄
Were he bipolar he could have absolutely been treated and by all accounts it seems he was, along with a heaping dose of insecurity and narcissistic traits, he was horrible, terrible, troubled and MEAN, in addition to his acting talent and comedic ability, I really see nothing wrong with telling the truth of how someone was, especially, when as an adult he made little seen efforts to clean up the parts of his shambolic personality that he could control, ye reap what ye sow, and so it would seem he did, dying a lonely reviled man acknowledged for his talent and little else, he paved the path for this......his poor children, they didn't ask for a mean and cruel father 😢
He was a psychopath
No treatment
@@YeshuaKingMessiahnarcissist at the very least, if not psycho, as you say.
I know someone who knew his maid. She said he was a very nice man.
It's sad he suffered from severe mental issues. His poor kids paid the price. His son was very troubled, as was his youngest daughter Victoria. She's been very troubled throughout her life. She turned to drugs (which led to crime)to escape her troubles. It's sad
Peter Seller was an amazing actor and comedian. His personal life was his business
There's a really interesting movie/doco that is actually made up of his own home movies. Gives great insight into who he was. Maybe bipolar but definitely a narcissist.
Yes! I saw that years ago. I have to find that now. Thanks for reminding me 🙏
A narcissistic? Who cares, many genius' are.
@@hortleberrycircusbround9678 Well, if you had to live with a narcissist you would care. A genius, oh please give me a break. He was cringe at best.
@@katoness I did live with a narcissistic and he was the life of the party, the funniest guy I knew, a great cook, designer, carpenter and Artist. Yaul babies today, crying about narcissism. Grow up or get out of the kitchen. Peter Seller's cringe? Dumb youths got nothing rattling in yur empty skulls.
@@hortleberrycircusbround9678 You sound like a complete empty head. Narcissists are enormous attention seekers because they cannot actually face what they really are. Sellers even admitted at the end of his life that he had no character at all, that is an empty narcissist. Narcissists actually live in utter misery, its all a façade. Which is why sellers had so many different personas, he was an actual lunatic who treated his children despicably and once pulled a gun on Britt Ekland. Its been well documented how much of a lunatic sellers was. If you are in a relationship with a narcissist, they will do everything to destroy your life. Even on his death bed he made sure he kept his children out of his inheritance, what loving parent would do that to their own children?? You are one sick puppy if you condone that sort of behaviour!!
It amazes me how many comedians have such horrible personal lives. They make a living entertaining us making us laugh without anyone knowing how depressed and sad they really are. It's as if their comedic expression served as an outlet for their grief. Performing was medicine to them. His tumultuous personal life was so stressful it's no wonder he had so many heart attacks. WC Fields, Robin Williams, Lenny Bruce, Chris Farley, Benny Hill, and John Candy, were other comedians who also had difficulties in life.
So true. Almost like you have to have a serious "flaw" to balance it out. Required to rise above, and be the best at something,Wether it's comedy , acting, music, or art. to Almost like, to be extremely talented, almost requires a dark side. The every poet is an alcoholic cliche. Shane McGowan. Rory Gallagher drank too much as well. Lots of musicians have a major drug addiction. With Sellers it's even worse. Extremely flawed , incapable to have normal loving relationships with ones families. Very sad.
Spike Milligan was no walk in the park, either.
“But doctor, I am Pagliacci.”
@@moe17moeChet Baker was an addict most of his life. That cost him his life indeed, at the end.
Yes exactly, but unlike some other monstrous a*holes who only think they're the greatest thing and the world revolves around them, it seems to me like Sellers felt this but ALSO loathed himself on a really deep level.
Like he knew he was a piece of s**t, actually hated being a piece of s**t, and yet for some reason couldn't stop being a piece of s**t. This is as opposed to the worst paychopaths who thoroughly (and relaxedly) enjoy every minute of being a piece of s**t.
No wonder he threw himself into his acting; it was as though he wanted to be someone, ANYONE besides himself.
No doubt he dated and married to be happy, and that's understandable, but he should have looked more critically and objectively at his own treatment of women and gotten away from them. He was very un-equipped to be dating, boyfriend or husband material. He was in no way fit to date anyone, but may have been lonely on some level.
I don't know why he had kids. Maybe the cultural forces back then were ao strong that he felt he would have been looked down upon or been an "outlier" if he had kids, but he really shouldn't have. It's a credit to his ex wives as well as the kids themselves that they turned out as better people than their dad.
Probably the finest thing he did as a father was cutting himself off from his children.
Whether or not it was intended to "punish" them, it had the effect of allowing them to grow up without his toxic and destructive influence in his life.
I actually feel bad for this man. His behavior is reprehensible but one doesn't fully grasp what his young home life and upbringing was like. He might have gotten so messed up that he wound up like this and also never learned proper morals via good example from his parents, and thus turned out this way. I don't mean to totally blame his parents, since as an adult, his behavior is subsequently solely his own reaponsibility, but I have a friend who has a horribly abusive and unrepetant "parent" and it has caused her to grow up all kinds of warped and with startling moral and ethical lapses in judgement even when she *feels* and *believes* she is right and actually means well, simply because the version of morals she was taught/modeled was so wack with so many gaps and lapses and contradictions in moral teachings.
I watched Sellers on many talkshows and he seemed both confident and charming.
Great stuff 1 I'm so glad I found your channel. I went to your home page and after looking at all of the other great actors you have made videos about, I can't wait to start surfing through your uploads. Again, thanks so much for a really sad but informative and interesting video. I'm happily subscribed with notifications. 👍
"Funny men" always seem to have the darkest histories and behaviors.
True, many are seeking love and attention from strangers only to discover it means nothing because fame is sea foam.
What about Dave Chappelle, Eddie Murphy, Martin Short, Steve Martin, Bill Murray, and Dan Aykroyd?
@@christienelson1437 Said every single Only Fans 'model'.
@@BenjaminGessel what about them?
@@queenmary301 I KNEW someone would respond just like you have responded.
Just go look up the lives of these comedians, honestly…. 🤷♂️🤷♂️🤷♂️
It’s sad that the people he neglected the most was his own children, and to add insult to injury, he leaves his kids nothing but a sad memory. To me, that severely diminishes his role as an exceptional actor. Not to say I don’t love "Being There” and "Dr. Strangelove.” They are brilliant. Yet, when I see any of his movies, there will always be an unsettling feeling in my brain and heart.
I wonder if this works the other way around, too. I mean, if Osama Bin Laden would turn out to be a loving, caring father, would that ease your pain about 9/11? Would you than say: oh, that makes it much better?
Hi there. I believe that good parenting is essential to morals, ideals and ethics. However, environment is crucial to one's bringing up, including religious beliefs that support the ideals of a loving and a peaceful mentality. I also believe that it is governments that want war, not the people, unless the people are robots that follow the ideals that their way of living is the only way of living. In my mind, war (neglect and abuse) is not natural. It is barbaric no matter what person, religion or government idealizes it's purpose. Bush will never own up to his mistake of invading Iraq, which set off the domino principle. It just keeps resonating in people's minds. One can believe hook, line and sinker, or they can think for themselves. Unfortunately, we too often have the blind leading the blind.@@Rezzatoni
Shame on his last wife choosing to not give his kids a higher % of Peters will .
@@brianmeen2158 She was damned if she did, damned if she didn't. If she had given them more, it wouldn't have been enough and she still would have been treated horribly by the press, which she did not deserve.
I'm an angry old man who usually tries to make excuses for many of men's failures. but this guy pretty much blocked all the exits.
Elvis Presley was actually a fan of Peter Sellars...he used to love to watch his Pink Panther movies 🌻
A good acting career doesn’t outweigh a miserable failure as a person and a parent
You are incredibly judgemental about a genius with mental illness.
@@jt2473 no i hold him accountable for his actions just like anyone else is.
He was obviously a narcissist
It's very easy to judge someone having never had to grow up in the same environment, nor conditions. under which they did, and that you didn't personally know.
@@NelsonStJames and apparently its easy to make excuses for famous actors
Sellers was the first comedian I ever heard described as "brilliant." My father, a mechanical engineer w/o any ounce of creativity in his 6'5'' frame, talked about him in fawning terms. He thought Peter Sellers was a gd genius. 'The Party' is still one of my favorite films thanks to Sellers and my father.
Never heard of it..will put on my list of things to watch.
When I first saw the Party I almost died laughing. It is very, very funny😂
Agreed! The Party is an iconic Sellers victory. Sign on the elephant at the end, "If it moves, fondle it." Great writing and support cast.
@@jjjsmith2497never heard of the Party??
@@Nichilistaiconoclasta
Lol no.
7:05 “Leaving him free to focus on destroying his marriage” is a devastating line. Ouch!
Thank you for bringing this to my attention. I wish this video had been made with more respect to both Peter himself and the people around him mentioned in this documentary.
An immense talent, loved watching his performances, but....what he did to his daughters was unforgivable.
I dis not know the man nor the facts. I cannot judge.
Ever notice that the insults that most offend us, are the ones we're telling ourselves!
Pity he didn't consciously know that.
I personally have never been a fan of his work, yet I admire his talent just the same.This was a great documentary.
Thank you!!
A well-presented video about Peter Sellers. Thanks :)
Peter sellers was so original pink panther was so brilliant. Imprefer not to know about his private life and remember him for the comedic genius that he was!!!!
He was such a great comedic actor
Didn't know he was so messed up
He was too up himself
I would not judge.
The best ones tend to be
Lynne Fredericks. A horrible miserable woman who refused to share her inheritence with his children and a hopeless alcholic who drank herself to death not many years later. They were well matched.
your being unkind, she was a gifted actress.
My aunt was lovely
my uncle was Brian
@@ebismusic8813
Were his kids not recognized by him?
Did you not watch the video?@@YeshuaKingMessiah
As someone who has been suffering from anxiety and depression the majority of my life, I can rather empathize with the struggles Mr. Sellers was trying to cope with. The only thing I cannot relate to is womanizing. But rather than judge, I take pity of people who are so insecure that they try and use others as life preservers amid their drowning in a sea of desperation. None of the content of this video changes my admiration for Mr. Sellers contributions as an entertainer. He was a matchless theatrical genius.
That was an outstanding video. The editing, the length of clips and audio were pitch perfect. Well done
It really says something when you are in a relationship with Liza Minelli and SHE is the emotionally stable one.
lol word 👍👍🤪
you wicked man.
Now that is funny 😅😂
I mean she was raised by her mother who went through some messed up stuff in her childhood and in Hollywood. Producers out there are disgusting perverts as many of us know.
And of course Liza herself was in the industry.
Forever the village idiot, 'til the next one comes around...........................
Peter Sellers in his Pink Panther movies always made me laugh ‘till I cried and my stomach hurt laughing. No one has ever done this to me in a movie. How sad his life was but it seems tortured souls seem to make the best comedians. R.I.P. my favorite!💔
"Not now Kato"
He was my favorite for many years too! Not until Mr. Bean came along, did anyone make me laugh so hard. I did not know about any of his issues away from the big screen.
I'm Alright, Jack is the best thing that he ever did. Brilliant characterisation. Found Clousseau not particularly funny.
A tortured soul - he also tortured those around him - no excuse for that behaviour?
I can think of several like that!
Love that outro! Great video. Thank you!
I read that Sellers married Britt Ekland because Maurice Woodruff had been approached by Blake Edwards to get Woodruff to persuade Sellers to be in the Pink Panther films. The story goes that Woodruff, knowing Sellers believed anything he said, told Sellers that the intials BE were extremely important and would bring great happiness and success into his life. As luck would have it, shortly after Woodruff's 'prediction', Sellers was staying in the same hotel as Britt and when he found out her name he assumed that was what Woodruff had predicted.
The Pink Panther series of movies were a lot of fun to watch.They still are.Something magical about Sellers' screen presence.
Artists, actors, writers - they frequently have troubled backgrounds that form unsettled adults that experience problems the rest of their lives. It's sad, but it's also the basis of their creativity. Such monstrous behaviour often conceals deeply sensitive hearts.
I have heard the entertainment industry can be very taxing to a person's mental health. Never knowing if or when the next movie role will be offered and being constantly judged by others.
@@ccrider8483 Indeed. It's not uncommon for actors to take on second or even third jobs to bring in some money while the next gig arrives.
Excellent narrator spoke naturally and with feeling thank you
Love Peter Sellers! Thanks for the information!
A lot of movie stars neglected their kids... its common with narcissists.....
It's a necessity with the work conditions imposed on actors and a number of other professions . Blaming all in such a profession of maliciously neglecting those they cannot be with is really dishonest .
@@johndododoe1411neglecting your kids is a "necessity"?
@@ianmacfarlane1241 I used the word to mean unavoidable when trying to earn a living for the family . Same as for sailors and other professions that travel for work or work long hours . But people like to accuse families of neglect whenever circumstances limit time at home .
He was one of the most brilliant film actors of all time, despite his fragile physical, mental, and emotional health. I am not his or anyone else’s judge, just a grateful fan. May he rest in peace. Btw, if that green phobia is true, how did he ever manage to appear on the Muppet show?
Good question!!
Maybe went away…not lifelong.
No wonder Kermit says it's not easy being green!
If he feared green - did he never eat veggies?
I don’t eat veggies, but I’m not afraid of the color green. 💚🟢🟩
My fave Pink Panther movie is A Shot in the Dark. They are all good movies but to me that one stood head and shoulders above the rest.
My Father (may he rest in peace) absolutely loved Peter Sellers, every time I noticed the Pink Panther movies were on, I made sure my dad was aware & just watch his reaction…(always laughing hysterically!) Sellers, Benny Hill were comic geniuses but were truly sad depressing individuals behind the lights & cameras I will always be a fan of these men till the end… RIP gentleman ✌🏻🙏🏻🤟🏻!
Great job! I had no idea he was that difficult in life. Clearly, enormously talented and it's only natural people would be drawn toward him. But it sounds like the people who got close to him paid a dear price.
Thank you, I really enjoy your videos. They are well put together, interesting and just the right length. Kudos!
Peter Sellers was a brilliant actor and comedian. He definitely suffered from mental health problems but many great artists have issues.
I was also named after my stillborn older brother. I doubt it's that uncommon.
This video explained a lot. Jerry Lewis had a similar upbringing and also grew to be a monster.
Did you know him to say something like that… Most people I know that worked for him said he was an amazing man
@@gforceeatingcorrectMy grandmother knew many actresses and actor's. Her apionon of Jerry Lewis was he was a mean petty man.
@gforceeatingcorrect Just look how he treated his wife and kids. He was a mean narcissist. His kids don't have anything good to say about him.
There does seem to be enormous evidence Lewis was extremely cruel to many people in his personal life. He may have a funny and generous public persona, but you don’t have to scratch much beyond the surface to get to meaner stuff.
@@gforceeatingcorrectI knew him well. Knew Dino , treated Dean Martin badly, facts .
Sad for his family and friends.
Great video mate, you’ve just earned yourself a new subscriber 👍
Being there was always one of my favorite books and movies. He was so good in the role. Today, it is a little dated, but the ending still creates a lot of conversation.
That film is a lot more timeless than dated. I saw it recently and the version of the world in which it exists, while it's clearly not the modern era because 'no cellphones' etcetera, is so removed from average-people's lives that it could be placed anywhere between the '50s and most of the '80s without seeming entirely out-of-place, with only minor details changed. The word 'dated' needs to be reserved for things that really smack you in the face with stuff which harkens to THAT era, not just every movie that you can tell isn't from this decade.
I was introduced to Peter Sellers at an early age and have been a fan for as long as i can remember. My father was a fan of The Goon Show,i was hooked after watching The Mouse That Roared and Two Way Stretch but it was one film that made me see his character playing genius for what it was and that’s completely untouchable.. that film was Heavens Above which to me is only surpassed by Being There
He was very special,i think its a huge mistake that there is now a couple of generations that are no longer fammiliar with his work.
@@orangefacedbuddah1776 agreed. So many talented stars of yesteryear will just be forgotten until a remake or reimagining that will i hope bring new fans to their brilliance
@@thunderwarrior1759 we don't need remakes or reimagining at all,we need to show these old British classics once again.The bbc need to pull there fingers out of there asses and create a space for these movies again.
@@orangefacedbuddah1776 the remake/reimagining nowadays is the only way new eyes will go and seek out classics
@@thunderwarrior1759 a good point.
I think he knew deep down how awful he was and how badly he treated everyone. He chose not to seek medical treatment because he wanted a way out. He got his wish.
Thank you. He also had an established pattern of pursuing and marrying women who were considerably younger than him. His last wife was young enough to be his daughter. The creep meter goes up much higher with that knowledge.
@@Muirmaiden nonsense What d you expect him to have done married a middle aged.hag
The life of comedian Peter Sellers concealed disturbing secrets, shedding light on the complexities behind the laughter.
I just found your channel and consider myself lucky. I've now subscribed and will be enjoying your back catalog. Thank you for creating such interesting videos!
What a train wreck of a personal life! It’s especially sad because his portrayal of Chance the gardener was brilliant. “Being There” is an excellent film. My mom and I saw it at the local “cheap theatre” after its run in the regular theaters. My new classmates didn’t understand why 16yo me thought it was so good. (I like to think it was because I had been raised on good films.)
Wilder [Australian film maker] was unsympathetic about the heart attacks, saying that "you have to have a heart before you can have an attack".😂
@@internetcensure5849 Billy Wilder was Austrian.
His role in Murder by Death was brilliant
Nicely done.
Got to know more about in your short bio while being entertained.
Thanks
My dad introduced the pink panther to me in the early 80s. I had good taste as i like watching faulty towers with my grandparents. I was ounce laughing so hard that i ran out to find my parents because i couldn't breath. My dad was actually around the corner listening to me laughing as hard as i was...
I read the biography about Sellers 'Mr. Strangelove'. Apparently on the set of Being There, the cast and crew heard him talking to Shirley Maclaine on the phone. According to Maclaine, she never spoke to Sellers on the phone. He was pretending to talk to her. He must have had serious mental issues.
Or he was "doing a 'Bob Newhart" sketch.
SHIRLEY YOU CAN'T BE SERIOUS!!!!!
@@nobbynoris😂
@@Otokichi786 😊
Tbh Even though Sellers was obviously disturbed - After watching and reading the comments he strikes me as a pretty complex and interesting person. He seemed to really dislike himself too which shows quite a bit of self awareness