How tall was Peter Sellers

Peter Sellers Height

5ft 8 ½ (174 cm)

English actor best remembered for roles in Dr Strangelove, The Pink Panther films, The Ladykillers, I'm All Right Jack, Casino Royale, What's New, Pussycat?, Lolita, Being There and The Party. On his Spotlight casting page in the late 1950's, he was listed as "Height 5 feet 10 ½ inches".
The problem with Peter (Sellers) was he suffered from insecurity and on this particular film he found out that Richard Todd was wearing 'lifts' in his shoes to give him extra height as he is fairly short. This was nothing new for Richard but Peter assumed he was trying to upstage him in their scenes together so he started wearing lifts as well. I thought it was all a bit silly especially as I was taller than both of them so when we had a scene with all three of us I also wore lifts.
- from This is Local London

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Add a Comment76 comments

Average Guess (21 Votes)
5ft 8.17in (173.1cm)
Sinclair said on 11/Dec/22
Rob, doesn’t Peter Sellers look more 5’8.25” than 5’8.5”, around the two minute mark below?

Click Here

I’d advise for Sellers’ and Jean Gabin’s height listings to swap.
Editor Rob
There's many listings that can be argued plus or minus a fraction. With Sellers, I'm ok at 5ft 8.5 but haven't watched much recently of him.
Sinclair said on 9/Nov/22
Rob, I respectfully call for a slight downgrade for Sellers. Herbert Lom’s listing is perfect at 5’7.75”.

Please see 1:32:31 below; half an inch maximum between Lom and Sellers.

Click Here
Sinclair said on 11/Sep/22
Rob, how possible is 5'8.25"?
5'7 and a bit said on 6/Jun/22
I'm not gonna lie Rob, When I watched my first and only Inspector Clouseau film "A Shot in the Dark" he looked just like you!
In other films when he's a bit older, no. But in THAT film he most certainly did. Not to mention a similar stature.
Throughout the entire film, it felt like watching Big Rob but with just a moustache!
Editor Rob
I wish I had the comedic acting talents of Sellers!
Sinclair said on 3/Jun/22
Sellers did give Herbert Lom’s 5’7.75” a run for its money but lifts? Either way, Sellers was still more likely a strong 5’8” than a flat 5’8”. Lom could have peaked at a flat 5’8”.
Sinclair said on 6/May/22
Definitely nothing under 5’8” but 5’8.5” is pushing it a bit. Denny Miller and George Sanders understandably did make Sellers look like a mini man.
Sinclair said on 23/Feb/22
Rob, how tall would you say Peter Arne was? 5’9.5”?

In The Return of the Pink Panther, Arne had a good inch at least on Sellers and Grégoire Aslan.
Editor Rob
Would have thought not far off 5ft 10 peak
Sinclair said on 10/Mar/21
Rob, how tall would you say Martin Benson was?

In A Shot In The Dark, Benson seemed to have 2-3 inches on Sellers.
Editor Rob
yeah he did look at least a couple of inches taller so nearing 5ft 11 is possible, though I can't remember seeing a spotlight height for him, sometimes actors only had one a couple of times and removed it.
Arch Stanton said on 29/Jan/21
Sellers was a tortured soul like a lot of brilliant creatives, drank too much and took a lot of drugs. 54 sounds about right for somebody like him, similar lifeline and era to jazz pianist Bill Evans, whose life was one long suicide. I never thought Sellers looked 5'10-5'11. he could look about 5 ft 9 at times.
The5'11Dude said on 24/Jan/21
He's only 5'8? I thought he was 5'10-5'11 next to 6'5 Stering Hayden in Dr. Strangelove, but I can see how he was 5'8.
Sinclair said on 9/Aug/20
The height of Peter Sellers is difficult to pinpoint. In most of the Pink Panther films, he could pull off 5’8” easily and looks more 5’8.5” than 5’8” in The Return of the Pink Panther and The Pink Panther Strikes Again. Sellers looks taller than 5’8” listed Colin Blakely in the latter film. Sellers really didn’t look much over a flat 5’8” in The Ladykillers or in Revenge of The Pink Panther but I recall Sellers seemed taller than Herbert Lom in all of their films together. Sellers could have worn lifts in all of his films, but I still suspect at peak, Sellers was a true 5’8.25” barefoot.
Miss Sandy Cowell said on 8/Sep/19
Blimey! I have just found out that Peter was only 54 when he died. How sad. This great comedian would have turned 94 today.

RIP Peter, funny guy. XXX

5ft8.5. 💐
avi said on 20/Dec/17
@Rob
You really think he was more than 2 inches taller than Ringo Starr? I'd say 2 tops.
Editor Rob
it could have been just 2.
Shredder said on 17/Oct/17
Rob , would you say the 5'7 some seem to think was impossible?
Editor Rob
seems hard to believe, unless he was permanently in lifts.
Shredder said on 13/Oct/17
WOW at Bob hoskins , that is just crazy ha ha. As for Sellers , would you rule out 5'9 ? I always thought he was closer to 5'9 than 5'8.
Editor Rob
I am not sure of a full 5ft 9. I think it's a classic 2 inch boost, it was in the late 50's, and then by 60's he had the claim removed.

to be fair to Hoskins, he did subsequently go with 5ft 6 as his height.
Shredder said on 13/Oct/17
Rob , did he basically claim to be 5'10.5?
Editor Rob
yes, a lot of heights are a bit inflated from actors in their spotlight pages, when I find it again I will photograph it for posterity.

Some actors have a height but only in 1 or a few editions, then they get it removed as they realise how silly it was....look at the Bob Hoskins example from mid 70's I found.
Seb said on 25/Sep/17
I remember reading in a magazine in the 60's where his Britt Ekland, his then wife, stated that he was 5'7. This is the height that I've always thought he was.
Alex2401 said on 10/Jul/17
Looks solid 175cm to me
Shredder said on 1/Jul/17
Rob , how tall do you really think this Roger Field guy was? He use to have a pic up next to him and claimed Peter was 5'10 or 5'11 , his comment is on this page dating Sept 12 06.
Editor Rob
shredder, I couldn't tell you if he was almost 5ft 9 as he claimed.

I don't delete much email, so I found the photo should you want to see: it Click Here.

Sellers might be a bit closer to the camera, it's hard to tell exactly how much. I'm sure if he wore lifts at times or heeled boots, he could have passed for 5ft 9-9.5 to people.
Arch Stanton said on 4/Mar/17
Guys like Sellers, Todd, Sinatra etc were average height for their era but thought of themselves and got called short. There were a lot of tall actors around during that era affecting the average in Hollywood! You look at the average male star from the classic period and 6'2 is more common than 5 ft 6 or 7!
Arch Stanton said on 4/Mar/17
You're clueless Bobby! Looks 5'8.5-5'9 in After the Fox with Victor Mature and Martin Balsam. He was eye level with Mature and easily 2 inches taller than Balsam.
josh jeffords said on 4/Nov/16
Funny guy bridged comedy and action better than most of his era.
Again rob think your spot on looked about average maybe a little short but not too short.
Gotta say he wore a lot of weird shoes so flat height is tough but other than role lifting i buy 5 8.5.
Hilarity actors from 50s were short? yeah i can think of a dozen top of my head now under 5 8...
Unless your playing a big ass monster you dont need to be over 6 4 hell frankenstein guy was 5 11 without shoes.
Aza said on 31/Oct/16
Loved his acting in The Party ( birdie num nums) and legendary fights with Kati. Actually thought he was possibly just over 5'7?
Bobby said on 17/Oct/16
I always thought he looked really short in his movies, especially as Inspector Closeau in the Pink Panther movies. Was he wearing lifts then? Regardless for his time, being 5'8 was quite average. If you watch the older movies from the 50s, a lot of male actors were 5'8, not many exceeded the 6'0 mark. Much less reached 5'11.
Arch Stanton said on 2/Oct/16
I once thought he was 5 ft 7 range but have sene most of his films and I reckon he was a comfortable 5 ft 8. Wore lifts in some of those late 50s films where he played authority figures like the one cited with Todd and I'm Alright Jack. 5'8.25-5 peak. By Fu Manchu his last film though could look 5 ft 7 range, very frail.
Editor Rob
his shoes at time could look a bit thick at Laces area
charlie said on 22/Jun/16
He was more like 5 ft 6.He never struck me as a 5 ft 8 man.I am going to say peter Sellers appears 5 ft 6 inches .In The party he is standing beside Denny Miller (Wyoming Bill' Kelso) who is listed as 6 ft 4 inches. Peter Sellers was a good 10 inches shorter which would put him at 5 ft 6 inches.
Arch Stanton said on 21/Oct/14
@Sam Yeah in a lot of films he really doesn't give an over 5'8" impression, especially in Shot in the Dark next to George Sanders. The thing is there's a scene in The Millionairess in which he looks about 2-2.5 inches taller in shoes than Sophia Loren barefoot. Loren looked a strong 5'7 barefoot next to Brando in the mediocre Countess from Hong Kong so I think actually 5'8.5" might be accurate. Also he looked a bit more than 5'8" flat to Shirley MacLaine in Being There, although the next year when he shot Fu Manchu he was looking really frail and more 5'7" range before his death.
Sam said on 23/Sep/14
If Sellers was around more recently I'm sure he would have gotten some straight dramatic roles like Sandler, Ferrell and Robin Williams have tried, I bet he could have gone darker than those guys, even Williams, there was an undercurrent of creepiness in his some of his comic roles, especially Lolita.
I think Sellers could have been more a flat 5'8".
the shredder said on 30/Jun/14
Here he claimed 5'9
avi said on 16/Jun/14
@Arch Stanton

I agree he can look 5'7.5 then look 5'8.5. I think he was a 5'8 guy. He wasnt near 5'9.
Looks 5'8 in the Party.
Is "I love you Alice B Toklas" a movie worth watching?
I agree the party was good and he definitely influenced many comedians. He's the greatest comedian of all time IMO. Love his quotes too about how there's no actual him he got it surgically removed. A very complex guy.

I don't think Shirley Maclaine was much over 5'6. Sellers at 5'8 is very likely. He is listed as this . He wouldn't edge Rob out. I just have that feeling :)

And haha about Connor measuring in the mansion!
Arch Stanton said on 2/Jun/14
Click Here

If I was ever rich and owned a mansion I'd get a room done out to exact specifications of it! It actually looks like it's a chamber on a big liner like Titanic or something though doesn't it. Green is a very relaxing colour!
Arch Stanton said on 2/Jun/14
Click Here

If I was ever rich and owned a mansion I'd get a room done out to exact specifications of it! It actually looks like it's a chamber on a big liner like Titanic or something though doesn't it. Green is a very relaxing colour!

Perhaps Sellers should have been in 2001 Space, rather than The Party. Even better he could have played Hrundi V. Bakshi in space who had the p*ss taken out of him by HAL 9000 :-) How awesome was that green room at the end of 2001 though, the set designer should definitely have won loads of awards!
Arch Stanton said on 2/Jun/14
Perhaps Sellers should have been in 2001 Space, rather than The Party. Even better he could have played Hrundi V. Bakshi in space who had the p*ss taken out of him by HAL 9000 :-) How awesome was that green room at the end of 2001 though, the set designer should definitely have won loads of awards!
Sam said on 2/Jun/14
Sellers is the only actor I can think of who Kubrick brought back more than once after he started making casting decisions (so post Kirk Douglas/Timothy Carey), besides that bald British man. Sellers and Kubrick went together surprisingly well.
The Party is definitely amusing, a bit charmingly dated like I Love You, Alice B. Tolkas. You can definitely see Sellers' influence all over people like Sacha Baron Cohen.
Arch Stanton said on 1/Jun/14
Yeah Lolita was great. I love his persona in that but unfortunately we didn't see enough of him in it. I rather like The Party, but I know it's not the greatest film ever made.I find it hugely enjoyable, although when the elephant arrives and the it gets to the foam party it gets a bit silly. The first half is top notch though. Birdie Num Nums LMAO!!
Sam said on 30/May/14
He is the best thing in Lolita to me, he thoroughly seems to be enjoying his depravity, with an almost punk-rock nihilism while he mocks James Mason with his funny voices.
Arch Stanton said on 11/May/14
That was my impression Avi that he looked barely 5 ft 8 a lot but actually if you see him in Being There with 5'7" Shirley MacLaine he actually still looked nearer 5'8.5" than 5'7" range in comparison, although in Fu Manchu he really looked small and frail.
avi said on 10/May/14
hes not even a true 5'8. its been known he was "almost 5'8" as hes appeared this range in most films. really time for a downgrade because he never claimed over 5'8
the shredder said on 12/Apr/14
looks like Rob's height.
Sam said on 1/Apr/14
I agree, he could seem to be close to 5'8" flat a lot. I don't know when weight came into the discussion but he certainly could have been close to 175 pounds at least in the 1950s, he was somewhat baby-faced and chubby, obviously thinning out by the early 1960s.
Arch Stanton said on 31/Mar/14
He looked 5'7.5" in his last films but I doubt he was that low peak, see him next to Burt Kwouk and Herbert Lom for instance. You could argue 5 ft 8 flat but I don't think lower peak anyway.
avi said on 24/Sep/13
@arch Stanton
Seems a weak 5'8 guy I think he was 5'7.5 . He can appear close to 5'8 with taller actors like Niven and Wagner.not sure why Rob still has him at 5'8.5 when evidence leans towards a weak 5'8.
Arch Stanton said on 30/Aug/13
He had a about 1.5' on a heeled Shelley Winters in Lolita, this could have been his peak height, although generally I think he looked more a flat 5'8".
Arch Stanton said on 13/Aug/13
He was on the shorter side of average and was thin framed, in fact my his later films he could look 5'7" and nearer 140 pounds than 160. He looked a 5'7" er and rather frail and unwell in Fu Manchu.
Arch Stanton said on 13/Aug/13
175 pounds?? More 155-160 pounds.
Arch Stanton said on 31/May/13
Rob, do you think its possible that he lost height by the time of his death? He was only about 55 but his lifestyle really took its toll on him, if you've seen Fu Manchu his last film he looked a good ten years older and really did look 5'7" range in that film.
Editor Rob
some people would lose height by 50's, it's certainly plausible he falls into that category.
Arch Stanton said on 17/May/13
He looks an easy 5 ft 8 in Shot in the Dark. Plus he is a shade taller than Herbert Lom who is listed at 5'9 1/4, more 5'8"! But I think he lost an inch by his later years, he looked 5'7" range towards the end.
Arch Stanton said on 21/Apr/13
Rob compare how he looks Click Here in comparison to Ekland, now compare yourself. Her heels don't look very big either. Not a chance of anything over 5'8" in my opinion.
Arch Stanton said on 21/Apr/13
Yeah Rob I think you have him a little high here. He could look 5'7" range a lot, certainly by his later films. I don't think you could argue he was anything above a flat 5'8". 174cm is too high in my opinion, more 172-173cm I think.
Shaun said on 28/Aug/12
guyfrommars says on 29/Dec/10
5ft8 was his "official" height. He had a serious height complex, and wore lifts in movies. I believe he was never taller than 5ft7 barefoot.

Don't know if you've seen The Party or not but at the beginning there is a scene where he chases his shoe and you can see he is wearing low white dresses shoes. He was towered over by the legit 6'4" actor in it in the same way Rob is towered by 6'4"-6'5" guys in picture but at the same time he didn't look under 5'8". 5 ft 7 is possible but 5 ft 5 is plain ridiculous.
Jimbo said on 24/Aug/12
Absolutely no way is Sellers 5' 8.5" . If he was 5'6" I'd be very surprised. In fact, I heard him give a humorous interview, wherein he was going for a medical exam. He said he was 5'7". The doc told him to stand to be measured, and it turned out he was 5'5".
Martyr said on 26/Dec/11
Looks 5'8.5 next to George Harrison, sounds right to me...
short man syndrome said on 23/Dec/11
Sellers once wrote a love letter to his wife Britt Ekland, asking why she was with him:
"I'm not handsome. I'm not tall. I'm not special in any way."
He was a comedic genius but also a troubled man, his height just one thing he felt insecure about.
short man syndrome said on 23/Dec/11
he was very insecure about his height and constantly questioning why someone like Britt Ekland was with him.
avi said on 4/Dec/11
Rob, have you seen many of his movies? He clearly wouldn't be taller than you i think he is weak 5'8.Appears 5'8 in almost every movie.
Mr.V said on 4/Apr/11
Sellers wasn't only 5'7" , he looked 1-2 inches taller than Martin Balsam in "After The Fox" . This 5'8.5 sounds right .
guyfrommars said on 29/Dec/10
5ft8 was his "official" height. He had a serious height complex, and wore lifts in movies. I believe he was never taller than 5ft7 barefoot.
trueheight said on 25/Jan/09
always looked a strong 5'10. I'm surprised he's 5'8.5
adam said on 11/Jan/09
I agree: How can he be over 5-8 since he looked about 10 inches shorter than Sterling Hayden!!!
Frank2 said on 3/Aug/08
Sellers was short. No more than 5'7". He wore enormous lifts especially in BEING THERE.
OutBenchThis said on 28/Apr/08
In his scenes next to Denny Miller (6'4") he looks a full 9 inches smaller than Miller. Miller was wearing boots and Sellers casuals. He doesn't look small in most films but when he was next to a tall guy (6'4") he really did look 5'7"
the shredder said on 26/Apr/07
I have never doubt Glenn's height , but Im not sure if Roger is 5'9 barefoot ... Is that in shoes man ??? Next to Robin Williams you do look 5'7 + !

Well , I was watching A Shot in the Dark and both Burt Kwouk and Sellers are both barefoot in a scene ... Burt Kwouk was around 5'6 and Sellers only looked around 5'8 when they were both barefoot ! ... Also in the first Panther film 5'11 Robert Wagner has a good 3 inches on Sellers ! ... Sellers was about 5'8 barefoot , no more then that !
Mr Mayfair said on 1/Apr/07
Maybe 5.9, never the 5.11 he claimed and that was according to his son.
Weight the problem: 13-14 stone.
Gonzalo said on 14/Feb/07
He looks taller than 5`9 in that pic, which is really surprising. I thought he would be around 5`8. He has never looked around 5`11 in his films. There has to be something we are missing on that picture.
the shredder said on 7/Dec/06
i always thought 5'9 although he has also been listed at 5'8 and claimed 5'11 ! well , Frank2 said 5'7 , but theres no doubt that he does not look about 5'10 in this pic with Roger ! if his shoes are normal in this pic , then i would say aleast 5'9 , if not then ill go with 5'8 ...
Anonymous said on 14/Sep/06
Hi Rob, I sent you the photo of Peter Sellers and myself yesterday, also of myself with Peter Ustinov and Robin Williams. Roger Field

Editor Rob
unfortunately I never received it. You could use www.imageshack.us to upload a photo (rather simply) and then send me the link to the photo that way...
Glenn said on 13/Sep/06
Wow.I always thought he was 5-9 tops.maybe even 5-8.
Roger Field said on 12/Sep/06
Peter Sellers was significantly taller than 5'8.5" as seen in this photo taken of Peter Sellers (left) and myself in Munich in 1975 during the filming of "The Pink Panther Strikes Again." I am almost 5'9" without shoes and even though I am standing slightly behind Peter, I remember that he was about 5'10" or 5'11" (without shoes) and I felt small next to him because even he looked small in his films. I had just seen "The Optimists" and I found Peter to be such a great dramatic actor that I suspected that he might prefer this to comedy. I asked him while he was having dinner and he told me that he preferred comedy. Note please that he was not wearing his Clouseau moustache! I took some nice photos of him.

Editor Rob
you'd need to include a url to the pic or email it to me so that it can be seen, please try, it would be interesting to see it
Roger Field said on 12/Sep/06
I spoke to Peter Sellers in 1975 0r 76 in Munich during a Pink Panther shoot.
he was about 5'10" without shoes, mabe 5'11." I am about 5'9" without shoes and I was surprised at how much taller than me he was. I don't think he was wearing lifts.
Glenn said on 18/Jul/06
I agree.5-9 tops.TOPS.5-11 I read.
the shredder said on 17/Jul/06
to me he looked about 5'9 in return of the pink panther ! other pink panther movies .... he did look closer to 5'8 ! 5'6 - 5'7 is possiable if he wore lifts ?
Frank2 said on 8/Apr/06
Hayden was 6'5".
larry said on 8/Apr/06
5'7" sounds about right. Sterling Hayden looked 10" taller in "Dr. Strangelove". Wasn't Hayden my size (about 6'5")? How 'bout it Frank2?
Frank2 said on 8/Mar/06
Peter was about 5'7". No more than that. He went around telling people he was 5'11" which is just plain silly. And Richard Todd was really short, possibly only 5'6".
Bleemo said on 30/Oct/05
How is 5ft8.5 kind of short? that's my height! .5 of an inch shorter then average height is not short most people won't even notice it so I am guessing he's more like 5ft7 or something.
CelebHeights Editor said on 15/Mar/05
In a 'This is Local London' article by Paul Smith, an actor revealed: "The problem with Peter (Sellers) was he suffered from insecurity and on this particular film he found out that Richard Todd was wearing 'lifts' in his shoes to give him extra height as he is fairly short. This was nothing new for Richard but Peter assumed he was trying to upstage him in their scenes together so he started wearing lifts as well. I thought it was all a bit silly especially as I was taller than both of them so when we had a scene with all three of us I also wore lifts". I wonder if some of the A-list actors these days have a 'no co-star shall wear lifts' demand in their contract!

Heights are barefeet estimates, derived from quotations, official websites, agency resumes, in person encounters with actors at conventions and pictures/films.

Other vital statistics like weight or shoe size measurements have been sourced from newspapers, books, resumes or social media.

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