[2] It was directed by 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.

[3] It also won nine Primetime Emmy Awards, including Outstanding Lead Actor in a Miniseries or Movie for Rush.

In 1950s London, Peter Sellers became a household name as a performer on The Goon Show but failed 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".

Once the casting agent (Alison Steadman), who rejected him earlier, has said that he is perfect for the role, Peter reveals himself and is reluctantly given the part.

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.

Filming of 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).

While on their honeymoon in Hollywood, Peter inhales amyl nitrites during sex, causing him to have a series of eight heart attacks.

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.

Peter's next film is Casino Royale, but with his new lease of life, he wants to play it straight, much to the dismay of everyone involved.

Once the baby is born, Peter and Britt's relationship becomes strained and they fight as the newborn interrupts scenes of After The Fox.

In costume as the "old salty Swedish sea dog", Peter collapses in his trailer while an unaware Blake bangs at his door.

A tired and visibly prematurely aagingPeter walks through the Swiss snow to meet with Blake Edwards, who has the script for The Romance of the Pink Panther.

He sits in the director's chair and shrugs, stands up, and walks through the film's set pieces, surrounded by bustling crew, to his trailer and smiles to the camera, "You can't come in here."

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.

[9] The film achieved its highest theatrical success in Australia, earning over US$1 million at the box office.

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.

[12] Todd McCarthy of 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.