Release calendarTop 250 moviesMost popular moviesBrowse movies by genreTop box officeShowtimes & ticketsMovie newsIndia movie spotlight
    What's on TV & streamingTop 250 TV showsMost popular TV showsBrowse TV shows by genreTV news
    What to watchLatest trailersIMDb OriginalsIMDb PicksIMDb SpotlightFamily entertainment guideIMDb Podcasts
    OscarsPrimetime EmmysToronto Int'l Film FestivalFall TV GuideMost Anticipated This MonthSTARmeter AwardsAwards CentralFestival CentralAll events
    Born todayTrending peopleCelebrity news
    IMDb LabsHelp centerContributor zonePolls
For industry professionals
  • Language
  • Fully supported
  • English (United States)
    Partially supported
    Some content may be auto-translated
  • Français (Canada)
  • Français (France)
  • Deutsch (Deutschland)
  • हिंदी (भारत)
  • Italiano (Italia)
  • Português (Brasil)
  • Español (España)
  • Español (México)
Watchlist
Sign in
  • Fully supported
  • English (United States)
    Partially supported
    Some content may be auto-translated
  • Français (Canada)
  • Français (France)
  • Deutsch (Deutschland)
  • हिंदी (भारत)
  • Italiano (Italia)
  • Português (Brasil)
  • Español (España)
  • Español (México)
Use app
Back
  • Biography
  • Awards
  • Trivia
IMDbPro
Peter Sallis at an event for Wallace & Gromit: The Curse of the Were-Rabbit (2005)

Biography

Peter Sallis

Overview

  • Born
    February 1, 1921 · Twickenham, Middlesex, England, UK
  • Died
    June 2, 2017 · Denville Hall, Northwood, Hillingdon, London, England, UK (natural causes)
  • Birth name
    Peter John Sallis
  • Height
    5′ 6″ (1.68 m)

Mini bio

  • Peter started off as a junior bank clerk but he had always been interested in the theatre and went every week to the Intimate Theatre in Palmers Green in London which was run by actor John Clements. Serving in the RAF as a radio instructor one of his pupils was Peter Bridge (now a theatre impresario) who later asked him to play David Bliss in his production of 'Hay Fever', He enjoyed the experience so much that he decided to make the theatre his profession.
    - IMDb mini biography by: Tonyman 5

Family

  • Spouse
      Elaine Usher(February 9, 1957 - 1965) (divorced, 1 child)
  • Children
      Crispian Sallis
  • Parents
      Harry Sallis
      Dorothy Sallis
  • Relatives
      (2)(Grandchild)
      Alfred Sallis(Grandparent)
      Ada Sallis(Grandparent)
      Elsa Francesca HeyI(Aunt or Uncle)
      Frank Sallis(Aunt or Uncle)

Trademark

  • His distinctive, soft-spoken voice, used to great effect in Wallace and Gromit
  • His convincing northern accent in Last of the Summer Wine (1973) and Wallace and Gromit

Trivia

  • He was the only actor to appear in all 295 episodes of Last of the Summer Wine (1973).
  • He chose to be buried in the graveyard of St John's Church, Holmfirth, Yorkshire - filming location for the long-running sitcom, Last of the Summer Wine (1973), in which he played "Clegg" - in the next grave to his friend and fellow Last of the Summer Wine (1973) actor, Bill Owen, who had died in 1999.
  • He did some dubbing work on the English soundtrack of Orson Welles' movie The Trial (1962), flying to Paris for a few days to do so. His agent told him he was unlikely to be paid anything for this, not even traveling expenses. Sallis replied that, on the contrary, he would be prepared to pay for the honor of working with Welles, whom he has always described as one of the two true geniuses he has worked with in his long career, the other being Nick Park.
  • He was in attendance at the The 78th Annual Academy Awards (2006) ceremony with Nick Park and Helena Bonham Carter.
  • He was awarded the O.B.E. (Officer of the Order of the British Empire) in the 2007 Queen Elizabeth's Birthday Honors List for his services to drama.

Quotes

  • [on Orson Welles] Orson Welles always draws the public interest, but he was no better than anyone else.
  • [on John Gielgud] John Gielgud was a personal favourite because he was such a stickler for the truth. When he saw me outside the Strand Theatre with Honor Blackman when we were in Wait Until Dark he said hello and asked me what I was doing and I said 'I'm in this'. He said 'Ah, ah, I hear the girl is very good'. I could have been playing the butler for all he knew.
  • I've been lucky enough to keep going and I realise now, though it's taken me nearly 100 years, that my voice is distinctive. I'm very lucky indeed.
  • I had another friend who lived nearby and with him I had my one and only homosexual feeling. It lasted for only a few days. But it never came back, I am glad to say, and from that time on I have been what you might call 'normal'.

Salary

  • Wallace & Gromit: A Grand Day Out (1990) - £50

Contribute to this page

Suggest an edit or add missing content
  • Learn more about contributing
Edit page

More from this person

  • View agent, publicist, legal and company contact details on IMDbPro

More to explore

Recently viewed

You have no recently viewed pages
Get the IMDb app
Sign in for more accessSign in for more access
Follow IMDb on social
Get the IMDb app
For Android and iOS
Get the IMDb app
  • Help
  • Site Index
  • IMDbPro
  • Box Office Mojo
  • License IMDb Data
  • Press Room
  • Advertising
  • Jobs
  • Conditions of Use
  • Privacy Policy
  • Your Ads Privacy Choices
IMDb, an Amazon company

© 1990-2026 by IMDb.com, Inc.