One of Britain’s best loved comedians who made his name in The Goon Show, Peter Sellers died in London on 24 July, 1980, at the age of 54.

Best known for his roles in Dr Strangelove and the Pink Panther series – which he appeared in even after his death thanks to outtakes from the previous films - he built a reputation as a versatile actor who could capture an audience’s attention in both comedic and dramatic roles.

He was also the first man to grace the cover of Playboy, appearing with Karen Lynn on the front of the April issue in 1964.

But his witty onscreen persona hid a troubled personal life in which fear of failure led to a string of broken marriages and alcohol and drug abuse and fuelled his eccentric and often violent behaviour.

Richard Henry Sellers was born on 8 September, 1925, in Portsmouth into a family of entertainers and spent his early years on the vaudeville circuit, attending dance classes in Southsea and London before joining St Aloysuis’ School for Boys.

Called Peter by his parents in memory of his older stillborn brother, he spent his teenage years playing the drums in a jazz band while also mastering the banjo and ukulele until the Second World War broke out and he joined the RAF, serving in Asia, France and Germany and signing up to the Entertainments National Service Association where he honed his performance skills.

After the war, Mr Sellers sought a job with the BBC, phoning up Show Time producer Roy Speer and impersonating radio star Kenneth Horne to recommend himself for a position and before long his impressionist skills were put to good use playing off-the-wall characters such as Major Bloodnok, Bluebottle and Henry Crun on The Goon Show.

His film career was also starting to take off with parts in British films including The Ladykillers in 1955 and I’m Alright Jack in 1959 for which he won a Best Actor Bafta while international stardom beckoned with The Mouse That Roared in which he played three different roles, and The Millionairess with Sophia Loren in 1960.

He went on to make his most memorable films during the 1960s, with roles in Kubrick’s Lolita in 1962 and the comedy Dr Strangelove, which earned him a Best Actor Oscar nod in 1964, while also starring as the bumbling Inspector Clouseau in The Pink Panther in 1963 and its sequel A Shot In The Dark in 1964, a role which he returned to in a further three times during his career.

His private life was, however, substantially less successful than his professional career with his marriages to actress Anne Howe, actress Britt Eckland and model Miranda Quarry all ending in divorce while he died after three years of marriage to his fourth wife, Lynne Frederick .

During the late 1960s, his box office appeal began to fade and although he continued to work, his films, save for the Pink Panther sequels, did not repeat the success of previous years, until in 1979, his performance as a simple gardener in Being There won him a Golden Globe and earned him an Oscar nomination for Best Actor.

Mr Sellers suffered from health problems during the later part of his life following a major heart attack at the age of 39 and despite having a pacemaker fitted, he failed to survive a second massive heart attack in The Dorchester Hotel in London, just a few days before a reunion dinner with his Goon Show partners Spike Milligan and Harry Secombe .

An acclaimed actor, he earned his three Oscar nods, numerous Golden Globe nominations and a Bafta but his demanding personality and violent outbursts often vexed his fellow actors and directors.

The ups and downs of his life have been recorded in several biographies with Roger Lewis’ account, The Life And Death Of Peter Sellers adapted for the 2004 film of the same title which starred Geoffrey Rush.

His love of absurd humour was perhaps best encapsulated in his decision to have Glenn Miller’s song In The Mood played at his funeral despite the fact he hated the song.

For all his faults, he remained highly esteemed for his artistic talents and was voted one of the top 20 greatest comedy acts by those within the industry in a 2005 poll The Comedian’s Comedian.