Peter Sallis facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Peter Sallis OBE
Sallis in 2008
Born	Peter John Sallis (1921-02-01)1 February 1921 Twickenham, Middlesex, England
Died	2 June 2017(2017-06-02) (aged 96) Northwood, London, England
Resting place	St John the Evangelist Churchyard, Upperthong, West Yorkshire, England
Occupation	Actor
Years active	1946–2010
Spouse(s)	Elaine Usher ​ ​ (m. 1957; div. 1965)​
Children	Crispian Sallis

Peter John Sallis (1 February 1921 – 2 June 2017) was a famous English actor. He was best known for two very different roles.

He was the voice of Wallace in the amazing Wallace and Gromit films. These films even won Oscars! Peter Sallis also played Norman "Cleggy" Clegg in the popular TV show Last of the Summer Wine. He was in every single episode from 1973 until the show ended in 2010. That's 295 episodes! He even played Norman Clegg's dad in a show called First of the Summer Wine. Even though Peter Sallis grew up in London, both Wallace and Clegg were characters from Northern England.

Peter Sallis appeared in many other TV shows too, like Danger Man, The Avengers, and Doctor Who. He was also in some movies, including the spooky The Curse of the Werewolf (1961).

Peter Sallis's Early Life

Peter John Sallis was born on 1 February 1921 in Twickenham, England. He was the only child of Dorothy and Harry Sallis. His dad was a bank manager. After school, Peter first worked in a bank, dealing with shipping.

Later, he became a wireless mechanic. He even taught radio procedures for the RAF.

Peter Sallis's Acting Career

Starting in Theatre

Peter Sallis started acting for fun while he was in the RAF. One of his students asked him to be the main actor in a play. He enjoyed it so much that he decided to become a professional actor after the war. He even won a special scholarship to train at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art. His first professional acting job in London was in 1946.

He spent three years acting in different plays before getting his first speaking role in London in 1949. In the 1950s and 1960s, he acted in many plays. He even worked with famous director Orson Welles. Peter Sallis also appeared in the first London production of the musical Cabaret in 1968, alongside Judi Dench.

In 1964, Peter Sallis made his first appearance on Broadway in New York City. He played Dr. Watson in a musical called Baker Street, which was based on the Sherlock Holmes stories. The show ran for six months.

Television and Film Roles

Peter Sallis had his first big TV role in 1958, playing Samuel Pepys in a BBC show. He appeared in popular shows like Danger Man and Maigret. In 1967, he was in the Doctor Who story The Ice Warriors, playing a scientist named Elric Penley.

He also acted in many British films during the 1960s and 1970s. Some of these included Saturday Night and Sunday Morning (1960) and The Curse of the Werewolf (1961).

In 1973, Peter Sallis was cast in a TV pilot that became the first episode of Last of the Summer Wine. He played Norman Clegg, a quiet man who loved a peaceful life. He was the only actor to appear in every episode of the show, from 1973 to 2010. In 1988, he also played Clegg's father in First of the Summer Wine, a show set before Last of the Summer Wine.

He also appeared in the children's show The Ghosts of Motley Hall (1976–78). In this show, he played Arnold Gudgin, an estate agent who wanted to protect a special old house.

Voice Acting and Wallace and Gromit

Peter Sallis was also a talented voice actor. He narrated a show called Rocky Hollow (1983). He was also the voice of Rat in the British TV series The Wind in the Willows (1984–89). This show used stop motion animation, which is a type of animation where models are moved slightly and photographed frame by frame. This was similar to his later work with Aardman Animations.

In 1983, a student animator named Nick Park asked Peter Sallis to voice a character he had created: Wallace, an inventor who loves cheese. Peter Sallis agreed to do it for a small donation to his favorite charity. The first Wallace and Gromit film, Wallace and Gromit: A Grand Day Out, was released in 1989 and won a BAFTA award.

Peter Sallis continued to voice Wallace in the Oscar-winning films The Wrong Trousers (1993) and A Close Shave (1995). He also voiced Wallace in the Oscar-winning movie Wallace & Gromit: The Curse of the Were-Rabbit (2005). For this role, he won an Annie Award for best voice acting. His last role as Wallace was in 2010 for Wallace and Gromit's World of Invention. After this, he retired from acting because of his health.

His Autobiography

In 2006, Peter Sallis wrote a book about his life called Fading into the Limelight. He talked about his 36 years on Last of the Summer Wine. He also shared stories about how long it took to make the first Wallace and Gromit film, A Grand Day Out, which took six years to finish! He said that playing Wallace made him much more well-known to the public.

Peter Sallis's Personal Life

Peter Sallis married actress Elaine Usher in 1957. Their relationship was sometimes difficult, and they divorced in 1965. However, they became close again in 1983 and lived together until 1999. Peter Sallis remained good friends with Elaine until she passed away in 2014. They had one son, Timothy Crispian, who grew up to be a successful film set designer.

Peter Sallis had an eye condition called macular degeneration, which affected his eyesight. He supported the Macular Society, a charity that helps people with this condition. He even recorded appeals for them on TV and radio.

In 2007, Peter Sallis was given an Order of the British Empire (OBE) award for his contributions to drama. This is a special honor in the UK.

His Passing

Peter Sallis passed away on 2 June 2017, at the age of 96. He was living in a retirement home for actors in Northwood, London. He was buried next to his Last of the Summer Wine co-star, Bill Owen, in a churchyard in Upperthong, Yorkshire. This area is famous for being the setting of Last of the Summer Wine.

Filmography

Film Roles

Television Roles

Video Games

Radio Roles

• Hercule Poirot's Christmas (1986) – Hercule Poirot.
• Living with Betty (1986) – Harold.
• The Adventure of the Norwood Builder (1993) – Jonas Oldacre

See also

In Spanish: Peter Sallis para niños