Oscar winner Kevin Spacey was also suggested as someone who might tackle the role of the legendary French policeman. Then, of course, the role went to Steve Martin who has now portrayed Clouseau in a couple of remakes.
 
We have also been treated to Hollywood’s view of the life and times of Sellers with the filming of Roger Lewis' best-selling biography The Life & Death Of Peter Sellers. Again there was debate about who ought to be cast in the title role. Britt Ekland, a former wife of Sellers, was of the opinion that Kevin Kline was the perfect choice to portray her famous husband.

When you recall Kline’s performance in A Fish Called Wanda, you can see where Ms Ekland was coming from. Another one-time contender for the role of the comedy star was Gary Oldman, who had previously portrayed Sid Vicious and President Kennedy’s assassin Lee Harvey Oswald.

There was no doubt that Oldman was a fan of Sellers because he said: "He was one of the greats, but not many people really knew him. He's an absolute master, an interesting guy."
 
Finally the role went to someone who came completely from left field Oscar winner Geoffrey Rush who was cast opposite Charlize Theron as Britt Ekland. In the movie Rush looked and behaved exactly like Sellers. But he confessed that this was a role that he had been reluctant to accept because he was so aware of the burden of portraying such an iconic figure.
 
While Geoffrey Rush, gave the performance his best shot you can’t help feeling that for fans of the late, great Peter Sellers any impersonation was only a pale shadow of the real thing.

The Pink Panther (1963) Blu-ray Special Edition is Available on 9 February 2009 from MGM and Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment

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