Peter Sallis

Peter John Sallis{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2017/06/06/movies/peter-sallis-dead-wallace-and-gromit.html|title=Peter Sallis, Voice of 'Wallace and Gromit' Cartoons, Dies at 96|work=The New York Times |date=6 June 2017 |last1=Sandomir |first1=Richard }} was born on 1 February 1921 in Twickenham, Middlesex (now in Greater London), the only child of bank manager Harry Sallis (1889–1964) and Dorothy Amea Frances (née Barnard; 1891–1975).Who's Who in the Theatre, 16th edition, Ian Herbert et al, 1977, p.1094Summer Wine and Other Stories, Peter Sallis, 2014, John Blake Publishing, p.4 After attending Minchenden Grammar School in Southgate, Sallis went to work in a bank, working on shipping transactions. He and his family moved to Leigh-on-Sea in Essex, after his mother had fallen in love with her physician. But he continued to attend school, for a year, at Minchenden. After the outbreak of the Second World War, he joined the Royal Air Force. He was unable to serve as aircrew because of a serum albumin disorder and was told he might black out at high altitudes.{{Cite web |last=Longmire |first=Becca |date=2017-06-05 |title=Peter Sallis dead: Last of the Summer Wine actor passes away aged 96 |url=https://www.express.co.uk/celebrity-news/813334/Peter-Sallis-dead-Last-of-the-Summer-Wine-actor-passes-away-aged-96-Wallace-and-Gromit |access-date=2023-11-23 |website=Express.co.uk |language=en}}{{Better source needed|date=November 2023|reason=It is possible the Express article got the information from Wikipedia, so an older or more reliable source would be helpful}} He became a wireless mechanic instead and went on to teach radio procedures at RAF Cranwell for which he won a Korda Scholarship.

Sallis appeared in the Hal Prince-produced musical She Loves Me in 1963. Sallis later appeared in a 1979 TV Movie adaptation of She Loves Me based of the 1963 musical, although he played the role of Ladislav Sipos instead of Mr. Maraczek. The 1963 musical of She Loves Me was a big success and it led to him making his Broadway debut the following year. Prince was the director of a musical based on the work of Arthur Conan Doyle's Sherlock Holmes called Baker Street. Sallis was asked by Prince to take the role of Dr. Watson to Fritz Weaver's Sherlock Holmes. The show ran for six months on Broadway.{{cite book|title=Fading into The Limelight|first=Peter|last=Sallis|isbn=978-1-4091-0572-5|date=18 September 2008|publisher=Orion }} Just before Baker Street ended he was offered the role of Wally in John Osborne's Inadmissible Evidence, which had been played by Arthur Lowe in London with Nicol Williamson reprising the lead role. The production was troubled with Williamson hitting producer David Merrick with a bottle and walking out before being persuaded to continue. The show was a minor success and ran for six months in New York, opening at the Belasco Theatre before transferring to the Shubert Theater. Sallis reprised his role in the 1968 film adaptation. Later, he was in the first West End production of Cabaret in 1968 opposite Judi Dench.{{Cite news |date=5 June 2017 |title=Wallace and Gromit actor Peter Sallis dies, aged 96 |url=https://www.msn.com/en-us/movies/news/wallace-and-gromit-actor-peter-sallis-dies-aged-96/ar-BBC4QRt |access-date=6 June 2017 |work=msn.com}}

Sallis appeared in more than 150 films and in more than 170 television shows. From 1955–1979 Sallis appeared in many of the ITV and BBC playhouse/play/theatre programmes including ITV Television Playhouse, Play of the Week, Sunday Night Theatre, World Theatre, BBC Sunday Night Play, Musical Playhouse, Armchair Theatre, The Wednesday Play, Play of the Month, Plays of Today, Thirty Minute Theatre, Comedy Playhouse, Play for Today, Armchair Cinema, Playhouse, BBC2 Playhouse and Jackanory Playhouse.

In 1956 Sallis appeared in three episodes of the television series Strange Experiences, playing a different character in each episode, such as criminal Squishy Taylor in the episode "Safe and Sound"; pickpocket Chippy Griggs in the episode "The Pickpocket"; and a Poor Man in the episode "The Inveterate Gambler". Sallis was also the only guest star actor to appear in more than one episode out of all the cast members from the TV series. The episodes "Safe and Sound" and "The Knife Thrower" were first shown in the 1955 TV movie/TV play Fcb TV Show No.1. They were included in the TV movie/TV play to give some idea of how an evening's viewing might appear on the forthcoming ITA channel in London. Both of the episodes where eventually given a separate release on television by themselves as episodes of the TV series Strange Experiences in 1956.

Sallis' first extended television role came in 1958 where he played Samuel Pepys in the BBC serial The Diary of Samuel Pepys. That same year Sallis started in the TV series The Black Arrow as Sir Oliver Oates and he appeared in the TV series The Lost King as abbe Fleuriel in the episode "Monsieur Charles Deslys". In 1959 Sallis played Cady in the 1959 TV series The Widow of Bath based on the book of the same name by Margot Bennett. He appeared in Jango in the episode "Treacle on Three Fingers" (1961) as Oscar Grant. He appeared in Danger Man in the episode "Find and Destroy" (1961) as Gordon.{{cite web |url=https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0553778/ |title="Danger Man" Find and Destroy (1961) |publisher=IMDb |access-date=15 February 2010 }}{{unreliable source?|date=November 2023}}

In 1962 Sallis appeared in Maigret in the episode "The Reluctant Witnesses" as Armand Lachaume. In 1963 Sallis played the lead role of the scientist Mad Willy in the Drama and Mystery series The Chem. Lab. Mystery. In 1964 Sallis played a big role in the TV series The Avengers where played role of Hal Anderson in the episode "The Wringer". He appeared in the BBC Doctor Who story "The Ice Warriors" (1967), playing renegade scientist Elric Penley;{{Cite news |url=http://www.radiotimes.com/blog/2009-06-29/the-ice-warriors |title=The Ice Warriors |last=Mulkern |first=Patrick |access-date=6 June 2017 |work=Radio Times |date=29 June 2009}} and in 1983 was due to play the role of Striker in another Doctor Who serial, "Enlightenment", but had to withdraw.{{Cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Pe2MAgAAQBAJ&pg=PT104 |title=Doctor Who The Episode Guide |last=Campbell |first=Mark |publisher=Oldcastle Books |year=2011 |isbn=978-1-84243-660-8 |page=104}}

Sallis appeared as schoolteacher Mr Gladstone in an episode of the first series of Catweazle in 1970. He was cast in the BBC comedy sitcom series The Culture Vultures (1970), which saw him play stuffy Professor George Hobbs to Leslie Phillips's laid-back rogue Dr Michael Cunningham.{{Cite news |url=http://www.radiotimes.com/news/2017-06-05/last-of-the-summer-wine-and-wallace-and-gromit-actor-peter-sallis-dies-aged-96 |title=Last of the Summer Wine and Wallace and Gromit actor Peter Sallis dies aged 96 |access-date=6 June 2017 |work=Radio Times |date=5 June 2017}} During the production, Phillips was rushed to hospital with an internal haemorrhage and as a result, only five episodes were completed.{{Cite news |url=http://www.curiousbritishtelly.co.uk/2016/10/25-curious-british-tv-comedies-that.html |title=25 Curious British TV Comedies That Only Had One Series |access-date=6 June 2017 |publisher=Curious British Telly}}

He appeared twice in the series Hadleigh, first in 1971 in the episode "Bow to the Lady" as Dakin and again in 1976 in the episode "The Charm Factor" as Strapper Strapton.

He appeared three times in the British police series Softly, Softly: Task Force. First in 1971 in the episode "Cash and Carry" as Lodge, then 1975 in the episode "High Life" as Professor Dowell and in 1976 in the episode "A Shot in the Dark" as Edward Letheridge.

In 1971 Sallis played a lead role in the TV series The Ten Commandments in the episode "The Nineteenth Hole" where he played the second commandment named Gerry.

Sallis started alongside Robin Ellis, Suzanne Neve, Garfield Morgan, Margaret Courtenay, Elvi Hale, John Bryans, Maurice Quick, James Cossins and Arthur Pentelow in the 1971 British TV Series Bel Ami, based on the French novel by Guy de Maupassant. Sallis played the character Norbert de Varenne in four episodes of the series.{{cite web|url=https://www.fernsehserien.de/bel-ami-1971 |title=Bel Ami (1971) |website=fernsehserien.de}}

Sallis acted alongside Roger Moore and Tony Curtis in an episode of The Persuaders! ("The Long Goodbye", 1971).{{Cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=xw_XAAAAMAAJ |title=Contemporary Legend: The Journal of the International Society for Contemporary Legend Research |publisher=Hisarlik Press |year=1995 |volume=5 |page=36}} He appeared in many British films of the 1950s, 1960s and 1970s including Child's Play (1954), Anastasia (1956), The Doctor's Dilemma (1958), The Scapegoat (1959), Saturday Night and Sunday Morning,{{Cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=V7vPDQAAQBAJ&pg=PA1998 |title=The Encyclopedia of British Film: Fourth edition |publisher=Oxford University Press |year=2016 |isbn=978-1-5261-1196-8 |editor-last=McFarlane |editor-first=Brian |page=1998}} Doctor in Love (1960), No Love for Johnnie, The Curse of the Werewolf (1961), I Thank a Fool (1962), The Mouse on the Moon, The V.I.P.s , Clash by Night (1963), The Third Secret (1964), Rapture (1965), Charlie Bubbles, Inadmissible Evidence (1968), The Reckoning, Scream and Scream Again, Taste the Blood of Dracula, My Lover My Son, Wuthering Heights (1970), The Night Digger (1971), The Incredible Sarah (1976), Full Circle (1977) and Who Is Killing the Great Chefs of Europe? (1978).{{Cite book |url=https://archive.org/details/sciencefictionho0002lent/page/1162 |url-access=registration |title=Science fiction, horror and fantasy film and television credits |last=Lentz |first=Harris M. |publisher=McFarland |year=1983 |isbn=978-0-89950-070-6 |page=[https://archive.org/details/sciencefictionho0002lent/page/1162 1162] }}

Sallis appeared in many British TV movies/TV plays of the 1950s, 1960s, 1970s, 1980s and 2000s, including Fcb TV Show No.1 (1955), Kitty Clive (1956), Cinderella (1958), David and Broccoli (1960), Candida (1961), Heart to Heart (1962), Who Killed Lamb?, Graceless Go I (1974), The Secret Agent (1975), Across A Crowded Room (1978), She Loves Me (1979), The Secret Diaries of the Film Censors, A Dangerous Kind of Love, That's Television Entertainment (1986), A Tale of Two Toads (1989) and Belonging (2004).

Additionally in 1968, he was cast as the well-intentioned Coker in a BBC Radio production of John Wyndham's The Day of the Triffids.{{Cite book |url=https://www.penguin.co.uk/books/1113085/john-wyndham-a-bbc-radio-drama-collection/ |title=John Wyndham: A BBC Radio Drama Collection |date=2 March 2017 }}

Sallis played a priest in the TV film Frankenstein: The True Story (1973), and the following year played Mr Bonteen in the BBC period drama The Pallisers.

In 1972, Sallis played Mr. Bruff in three episodes of the 1972 TV series The Moonstone, based on the book of the same name by Wilkie Collins. In the same period he started alongside Edward Woodward, T.P. McKenna, Russell Hunter and William Squire in the TV series Callan in the episode "The Richardmond File: A Man Like Me" as Routledge as well as his role as Sammy Harrison in two episodes of the TV series Kate.

Sallis was cast in the pilot for Comedy Playhouse which became the first episode of Last of the Summer Wine (retrospectively titled Of Funerals and Fish, 1973) as the unobtrusive lover of a quiet life, Norman Clegg.{{cite web|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-27129358 |title=Obituary Peter Sallis |website=bbc.co.uk}} The pilot was successful and the BBC commissioned a series. Sallis had already worked on stage with Michael Bates, who played the self-appointed leader Blamire in the first two series. Sallis played the role of Clegg from 1973 to 2010, and was the only cast member to appear in every episode.{{cite web|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-27129358 |title=Obituary Peter Sallis |website=bbc.co.uk}} He also appeared, in 1988, as Clegg's father in First of the Summer Wine, a prequel to Last of the Summer Wine set in 1939.

In 1974 Sallis started alongside Glyn Owen, Isobel Black, John Thaw, Roland Curram, Jill Dixon and John Bown in the TV show The Capone Investment.{{cite web|url=https://www.tvtime.com/show/252375 |title=The Capone Investment (1974) |website=tvtime.com}} Sallis appeared twice in the TV series Crown Court first in 1974 in "Triangle" as Gerald Prosser in all three parts and again in 1977 in "Such a Charming Man" as Insp. George Storton in all three parts. In 1975 he appeared in the BBC, Wales TV Movie The Snowdropper as Spicer, a snowdropper that where's Overalls/Dungarees. That same year he also appeared in Prometheus: The Life of Balzac in the episode "The Race of Death" (1975) as Victor Hugo.{{cite web|url=https://genome.ch.bbc.co.uk/3eeb30c0a2d9491afc1ff5fa0a3483e0 |title=The Snowdropper |website=genome.ch.bbc.co.uk}} He appeared in the children's series The Ghosts of Motley Hall (1976–78), in which he played Arnold Gudgin, an estate agent who did not want to see the hall fall into the wrong hands, and he played Rodney Gloss in the BBC series Murder Most English (1977).{{Cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=zjMbAQAAIAAJ |title=Serials on British Television, 1950–1994 |last=Baskin |first=Ellen |publisher=Scolar Press |year=1996 |isbn=978-1-85928-015-7 |page=147}} Sallis also appeared in the TV series Yanks Go Home where he played Randell Todd in four episodes in 1977. In the same period, he starred alongside Northern comic actor David Roper in the ITV sitcom Leave it to Charlie as Charlie's pessimistic boss.{{Cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=ccJkAAAAMAAJ |title=Harry and Wally's favorite TV shows |last1=Castleman |first1=Harry |last2=Podrazik |first2=Walter J. |publisher=Prentice Hall Press |year=1989 |isbn=978-0-13-933250-0 |page=285}} The programme ran for four series, ending in 1980. Sallis also played the part of the ghost-hunter Milton Guest in the children's paranormal drama series The Clifton House Mystery (1978).{{Cite book |url=https://archive.org/details/hillbeyondchildr0000mcgo |url-access=registration |title=The Hill and Beyond: Children's Television Drama – An Encyclopedia |last1=Docherty |first1=Mark J. |last2=McGown |first2=Alistair D. |publisher=British Film Institute |year=2003 |isbn=978-0-85170-878-2 |edition=illustrated |page=[https://archive.org/details/hillbeyondchildr0000mcgo/page/125 125]}} In 1980 he appeared in Lady Killers in the episode "Not for the Nervous" (1980) as O'Brien and that same year he also appeared in Tales of the Unexpected in the episode "A Picture of a Place" (1980) as Solicitor. In 1984 Sallis played Leonard March in three episodes of the TV series Strangers and Brothers. In 1986 Sallis played the role of Lucy Walker's supporting father Mr. Walker in the BBC TV Movie A Dangerous Kind of Love. In 1987 he played a former hangman named Sidney Bliss in the tv series The New Statesman opposite Rik Mayall. Although Sallis only played Sidney Bliss in two episodes of the series where as for the 1990 special episode "Who Shot Alan B'Stard?" John Normington played the role of Sidney Bliss.

In 1990 Sallis played another major acting role in the TV series titled Come Home Charlie and Face Them based on the book of the same name by R. F. Delderfield. In the series Sallis played role of Evan Rhys-Jones in all three episodes of the series. In the series Evan Rhys-Jones and his wife Gwladys Rhys-Jones immediately start throwing their daughter, 27-year-old Ida Rhys-Jones, at Charlie.{{cite web|url=https://www.iomguide.com/comehomecharlieandfacethem.php |title=Come Home Charlie and Face Them (1990) |website=iomguide.com}}

In his autobiography, Fading into the Limelight, Sallis recounts a meeting with Orson Welles, where he received a mysterious telephone call summoning him to the deserted Gare d'Orsay in Paris where Welles announced he wanted him to dub Hungarian bit-players in his film adaptation of Franz Kafka's The Trial (1962). Sallis wrote that "the episode was Kafka-esque, to coin a phrase". Sallis was the narrator on Rocky Hollow (1983) for all 26 episodes. He voiced Rat in The Wind in the Willows (1984–90), based on the book by Kenneth Grahame and produced by Cosgrove Hall Films, alongside Michael Hordern as Badger, David Jason as Toad and Richard Pearson as Mole. Also in 1983 he played the lead character Jim Bloggs, alongside Brenda Bruce as Hilda, in a BBC Radio 4 adaptation of Raymond Briggs' When the Wind Blows.{{cite web|url=http://genome.ch.bbc.co.uk/9144b6c80b9b4c7c97d8da016c46f047|title=The Monday Play: When the Wind Blows – BBC Radio 4 FM – 7 February 1983 – BBC Genome|website=genome.ch.bbc.co.uk|date=7 February 1983 |access-date=5 June 2017}}{{cite web |url=http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio4/inspiration/profile_raymond_briggs.shtml |title=BBC – Radio 4 – Radio and the Artist – Raymond Briggs|publisher=BBC}} From 1986-1987 Sallis voiced Harold in all six episodes of the BBC Radio series Living with Betty and he also voiced the lead character Hercule Poirot, alongside Manning Wilson as Col Johnson, in a BBC Radio 4 audio cassette titled Hercule Poirot's Christmas.{{cite web|url=https://www.comedy.co.uk/radio/living_with_betty/ |title=Living with Betty (1986-1987) |website=comedy.co.uk}}{{cite web|url=https://genome.ch.bbc.co.uk/3ae8e1623a4b4c5ba9fa55f04cb9ed92 |title=Murder For Christmas: Hercule Poirot's Christmas (1986) |website=genome.ch.bbc.co.uk}} In 1996 Sallis narrated two audiobooks from the Little Bear book series those being Little Bear and Little Bear's Visit.{{cite web|url=https://www.book-info.com/isbn/1-86021-130-5.htm |title=Little Bear |website=book-info.com}}{{cite web|url=https://www.book-info.com/isbn/1-86021-131-3.htm |title=Little Bear's Visit |website=book-info.com}} Sallis appeared in the last episode of Rumpole of the Bailey (1992){{Cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=kFRquqbCgOoC |title=The Art of Wallace & Gromit: The Curse of the Were-rabbit |last1=Lane |first1=Andy |last2=Simpson |first2=Paul |publisher=Titan |year=2005 |isbn=978-1-84576-215-5 |edition=illustrated |page=37}} and he later starred alongside Brenda Blethyn, Kevin Whately and Anna Massey in the one-off ITV1 drama Belonging (2004).{{Cite web |url=https://www.themoviescene.co.uk/reviews/belonging-2004/belonging-2004.html |title=Belonging (2004) |website=themoviescene.co.uk}}

During the 1980s to the 1990s, Sallis provided the voiceover for the Polo Mint television adverts as well as voiceover and live action appearances for many other adverts such as Heinz Classic Soup Cream of Chicken with White Wine, Panasonic, Contac 400, Lift Lemon Tea, Hotpoint, Persil Liquid, Super Poli-Grip, Shredded Wheat Gold, Zoflora Disinfectant, Sudafed, Medinex, Flymo Ventura Lawnmower, Flymo Turbo Compact, Mr Muscle Sink and Plughole Unblocker and Beamish.{{cite web |url=https://rewind.thetvroom.com/40088/advertisements/polo-advertisement-the-mint-with-the-hole-1986/ |title=Peter Sallis Polo Mint Adverts |website=rewind.thetvroom.com|date=16 April 2023 }}{{cite web|url=https://www.tvwhirl.co.uk/adverts/adverts-p/ |title=Adverts P |website=tvwhirl.co.uk}}

Sallis also voiced Hugo in the animated series Victor and Hugo: Bunglers in Crime (filling in for The Wind in the Willows co-star David Jason who was the usual voice of Hugo, although Jason's voice of Hugo can still be heard in the opening and closing theme songs) for audio cassettes as well.{{citation needed|date=December 2023}} He narrated "Postman Pat's Parcel of Stories" in the children's television series Postman Pat for audio cassettes.{{cite web|url=https://www.abebooks.co.uk/9780001016552/Postman-Pats-Parcel-Stories-Cunliffe-0001016555/plp | title=Postman Pat's Parcel of Stories – Cunliffe, John: 9780001016552 – AbeBooks }} In 2005 Sallis narrated the audio CD of Six-Dinner Sid based on the book of the same name by Inga Moore.{{cite web|url=https://blackwells.co.uk/bookshop/product/Six-Dinner-Sid-by-Inga-Moore-author-Peter-Sallis-read-by/9781844562411 |title=Six-Dinner Sid book and CD |website=blackwells.co.uk}} The following year when Sallis released his autobiography book titled Fading into the Limelight: Peter Sallis the Autobiography he also narrated his autobiography book for an audio CD that was released the same year.{{cite web|url=https://blackwells.co.uk/bookshop/product/Fading-Into-the-Limeight-by-Peter-Sallis-John-Miller/9781846321580 |title=Fading into the Limelight: Peter Sallis the Autobiography |website=blackwells.co.uk}}

In 2001 Sallis had a cameo voiceover role in the TV movie Hotel! where he provided the radio voice of Little Ashford Flying Club.{{cite web|url=https://trakt.tv/movies/hotel-2001-02-17/credits |title=Hotel! 2001 |website=trakt.tv}}

While a student in 1983, Nick Park wrote to Sallis asking him if he would voice his character Wallace, an eccentric inventor. Sallis agreed to do so for a donation of £50 to his favourite charity. The work was eventually released in 1989 and Aardman Animations' Wallace & Gromit: A Grand Day Out went on to win a BAFTA award. Sallis reprised his role in the Oscar and BAFTA Award-winning films The Wrong Trousers in 1993 and A Close Shave in 1995.{{cite web|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-27129358 |title=Obituary: Peter Sallis |website=bbc.co.uk}}

Throughout the late 1990s to the early 2000s Sallis continued to voice Wallace in many Wallace & Gromit video games, adverts and audio cassettes, and returned to voice Wallace in 2002 TV series Wallace & Gromit's Cracking Contraptions and in the Oscar-winning 2005 motion picture film Wallace & Gromit: The Curse of the Were-Rabbit, for which he won an Annie Award for Best Voice Acting in an Animated Feature Production. In 2008, Sallis voiced a new Wallace & Gromit adventure, A Matter of Loaf and Death. Following the Curse of the Were-Rabbit, Sallis's eyesight began to fail as a result of macular degeneration and he used a talking portable typewriter with a specially illuminated scanner to continue working. His last role as Wallace was in 2010's Wallace & Gromit's World of Invention. Two years later Sallis retired from acting due to ill health, with Ben Whitehead taking over as the voice of Wallace.{{cite web|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-27129358 |title=Obituary: Peter Sallis |website=bbc.co.uk}}

In 2006, Sallis published an autobiography entitled Fading into the Limelight. As well as his 36 years in Last of the Summer Wine, Sallis also recounts the early era of his relationship with Wallace & Gromit creator Nick Park when it took six years for A Grand Day Out to be completed. He says that his work as Wallace has "raised his standing a few notches in the public eye".{{cite magazine |url=http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/peter-sallis-dead-voice-wallace-wallace-gromit-films-was-96-1010206 |title=Peter Sallis, Voice of Wallace in 'Wallace & Gromit' Films, Dies at 96 |last=Ritman |first=Alex |access-date=6 June 2017 |magazine=The Hollywood Reporter |date=5 June 2017}}

Sallis married actress Elaine Usher at St. John's Wood Church in London on 9 February 1957.{{cite web|url=http://www.gettyimages.co.uk/detail/news-photo/english-television-actor-peter-sallis-with-his-wife-elaine-news-photo/56860606|title=Sallis Marries Usher|access-date=20 August 2012|publisher=gettyimages.co.uk|work=Evening Standard|date=16 February 2006 |location=London}}{{cite news|url=http://www.bucksfreepress.co.uk/leisure/interviews/1731472.0/|title=Don't give Peter Sallis any Wensleydale, please Grommit|author=Melanie Dakin|date=3 October 2007|work=Bucks Free Press|access-date=17 February 2016}} However, it was a turbulent relationship, with Usher leaving him sixteen times before they divorced in 1965 on grounds of desertion and adultery.{{cite news |title=Peter Sallis dead: Last of the Summer Wine actor who found fame in latter years as Wallace and Gromit voiceover |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/Obituaries/peter-sallis-dead-life-career-who-was-he-last-summer-wine-wallace-gromit-death-age-obituary-a7774161.html |access-date=5 June 2017 |newspaper=The Independent}} They eventually reconciled and continued to live together until 1999. Sallis remained close to Usher until her death in 2014.{{cite news |last=Dixon |first=Stephen |date=2017-06-05 |title=Peter Sallis Obituary |url=https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2017/jun/05/peter-sallis-obituary |access-date=5 June 2017 |newspaper=The Guardian}}{{cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2017/jun/15/peter-sallis-obituary-letter |title=Letter: Peter Sallis obituary |newspaper=The Guardian |date=15 June 2017 |access-date=25 June 2017}} They had one son, Crispian Sallis (born 1959), and two grandchildren. Sallis also had three cats.{{cite web|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/obituaries/2017/06/05/peter-sallis-actor-obituary1/ |title=Peter Sallis, actor – obituary |website=telegraph.co.uk}}

Sallis suffered from macular degeneration, and in 2005 recorded an appeal on BBC Radio 4 on behalf of the Macular Society, of which he was a patron.{{cite web|url=https://www.macularsociety.org/sites/default/files/resource/access%20SV%20Spring%202015_0.pdf|title=Sideview|publisher=Macular Disease Society|access-date=5 June 2017|archive-date=26 April 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180426075751/https://www.macularsociety.org/sites/default/files/resource/access%20SV%20Spring%202015_0.pdf|url-status=dead}} He also recorded on behalf of the society a television appeal, which was broadcast on BBC One on 8 March 2009. Following his diagnosis of the disease, Aardman produced a short animated film for the society.{{cite web |last=Albert |first=Angeline |title=Aardman Animations makes charity film following diagnosis of Gromit and Wallace actor with macular degeneration |url=https://www.homecare.co.uk/news/article.cfm/id/1575425/Forget-thieving-penguns-Wallace-and-Gromits-animators-draw-attention-to-older-woman-robbed-of-sight |access-date=5 June 2017 |publisher=Homecare.co.uk}}

Sallis was awarded the OBE in the 2007 Birthday Honours for services to Drama. On 17 May 2009, he appeared on the BBC Radio 4 programme Desert Island Discs, selecting Sibelius' Symphony No. 5 in E-flat major as his favourite.{{cite web|url=http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b00kc1lz|title=BBC Radio 4 – Desert Island Discs, Peter Sallis|publisher=BBC}}

Sallis died from natural causes at the Denville Hall nursing home in Northwood, London on 2 June 2017, aged 96.{{cite news|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/entertainment-arts-40165443 |title=Peter Sallis: Last of the Summer Wine actor dies aged 96 |publisher=BBC News |date=5 June 2017 |access-date=5 June 2017}}{{Cite news |url=https://variety.com/2017/film/people-news/peter-sallis-dead-dies-wallace-and-gromit-1202454203/ |title=Peter Sallis, Voice of Wallace in 'Wallace & Gromit' Films, Dies at 96 |last=Rubin |first=Rebecca |access-date=6 June 2017 |work=Variety |date=5 June 2017}} He was buried next to fellow Last of the Summer Wine actor Bill Owen in the churchyard of St John's Parish Church, Upperthong, near the town of Holmfirth in Yorkshire, the home of the sitcom.{{cite news|url=https://www.examiner.co.uk/news/west-yorkshire-news/last-summer-wine-star-peter-14103261 |title=Last of the Summer Wine star Peter Sallis is laid to rest next to co-star Bill Owen in Holmfirth |work=Huddersfield Examiner Group |date=2 January 2018 |access-date=28 May 2018}}

{{Reflist}}

• {{IMDb name|0758608}}
• [http://www.bfi.org.uk/films-tv-people/4ce2b9f3e777b Peter Sallis] at the British Film Institute
• [https://www.mobygames.com/person/136277/peter-sallis/ Peter Sallis] at Moby Games
• {{Cite episode |title=Desert Island Discs |url=http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b00kc1lz |series=Desert Island Discs | series-link=Desert Island Discs |network=BBC |station=Radio 4 |air-date=17 May 2009}}
• {{cite web|url=https://en.kinorium.com/name/569294/|title=Peter Sallis at Kinorium}}

{{Annie Award for Voice Acting in a Feature Production}}

{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Sallis, Peter}}

Category:1921 births

Category:2017 deaths

Category:Actors from the London Borough of Richmond upon Thames

Category:Alumni of the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art

Category:Annie Award winners

Category:English entertainers

Category:English male film actors

Category:English male radio actors

Category:English male stage actors

Category:English male television actors

Category:English male video game actors

Category:English male voice actors

Category:Male actors from London

Category:Officers of the Order of the British Empire

Category:People from Twickenham

Category:Royal Air Force personnel of World War II

Category:20th-century English male actors

Category:21st-century English male actors