Stage and screen actor, Peter Sallis, has died at the age 96. His agents have announced on Monday.
The British actor was best known for providing the voice for inventor Wallace in the hit clay animation series ‘Wallace and Gromit.’ He also played the role of Norman “Cleggy” Cleggs in Britain’s longest-running sitcom ‘Last of the Summer Wine.’ Throughout the show’s 37-year run – being the only actor to appear in all 295 episodes of the show.
The ones to break the news about his death were his agents. Jonathan Altaras Associates assured he died peacefully with his family by his side on Friday, at a retirement home for actors in London.
‘Wallace and Gromit’ creator Nick Park shared some words after finding out about the actor’s death, describing him as a “unique character.”
“I’m so sad, but feel so grateful and privileged to have known and worked with Peter over so many years. He was always my first and only choice for Wallace,” the director said in a statement. He recalled how amusing and unpredictable Sallis’ sense of humor was, and how he kept everyone around entertained with his stories and his manners.
International fame came late in life thanks to ‘Wallace and Gromit’
Born in Twickenham southwest London, in 1921, Sallis worked in a bank and later at the Royal Air Force as a serviceman during World War II. Before finding out he wanted to be an actor. When the war was done, he joined the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art, becoming a stage actor who later migrated to film and television.
He had already been in the acting business for 25 years, playing many parts in British series and movies, before taking the role on ‘Last of the Summer Wine’ in 1973.
But it wasn’t until he got involved in the ‘Wallace and Gromit’ project that his name rose to international levels. Park, who was then a student, wrote to him in 1983, asking him to play Wallace in his upcoming animation film, which he agreed. The film follows the adventures of a cheese-loving Yorkshire inventor, who’s always in the company of his silent dog, Gromit.
Six years later, the first ‘Wallace and Gromit’ short film, ‘A Grand Day Out,’ reached the screens, resulting nominated for an Oscar.
‘The Wrong Trousers’ and ‘A Close Shave’ followed in 1993 and 1995, respectively, both winning Academy Awards. Later, in 2006, the series came back with ‘The Curse of the Were-Rabbit.’ Each film earned a BAFTA, thanks to their exemplary clay animation techniques and hilarious British humor.
Sallis often spoke about how grateful he was to be involved in the films, and how glad he was to have such success late in life. “It is pleasing knowing millions are going to see your work and enjoy it,” he once said. “To still be involved in a project like this at my age is heartwarming.”