Which actor played three different roles in Dr. Strangelove?

Peter Sellers played three different roles in Dr. Strangelove.

Sellers portrays Group Captain Lionel Mandrake, the British Royal Air Force officer; President Merkin Muffley of the United States; and the wheelchair-using nuclear expert Dr. Strangelove. The three performances helped make Stanley Kubrick’s 1964 film a landmark black comedy.

Columbia Pictures had wanted Sellers to play several major parts because of his reputation for character transformations. He was originally expected to play a fourth role, Major T. J. “King” Kong, but an ankle injury and concerns about the cramped bomber set prevented him from continuing in that part. Slim Pickens ultimately played Kong.

The characters also use distinct accents and physical styles: Mandrake is restrained and British, Muffley is mild and presidential, and Strangelove has a German-influenced manner. Sellers received an Academy Award nomination for Best Actor for his work across the three roles.