Who starred in the original 1960's "Pink Panther" movies?

Peter Sellers starred as Inspector Jacques Clouseau in the original 1960s “Pink Panther” movies.

The series began with The Pink Panther, released in 1963 and directed by Blake Edwards. Although the first film’s plot centers on the valuable Pink Panther diamond and the jewel thief Sir Charles Lytton, played by David Niven, Sellers’ performance as the accident-prone French detective became the film’s defining comic element.

Sellers returned as Clouseau in A Shot in the Dark, released in 1964. That film was not originally conceived as a Pink Panther story, but its Clouseau character and Sellers’ popularity helped establish the franchise’s recurring formula. The character’s exaggerated French accent, malapropisms, disguises, and chaotic investigations became hallmarks of the series.

The wording can cause confusion because other major actors appeared in the films, especially David Niven and Robert Wagner. However, Peter Sellers is the canonical answer for the actor identified with the original Pink Panther movies and their central detective character.