Veteran actor Herbert Lom, fondly remembered for his roles in the Pink Panther films during his half-century of film appearances, has died at the age of 95.
The Czech-born, London-based star appeared in more than 100 films including classics such as Spartacus, El Cid and The Ladykillers.
He died peacefully in his sleep this morning, his family said.
During his career, Lom portrayed Napoleon Bonaparte on two occasions, one of which was the screen adaptation of Tolstoy's
War And Peace.
But his most famous role was as fed-up and irritable Charles Dreyfus, the boss of Peter Sellers' bumbling character Inspector Clouseau in the Pink Panther films.
He first appeared as the police chief in 1964's A Shot In The Dark and, as the films went on, became increasingly mentally unstable as a result of Clouseau's incompetence.
