How a bank clerk turned RAF wireless mechanic became the voice of British animation
In short: Peter Sallis was a prolific character actor whose career spanned seven decades, from West End stages to the silver screen. Yet, he is best remembered for a role he accepted for a mere fifty-pound charity donation: the eccentric, cheese-loving inventor Wallace in the Academy Award-winning Wallace and Gromit films.
Born in 1921, Sallis initially worked in banking before joining the Royal Air Force during the Second World War. A serum albumin disorder prevented him from serving as aircrew, leading him to teach radio procedures instead. It was during this time that a student encouraged him to pursue acting, eventually leading him to the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art and a long career in repertory theatre and television.
Sallis became a staple of British television, most notably as Norman Clegg in Last of the Summer Wine. He appeared in every one of the show's 295 episodes between 1973 and 2010. His versatility allowed him to move between serious drama, Hammer horror films, and comedy, working alongside figures like Orson Welles and Judi Dench. His professional life was marked by a constant, understated presence in the background of British cultural life.
In 1983, he accepted an invitation from animator Nick Park to voice a character named Wallace. The resulting short, A Grand Day Out, took six years to complete. Sallis continued to voice the character for decades, even as he battled macular degeneration later in life. He utilized specialized technology to continue his work, eventually winning an Annie Award for his performance in the 2005 feature film The Curse of the Were-Rabbit. Sallis passed away in 2017 at age 96, leaving behind a legacy that includes both a record-breaking sitcom tenure and an iconic place in animation history.
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- Summary by Intellect · source: Peter Sallis
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