Peter John Sallis OBE (1 February 1921 - 2 June 2017) was an English actor, well known for his role as Norman "Cleggy" Clegg in Last of The Summer Wine.
He voiced Wallace in Wallace & Gromit and Hutch in Wallace & Gromit: The Curse of the Were-Rabbit. He also narrated several Polo commercials, including Aardman's "Corridor".[1]
Biography[]
Sallis was born on 1 February 1921 in Twickenham, Middlesex, England.
In 1983, Sallis was contacted by Nick Park by letter, in which the latter asked if he could voice the main character, Wallace in A Grand Day Out. Sallis agreed to the role for a £50 donation to his favourite charity. Park initially wanted Sallis to voice Wallace in a Lancastrian accent, but Sallis could only do Wallace's voice in a Northern accent. When Park contacted Sallis again in 1989 upon the work's completion, Sallis reportedly swore in surprise. A Grand Day Out was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Animated Short Film, but lost to Creature Comforts, another short created by Park. Additionally, the short did win the BAFTA Award for Best Short Animation.
Sallis would continue to reprise his role as Wallace in the following instalments, with The Wrong Trousers in 1993, A Close Shave in 1995, Wallace & Gromit: The Curse of the Were-Rabbit in 2005, and A Matter of Loaf and Death in 2008. Sallis won an Annie Award for Best Voice Acting in an Animated Feature Production for his performance in The Curse of the Were-Rabbit. Sallis also reprised his role for the television series of Cracking Contraptions in 2002 and Wallace & Gromit's World of Invention in 2010.
Sallis would additionally provide the voice of Wallace in expanded media. He voiced the character in the video game adaptations of Wallace & Gromit in Project Zoo in 2003 and Wallace & Gromit: The Curse of the Were-Rabbit (video game) in 2005. He also voiced Wallace in audio books and adverts, including those without unique Aardman animation.
Sallis retired due to ill health, with Ben Whitehead replacing him as the voice of Wallace in general media after the former's final performance as the character for World of Invention in 2010. He died from natural causes on 2 June 2017.
Aardman Animations filmography[]
Film[]
- A Grand Day Out (1989) - Wallace
- The Wrong Trousers (1993) - Wallace
- A Close Shave (1995) - Wallace
- Wallace & Gromit: The Curse of the Were-Rabbit (2005) - Wallace, Hutch
- A Matter of Loaf and Death (2008) - Wallace
Television[]
- Rex the Runt "Adventures on Telly Part I" (1998) - Wallace (archive footage)
- Cracking Contraptions (2002) - Wallace
- Wallace & Gromit's World of Invention (2010) - Wallace
Video[]
- Wallace & Gromit in A Grand Day Out (English language teaching adaptation) (1998) - Wallace
- Wallace & Gromit in The Wrong Trousers (English language teaching adaptation) (1998) - Wallace
- Wallace & Gromit in A Close Shave (English language teaching adaptation) (1998) - Wallace
Adverts[]
- Polo "Corridor" (1995) - Narrator
- TV Licensing Wallace & Gromit advert (1997-2000s) - Wallace
- Kellogg's Wallace & Gromit advert (1997) - Wallace
- Reebok "Theatre of Dreams" (1998) - Wallace
- Renault "Kangoo-matic" (2003) - Wallace
- Jacobs "Cracking" (2004) - Wallace
- PG Tips "H-H-Hot" (2005) - Wallace
- BBC One "Wallace & Gromit's Runaway Sled" (2008) - Wallace (partially voiced by Ben Whitehead)
- Npower "Boiler" (2009) - Wallace
- Npower "Insheepsulation" (2009) - Wallace
- Children in Need Wallace & Gromit advert (2009) - Wallace
- M&S "Christmas wouldn't be Christmas without..." (2009) - Wallace
- Npower "Widescreen" (2010) - Wallace
- Npower "Hand of Dog" (2010) - Wallace
- BBC One "They're back!" (2010) - Wallace
- BBC One "Steam Powered Wheel Chair" (2010) - Wallace
- BBC One "Ice Sculpture" (2024) - Wallace (archive footage)
- Radio Times Wallace & Gromit advert (2024) - Wallace (archive footage)
Audiobooks[]
- Wallace & Gromit (A Grand Day Out, The Wrong Trousers, A Close Shave) (1996) - Wallace
- Wallace & Gromit and the Lost Slipper (1997) - Wallace
- Anoraknophobia (1998) - Wallace
- Crackers in Space (1999) - Wallace
Video games[]
Theme parks[]
- Wallace & Gromit's Thrill-O-Matic - Hutch (archive footage)
Trivia[]
- It was a point of discussion if the franchise should continue after his passing, but Park expressed desire to do so, feeling that Sallis would've wanted them to continue. The franchise would continue with the release of Wallace & Gromit: Vengeance Most Fowl in 2024.
- In both A Matter of Loaf and Death and Vengeance Most Fowl, a flat cap and coat can be seen hung up near the front door of 62 West Wallaby Street, referencing Sallis's role as Norman Clegg in Last of the Summer Wine.