25/06/2026
Peter Sallis never saw himself as the handsome leading man type and never pretended otherwise. While many actors spent their careers chasing starring roles, Sallis built a remarkable career as one of Britain's finest character actors.
For decades he was a familiar face on British television, appearing in everything from Coronation Street to Doctor Who. Millions knew him best as Norman Clegg in Last of the Summer Wine, the thoughtful member of the trio whose common sense was often ignored by those around him.
Then came an unexpected second act.
When a young animator called Nick Park was making A Grand Day Out, Sallis agreed to provide the voice of Wallace for a fee of just ÂŁ50. Neither man could have imagined what would follow. Wallace & Gromit became a worldwide success, won Academy Awards and introduced Peter Sallis to a whole new audience.
What makes the quote in this picture so enjoyable is how perfectly it captures his attitude to it all. Here was a veteran actor with decades of experience behind him, yet he still seemed genuinely amazed that a plasticine inventor with a love of cheese had taken him all the way to the Oscars.
Friends and colleagues often spoke about another side of Sallis too. Beneath the dry humour and self-deprecation was a generous, humble and fiercely loyal man.
He regularly answered fan letters himself and often took particular care when writing back to children. Many received letters signed not only by Peter Sallis but also by Wallace, sometimes accompanied by a little drawing of a piece of cheese.
His loyalty to friends ran just as deep.
When his Last of the Summer Wine co-star Bill Owen died in 1999, Sallis was devastated. The pair had become close over many years working together, and their friendship extended far beyond the television screen. When Sallis died in 2017, he was buried beside Owen at St John the Baptist Church in Upperthong, West Yorkshire.
He also never forgot what Wallace & Gromit had done for him. Although the films made him famous around the world, he always credited Nick Park's imagination rather than his own contribution. Sallis often described becoming Wallace as the best thing that ever happened to him.
Late in life he found himself recognised by generations who had grown up watching Wallace & Gromit, yet he never seemed entirely convinced that any of it had happened.
Perhaps that was part of his appeal. There was no ego, no self-importance and no attempt to make himself seem more significant than he was. He remained grateful for the opportunities he had been given and genuinely pleased that his work had brought enjoyment to others.
As Peter Sallis once said:
"It is pleasing to know that you've given people pleasure. When you look back on your life, if you can say you've made people laugh, that's not a bad thing to have done."
Few actors could look back on a career that achieved that quite as successfully as Peter Sallis.
