Later in 1979 , Sellers starred opposite Shirley MacLaine , Melvyn Douglas and Jack Warden in the black comedy '' Being There '' as Chance , a simple-minded gardener addicted to watching TV who is regarded as a sage by the rich and powerful . In a BBC interview in 1971 , Sellers had said that more than anything else , he wanted to play the role , and successfully persuaded the author of the book , Jerzy Kosinski , to allow him and director Hal Ashby to make the film , provided Kosinski could write the script . During filming , to remain in character , Sellers refused most interview requests and kept his distance from the other actors . Sellers considered Chance 's walking and voice the character 's most important attributes , and in preparing for the role worked alone with a tape recorder or with his wife , and then with Ashby , to perfect the clear enunciation and flat delivery needed to reveal " the childlike mind behind the words " . Sellers described his experience of working on the film as " so humbling , so powerful " , and co-star Shirley MacLaine found Sellers " a dream " to work with . Sellers 's performance was universally lauded by critics and is considered by critic Danny Smith to be the " crowning triumph of Peter Sellers 's remarkable career " . Critic Frank Rich wrote that the acting skill required for this sort of role , with a " schismatic personality that Peter had to convey with strenuous vocal and gestural technique ... A lesser actor would have made the character 's mental dysfunction flamboyant and drastic ... His intelligence was always deeper , his onscreen confidence greater , his technique much more finely honed " : in achieving this , Sellers " makes the film 's fantastic premise credible " . The film earned Sellers a Best Actor award at the 51st National Board of Review Awards ; the London Critics Circle Film Awards Special Achievement Award , the Best Actor award at the 45th New York Film Critics Circle Awards ; and the Best Actor – Musical or Comedy award at the 37th Golden Globe Awards . Additionally , Sellers was nominated for the Best Actor award at the 52nd Academy Awards and the Best Actor in a Leading Role award at the 34th British Academy Film Awards
37th Golden Globe Awards
37th Golden Globe Awards
Peter Sellers