In 1961 Sellers made his directorial debut with '' Mr. Topaze '' , in which he also starred . The film was based on the Marcel Pagnol play '' Topaze '' . Sellers portrayed an ex-schoolmaster in a small French town who turns to a life of crime to obtain wealth . The film and Sellers 's directorial abilities received an unenthusiastic response from the public and critics alike , and Sellers rarely referred to it again . The same year he starred in the Sidney Gilliat-directed '' Only Two Can Play '' , a film based on the novel '' That Uncertain Feeling '' by Kingsley Amis . He was nominated for the Best British Actor award at the 16th British Academy Film Awards for his role as John Lewis , a frustrated Welsh librarian whose affections swing between the glamorous Liz ( Mai Zetterling ) , and his long-suffering wife Jean ( Virginia Maskell )
16th British Academy Film Awards
16th British Academy Film Awards
Peter Sellers