Peter Sallis has passed away at the age of 96, his agent has confirmed. The actor, who was best known for starring in Last of the Summer Wine and being the voice of Wallace in Wallace and Gromit, died peacefully at home with his family by his side. Jonathan Altaras Associates released a statement saying: "It is with sadness that we announce that our client Peter Sallis died peacefully, with his family by his side, at Denville Hall on Friday, June 2."
Peter famously played Norman "Cleggy" Clegg in Last of the Summer Wine, a sitcom about three senior citizens from Yorkshire. The Twickenham-born star appeared in the series from the very first episode, from 1973 to 2010, becoming the only actor to feature in all 295 episodes. He also gained worldwide fame as the voice of Wallace, the eccentric inventor, in Aardman Animations' Wallace and Gromit: A Grand Day Out. The film won a BAFTA and was followed by the Oscar-winning films The Wrong Trousers in 1993 and A Close Shave in 1995.
© Photo: Getty ImagesPeter Sallis has passed away aged 96
Peter had remained out of the spotlight since 2010, choosing not to appear nor voice film or television. In 2006, he published an autobiography Fading into the Limelight, which was well-received and written with typical self-deprecation. The actor suffered from macular degeneration, a condition that can result in blurred or no vision. He recorded a television appeal and BBC Radio 4 appeal on behalf of the Macular Disease Society. In 2014, Wallace and Gromit creator Nick Park said that Peter's eyes were worsening, and that it was unlikely he would voice Wallace again.
