Actress Elke Sommer, ‘Pink Panther’ Star, Dies at 85
WHO:
The Hollywood Reporter - Sommer was an only child. Her father, Peter, died when she was 14.
The Hollywood Reporter - Sommer had no children of her own.
The Hollywood Reporter - Sommer’s birth name was Elke Schletz; her parents were Peter, a Protestant minister, and Renata, a homemaker.
The Hollywood Reporter - Sommer married Hollywood columnist and author Joe Hyams in 1964; they divorced in 1981. She later married hotel executive Wolf Walther.
Variety - Sommer starred in “A Shot in the Dark,” “The Prize,” “Boy, Did I Get the Wrong Number!,” “And Then There Were None,” and other films.
The Hollywood Reporter - Sommer also appeared in “The Art of Love,” “Deadlier Than the Male,” “The Money Trap,” “The Corrupt Ones,” “They Came to Rob Las Vegas,” “The Wrecking Crew,” “Baron Blood,” “Lisa and the Devil,” and “Inside the Third Reich.”
TMZ - Elke Sommer was an actress known for playing Maria Gambrelli in Peter Sellers’ “Pink Panther” franchise.
TMZ - Sommer’s stepson, Sebastian Walther, was cited in a report about her death.
NY Post - Elke Sommer was a Golden Globe winner and an international sex symbol.
NY Post - Sommer was known for her on-screen affair with Jacques Clouseau in the “Pink Panther” franchise.
WHAT:
The Hollywood Reporter - Sommer posed for Playboy for the first time in 1964.
The Hollywood Reporter - Sommer appeared in “The Victors” (1963), “Percy” (1971), “Zeppelin” (1971), “It’s Not the Size That Counts” (1974), “One or the Other” (1974), “Ten Little Indians” (1975), “Carry on Behind” (1975), and “The Prisoner of Zenda” (1979).
The Hollywood Reporter - On television, Sommer appeared in the 1982 ABC miniseries “Inside the Third Reich” as Joseph Goebbels’ wife and made appearances on “St. Elsewhere,” “Fantasy Island,” and “The Love Boat.”
The Hollywood Reporter - Sommer began regional theater in 1970, starring in “Irma la Douce,” and later appeared in stage productions of “Born Yesterday,” “Cactus Flower,” “Woman of the Year,” and “Same Time, Next Year.”
The Hollywood Reporter - Sommer appeared in the 1966 film “The Oscar” and played a defecting East German Olympic athlete in “The Wicked Dreams of Paula Schultz” (1968).
The Hollywood Reporter - Sommer performed in regional theater and stage productions, recorded cabaret albums, exhibited her paintings, hosted PBS’s “Painting With Elke Sommer” and the syndicated “Elke Sommer’s World of Speed and Beauty,” and played tennis.
The Hollywood Reporter - Sommer won a Golden Globe for best female newcomer for “The Prize,” sharing the award with Tippi Hedren and Ursula Andress.
The Hollywood Reporter - A Santa Monica jury awarded Sommer $3.3 million in libel damages from Zsa Zsa Gabor and Frederick von Anhalt.
The Hollywood Reporter - Sommer said of her enduring “Pink Panther” recognition: “It makes me feel very privileged.”
TMZ - Sommer died at age 85.
NY Post - Sommer died of heart failure.
WHERE:
The Hollywood Reporter - Sommer was born in Berlin.
Variety - Sommer died at her home in Los Angeles.
WHEN:
TMZ - Sommer died one week before her 86th birthday.
NY Post - Sommer died one week before her 86th birthday.
WHY:
NY Post - The reported cause of Sommer’s death was heart failure.
HOW:
The Hollywood Reporter - Sommer moved alone to London at age 17 and worked as an au pair for a year before college.
The Hollywood Reporter - Sommer’s film career began after a photograph of her winning a beauty contest in Viareggio, Italy, drew a producer’s attention. She later signed a seven-picture deal with German producer Atze Brauner.
The Hollywood Reporter - Sommer spoke five languages and worked in films made in Italy, France, Spain, England, Germany, and the United States.
(UPDATED October 29, 2026 19:02 UTC)
Actress Elke Sommer, the Golden Globe-winning star of the “Pink Panther” films, has died at 85 at her home in Los Angeles; her death was attributed to heart failure, one week before her 86th birthday. Born Elke Schletz in Berlin, she became an international star through films including “A Shot in the Dark,” “The Prize” and “The Wrecking Crew,” and won a Golden Globe for “The Prize.” Sommer also performed on stage and television, recorded cabaret albums and exhibited her paintings.
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(UPDATED October 29, 2026 17:03 UTC)
Actress Elke Sommer, the Golden Globe-winning star known for playing Maria Gambrelli in the “Pink Panther” films, has died at 85 at her home in Los Angeles; the reported cause was heart failure. Born Elke Schletz, she built an international film career that included “A Shot in the Dark,” “The Prize” and “The Wicked Dreams of Paula Schultz,” and won a Golden Globe for best female newcomer for “The Prize,” sharing the award with Tippi Hedren and Ursula Andress. Sommer also performed on stage, recorded cabaret albums, exhibited her paintings and hosted television programs, and was one week short of her 86th birthday.
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(UPDATED October 29, 2026 16:03 UTC)
Actress Elke Sommer, best known for playing Maria Gambrelli opposite Peter Sellers in the “Pink Panther” franchise, has died at 85 from heart failure at her home in Los Angeles. She won a Golden Globe for best female newcomer for “The Prize” and appeared in films including “A Shot in the Dark,” “The Wrecking Crew” and “Baron Blood.” Sommer spoke five languages and worked in films across Europe and the United States.
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(UPDATED October 29, 2026 14:06 UTC)
Actress Elke Sommer, a Golden Globe winner known for playing Maria Gambrelli in the “Pink Panther” films, has died at 85. Her reported cause of death was heart failure. Sommer died one week before her 86th birthday.