Peter Sallis, Last of the Summer Wine star, dies aged 9. Fans have honoured Peter Sallis by posting poignant memes of Gromit in tears as a tribute to the actor who voiced Wallace in the animated films. It came as the creator of Wallace and Gromit, Nick Park, said it had been a privilege to work with the star, adding that he was my first and only choice to play Wallace. Sallis, who also starred in Last of the Summer Wine, died aged 9. Denville Hall retirement home for actors in Northwood, north west London, on Friday. Fans of Wallace and Gromit put up pictures of Gromit crying as a tribute to Sallis. Wallace and Gromit star Peter Sallis has died aged 9. Peter Sallis at the Wallace Gromit The Curse of the WereRabbit premiere in 2005. Check out our lists of the best and worst movies of the century so far, ranked by Metascore overall and in a variety of genres. 2010 Blockbuster Movies Transformers: Energon. Welcome to the world of Wallace Gromit, the home of everything to do with the eccentric inventor and his trusted canine friend. Revisit classic film moments and get. Watch Wallace & Gromit: The Curse Of The Were-Rabbit ' title='Watch Wallace & Gromit: The Curse Of The Were-Rabbit ' />In a statement his agency, Jonathan Altaras Associates, said It is with sadness that we announce that our client Peter Sallis died peacefully, with his family by his side. Mr Park, whose Wallace and Gromit films The Wrong Trousers 1. A Close Shave 1. Oscar winners, said Im so sad, but feel so grateful and privileged to have known and worked with Peter over so many years. He was always my first and only choice for Wallace. He brought his unique gift and humour to all that he did, and encapsulated the very British art of the droll and understated. Working with Peter was always a delight and I will miss his wry, unpredictable humour and silliness that started the moment he greeted you at the door, and didnt stop when the mic was switched off. The animated films made Salliss voice known around the world and the actor was delighted to have such success late in life. He said It is pleasing knowing millions are going to see your work and enjoy it. To still be involved in a project like this at my age is heart warming. To have a legacy like this is very comforting. The third film to feature the claymation adventures of Wallace and Gromit, A Close Shave finds the inventor and his dog with a new business, new friends, and a new. I am very lucky to have been involved. Shane Allen, controller of comedy commissioning for the BBC, said the actor would be forever fondly remembered as the voice of Wallace. Before Wallace, Sallis was synonymous with Last Of The Summer Wine, Britains longest running sitcom Sallis is pictured right with co stars Tom Owen, centre, and left, Frank ThorntonSallis with Wallace and Gromit characters. The franchise scooped two Oscars and Sallis was delighted to have such success late in life. Sallis was part of the sitcoms original cast, playing mild mannered Norman CleggPeter enjoyed a long and very successful career across theatre, film and television, hes said. Fans of the show paid tribute to Sallis on Twitter with some posting pictures of the cartoon dog Gromit crying. One user wrote RIP Peter Sallis R. I. P Peter Sallis. Thank you for playing a big part in my childhood. You will be sadly missed. Another said RIP, Peter Sallis you gave dignity to that bloke in the flat cap who wandered the Holmfirth hills and talked like all our grandads. And one wrote Thanks for bringing Wallace and Gromit to life. I will always treasure it. Wallace and Gromit creator Nick Park said Sallis was always my first and only choice for WallaceSallis with his wife Elaine Usher after their wedding at St. Johns Wood Church, London, 9th February 1. The couple divorced in 1. Elaine passed away last year. Before Wallace, Sallis was synonymous with Last Of The Summer Wine, Britains longest running sitcom. It started life as a Comedy Playhouse pilot in 1. Sallis was part of the original cast, playing mild mannered Norman Clegg. Directed by Nick Park. With Peter Sallis, Sally Lindsay, Melissa Collier, Sarah Laborde. Wallace and his dog, Gromit, open a bakery and get tied up with a murder mystery. As in the original shorts, the little details are what makes Wallace Gromits full length movie so much fun to watch. Its imported humor may not be for everyone. Directed by Steve Box, Nick Park. With Peter Sallis, Helena Bonham Carter, Ralph Fiennes, Peter Kay. Wallace and his loyal dog, Gromit, set out to discover the. Fans have honoured Peter Sallis by posting poignant memes of Gromit in tears as a tribute to the actor who voiced Wallace in the animated films. It came as the. I plan on writing a more newsbased post soon, but right now I wanted to pause to give a quick tour of some of the latest products made available by the Gromit. Other actors came and went but the classic line up featured Sallis as Cleggy, Bill Owen as Compo and Brian Wilde as Foggy Dewhurst. The Yorkshire based sitcom turned the trio, and Kathy Staff, who played Nora Batty, into household names. When the show began, Sallis already had more than 2. Born in Twickenham, south west London, his father was a bank manager and his mother was a housewife. He showed no interest in acting at school and his only link to the stage was his grandmother, who ran a theatrical boarding house in Northampton. On leaving school he followed his father into a banking career with Barclays and might have stayed there for life were it not for the Second World War. Sallis signed up for the RAF but failed his aircrew medical and instead became a radio instructor based at RAF Cranwell in Lincolnshire for the duration of the war. Sallis is awarded the OBE by the Queen in November 2. Buckingham Palace. During the 1. 95. TV shows. The actor pictured in 1. It was at Cranwell that he was asked to appear in a performance of Hay Fever in 1. He caught the acting bug and when he was demobbed in 1. Rada. His first TV role came in 1. Quince in a production of A Midsummer Nights Dream. In his early career he concentrated on theatre work and appeared opposite Laurence Olivier, John Gielgud and Orson Welles. During the 1. 95. TV shows, with minor parts in episodes of Z Cars, The Avengers and Doctor Who. Sallis on the Oscars red carpet in 2. His role as Cleggy in Last Of The Summer Wine took up the next three decades. In 1. 98. 3, a student, Park, wrote to Sallis asking him to be the voice of a clay character called Wallace. The actor agreed to do it in exchange for a 5. But it was not until 1. Wallace and Gromit film, A Grand Day Out, finally reached the screen. The short film was nominated for an Oscar. Its follow ups The Wrong Trousers 1. A Close Shave 1. Oscar winners. Each of the films won a Bafta. Wallace and Gromits first feature length movie, The Curse Of The Were Rabbit, was released in 2. Atlantic. Park said his creations owed much of their popularity to Sallis. Just the way he pronounces Wensleydale cheese is enough. Once hes in place, everyone else fits around him, Park said. Sallis said he was happy it was his voice, rather than his face, which had become world famous. No one stops me when I speak or when they see me in the street. Thats the way I like it, he said. Sallis married an actress, Elaine Usher, in the 1. Crispian, before divorcing in 1. In partnership with the Nisonger Center at the Ohio State University, Gateway Film Center will now offer monthly Sensory Friendly Screenings for families, children, or any other individuals living with autism or other developmental disabilities. These screenings offer a more relaxed and comfortable movie going experience with auditorium lighting kept at a higher level and normal audio kept at a lower level. On the second Saturday of every month the Gateway Film Center will screen a first run family film or a classic family film from its library. All proceeds will benefit the Nisonger Center. Wallace and his loyal dog, Gromit, set out to discover the mystery behind the garden sabotage that plagues their village and threatens the annual giant vegetable growing contest. Rating GGenre Directed By Written By In Theaters Oct 7, 2. On DiscStreaming Feb 7, 2. Box Office 5. 6,0. Runtime. 9. 4 minutes.