Elke Sommer, actress of 'A Shot in the Dark' and 'The Prize', dies at 85
Elke Sommer, the German-born actress who appeared alongside Peter Sellers and Paul Newman in the 1960s, has died at the age of 85.
She died on Wednesday, 28 October 2026, at her home in Bel Air, a neighbourhood of Los Angeles. Hollywood Reporter reported that the cause was heart failure. Her stepson, Sebastian Walther, told the German newspaper Bild that she passed away peacefully at around 10 p.m.
Sommer became widely known for comedy. In A Shot in the Dark (1964), she played Maria Gambrelli, a maid, opposite Sellers as the bumbling Inspector Clouseau. That role helped make her one of the faces of the Pink Panther series, a link Page Six also drew in its report of her death.
Her part in The Prize (1963) brought her one of the most notable honours of her career. She played the Swedish chaperone to a Nobel Prize in Literature winner, a character played by Paul Newman. She shared a Golden Globe for best female newcomer for the role with Tippi Hedren and Ursula Andress.
Her other films included The Art of Love and Deadlier Than the Male. Together they form a long run of work that began in Europe and carried her into Hollywood.
Sommer's death is a loss for the family and friends who knew her well. Walther's account of her last hours, given to Bild, is the most personal detail so far made public.
