Actor Herbert Lom dead at 95

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NEW YORK, Sept. 27 (UPI) -- Czech-born actor Herbert Lom, known for his work in the Pink Panther film franchise, died Thursday at his home in London, his family said. He was 95.

The New York Times confirmed his death but didn't report the cause of it.

An accomplished stage actor who originated the role of the king in the original London cast of the musical "The King and I" in 1955, Lom appeared in more than 100 movies and television shows throughout his five-decade-long career, the newspaper said.

Among his big-screen credits were "The Seventh Veil," "Night and the City," "The Ladykillers," "Fire Down Below," "No Trees in the Street," "The Young Mr. Pitt," "War and Peace," "Spartacus," "El Cid," "The Phantom of the Opera," "Count Dracula," "Mark of the Devil" and "Dead Zone."

He is perhaps most famous for his portrayal of Chief Inspector Dreyfus, the supervisor of Peter Sellers' bumbling Inspector Clouseau, in seven Pink Panther movies.

He also wrote two historical novels -- "Enter a Spy: The Double Life of Christopher Marlowe" and "Dr. Guillotine: The Eccentric Exploits of an Early Scientist."

Lom is survived by his sons Alec and Nick, and daughter, Josephine, the Times said.