BEL AIR, CA. (THECOUNT) — Elke Sommer, the German-born actress known for her role as Maria Gambrelli opposite Peter Sellers in the 1964 comedy A Shot in the Dark, has died at 85, according to reports published Thursday. Sommer died Wednesday, October 28, at her home in Bel Air, a neighborhood in Los Angeles, California, just eight days before her 86th birthday on November 5.
Sommer’s death was reported by German newspaper Bild, which cited people close to the actress. Her stepson, Sebastian Walther, had been caring for her following the July death of her husband, Wolf Walther, according to the report. Sommer’s reported cause of death was heart failure after a period of being largely confined to bed.
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Born Elke Schletz in Berlin on November 5, 1940, Sommer built an international acting career spanning nearly six decades. She initially considered becoming an interpreter before an opportunity in European cinema launched her path toward Hollywood.
Sommer gained widespread recognition playing Maria Gambrelli in A Shot in the Dark, the 1964 sequel to The Pink Panther. The film starred Sellers as Inspector Jacques Clouseau and became one of the best-known entries in the comedy franchise.
Her other film credits included the 1966 comedy Boy, Did I Get the Wrong Number!, the 1974 adaptation of Agatha Christie’s And Then There Were None, the British comedy Carry On Behind in 1975, and The Prisoner of Zenda, also released in 1975. She appeared alongside major stars including Paul Newman, James Garner, Dick Van Dyke, Stephen Boyd and Edward G. Robinson.
Sommer’s career extended beyond feature films. She appeared in television productions including The Six Million Dollar Man, St. Elsewhere and Inside the Third Reich. She also worked as a singer, stage performer and painter, with a body of work that reached well beyond her most recognizable Hollywood roles.
Her performance in the 1963 film The Prize, alongside Newman and Robinson, helped establish her standing in the American film industry. In 1964, she won a Golden Globe for Most Promising Newcomer to Motion Pictures, an honor that recognized her early success in Hollywood.
Sommer also made headlines in the 1980s during a legal dispute with fellow actress Zsa Zsa Gabor and Gabor’s husband. The dispute followed public comments about Sommer, who sued for defamation. In 1993, a jury awarded Sommer $3.3 million in damages, according to contemporary reporting by the Los Angeles Times.
Her final credited acting role was in the 2017 animated short A Thousand Kisses, in which she provided the voice of Nette.
Sommer and Wolf Walther had been together since 1989 and married in 1993. Walther, a hotelier, died on July 22, 2026, at age 77 after a long battle with cancer. His death came approximately three months before Sommer’s.
Sommer’s death was reported by German and U.S. entertainment news outlets on Thursday. She was 85.
Sommer died at her home in Bel Air, within the city of Los Angeles in Los Angeles County, in the greater Los Angeles metropolitan area. The map below shows the general Bel Air area; the precise location of her residence has not been publicly verified.
Google Maps: Bel Air, Los Angeles, CA (approximate area)
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