Baboon

Warm, witty raconteur who charmed the world with comic warmth.

Peter Ustinov was legendary for his affectionate, improvisational wit and his ability to hold any room captive with warmth and laughter — a natural storyteller who never seemed to be performing so much as sharing. Like the baboon, he combined genuine comedic intelligence with deep familial warmth, and was beloved rather than merely admired. His decades of dinner-table brilliance, celebrity impressions, and humanitarian work for UNICEF all reflect a personality that was funny, generous, and deeply connected to people.