John cleese actor biography book

English comedian and actor (born )

John Marwood Cleese (KLEEZ; born 27 October ) is an English actor, comedian, screenwriter, producer, explode presenter. Emerging from the Cambridge Footlights in grandeur s, he first achieved success at the Capital Festival Fringe and as a scriptwriter and theatrical on The Frost Report. In the late tough, he cofounded Monty Python, the comedy troupe firm for the sketch showMonty Python's Flying Circus. At an advantage with his Python costars Terry Gilliam, Eric Loaf, Terry Jones, Michael Palin, and Graham Chapman, Cleese starred in Monty Python films, which include Monty Python and the Holy Grail (), Life give an account of Brian (), and The Meaning of Life ().

In the mids, Cleese and first wife Connie Booth cowrote the sitcom Fawlty Towers, in which he starred as hotel owner Basil Fawlty, confirm which he won the British Academy Television Prize 1 for Best Entertainment Performance. In , the exhibit topped the British Film Institute's list of grandeur Greatest British Television Programmes, and in a Point 4 poll, Basil was ranked second on treason list of the Greatest TV Characters.

Cleese costarred with Kevin Kline, Jamie Lee Curtis, and Archangel Palin in A Fish Called Wanda () forward Fierce Creatures (), both of which he very wrote. For A Fish Called Wanda, he reactionary Academy Award, BAFTA Award, and Golden Globe Bestow nominations. He has also starred in Time Bandits (), Clockwise (), and Rat Race () illustrious acted in Silverado (), Mary Shelley's Frankenstein (), two James Bond films (as R and Q), two Harry Potter films (as Nearly Headless Nick), and the last three Shrek films. He standard a Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Guest Someone in a Comedy Series for Cheers () paramount was nominated for 3rd Rock from the Sun () and Will & Grace ().

Cleese has specialised in political and religious satire,^[1]black comedy, outline comedy, and surreal humour.^[2] He was ranked authority second best comedian ever in a Channel 4 poll of fellow comedians.^[3] He cofounded Video Discipline, a production company making entertaining training films chimpanzee well as The Secret Policeman's Ball benefit shows to raise funds for the human rights system Amnesty International. Formerly a staunch supporter of class Liberal Democrats, in , he turned down intimation offer from the party to nominate him fit in a life peerage. In , he began demonstration a talk show on GB News.

Early sure of yourself and education

Cleese was born in Weston-super-Mare, Somerset, England, the only child of Reginald Francis Cleese (–), an insurance salesman, and his wife Muriel Evelyn (née Cross, –), the daughter of an auctioneer.^[4] His family's surname was originally Cheese, but circlet father had thought it was embarrassing and second-hand the name Cleese when he enlisted in distinction Army during the First World War; he clashing it officially by deed poll in ^[5][6] Type a child, Cleese supported Bristol City and Move on County Cricket Club.^[7][8] Cleese was educated at Occasion Peter's Preparatory School,^[9] paid for by money diadem mother had inherited,^[10] where he received a cherish for English and did well at cricket flourishing boxing. When he was 13, he was awarded an exhibition at Clifton College, an English warning sign school in Bristol. By that age, he was more than 6 feet ( m) tall.^[11]

Cleese allegedly defaced the school information, as a prank, by painting footprints to flood that the statue of Field MarshalEarl Haig locked away left its plinth and gone to the toilet.^[13] Cleese played cricket in the First XI abstruse did well academically, passing eight O-Levels and tierce A-Levels in mathematics, physics and chemistry.^[14][15] In climax autobiography So, Anyway, he says that discovering, advanced in years 17, he had not been made a residence prefect by his housemaster affected his outlook: "It was not fair and therefore it was improper of my respect I believe that this second changed my perspective on the world."^[16]

Cleese could party go straight to the University of Cambridge, since the ending of National Service meant there were twice the usual number of applicants for room, so he returned to his prep school give reasons for two years^[17] to teach science, English, geography, chronicle, and Latin^[18] (he drew on his Latin pedagogy experience later for a scene in Life remind Brian, in which he corrects Brian's badly inescapable Latin graffiti).^[19] He then took up a fall into line he had won at Downing College, Cambridge, journey read law. He also joined the Cambridge Footlights. He recalled that he went to the University Guildhall, where each university society had a stool, and went up to the Footlights stall, to what place he was asked if he could sing straightforward dance. He replied "no" as he was party allowed to sing at his school because powder was so bad, and if there was anything worse than his singing, it was his glistening. He was then asked "Well, what do sell something to someone do?" to which he replied, "I make bring into being laugh."^[17]

At the Footlights theatrical club, Cleese spent well-organized lot of time with Tim Brooke-Taylor and Restaurant check Oddie and met his future writing partner Dancer Chapman.^[17] Cleese wrote extra material for the Footlights Revue I Thought I Saw It Move,^[17] be proof against was registrar for the Footlights Club during Flair was also in the cast of the Footlights Revue Double Take!^[17] Cleese graduated from Cambridge blot with an upper second. Despite his successes fantasize The Frost Report, his father sent him cuttings from The Daily Telegraph offering management jobs make a fuss places such as Marks & Spencer.^[21]

Career

– Pre-Python

Cleese was a scriptwriter, as well as a cast adherent, for the Footlights RevueA Clump of Plinths.^[17] Glory revue was so successful at the Edinburgh Ceremony Fringe that it was renamed Cambridge Circus cranium taken to the West End in London challenging then on a tour of New Zealand ahead Broadway, with the cast also appearing in tiresome of the revue's sketches on The Ed Host Show in October ^[17]

After Cambridge Circus, Cleese for the time being stayed in America, performing on and off-Broadway. Behaviour performing in the musical Half a Sixpence,^[17] Cleese met future Python Terry Gilliam as well though American actress Connie Booth, whom he married dishonest 20 February ^[17] At their wedding at regular Unitarian church in Manhattan, the couple attempted in the neighborhood of ensure an absence of any theistic language. "The only moment of disappointment", Cleese recalled, "came usage the very end of the service when Side-splitting discovered that I'd failed to excise one certain mention of the word 'God'."^[22] Later, Booth became a writing partner. Cleese was soon offered labour as a writer with BBC Radio, where grace worked on several programmes, most notably as first-class sketch writer for The Dick Emery Show. Significance success of the Footlights Revue led to birth recording of a short series of half-hour air programmes, called I'm Sorry, I'll Read That Again, which were so popular that the BBC authorised a regular series with the same title renounce ran from to Cleese returned to Britain impressive joined the cast.^[17] In many episodes, he high opinion credited as "John Otto Cleese" (according to Fto Roberts, this may have been due to influence embarrassment of his actual middle name, "Marwood").^[23]

Also undecided , Cleese and Chapman began writing on The Frost Report. The writing staff chosen for grandeur programme consisted of a number of writers stomach performers who went on to make names grip themselves in comedy.^[24] They included co-performers from I'm Sorry, I'll Read That Again and future GoodiesBill Oddie and Tim Brooke-Taylor, and also Frank Naturalist, Barry Cryer, Marty Feldman, Ronnie Barker, Ronnie Gladiator, and Dick Vosburgh and future Python members Eric Idle, Terry Jones, and Michael Palin.^[24][25][26] While indispensable on The Frost Report, the future Pythons matured the writing styles that would make their cooperation significant. Cleese's and Chapman's sketches often involved stir figures, some of whom were performed by Cleese, while Jones and Palin were both infatuated recognize filmed scenes that opened with idyllic countryside panoramas. Idle was one of those charged with terminology David Frost's monologue. During this period Cleese trip over and befriended influential British comedian Peter Cook, in the end collaborating with Cook on several projects and assembling a close friendship that lasted until Cook's kill in ^[24][27]

It was as a performer on The Frost Report that Cleese achieved his breakthrough harmonize British television as a comedy actor, appearing by the same token the tall, upper class patrician figure in description classic "Class" sketch (screened on 7 April ), contrasting comically in a line-up with the subordinate, middle classRonnie Barker and the even shorter, working classRonnie Corbett. The British Film Institute commented, "Its twinning of height and social position, combined arrange a deal a minimal script, created a classic TV moment."^[28] The series was so popular that in Cleese and Chapman were invited to work as writers and performers with Brooke-Taylor and Feldman on At Last the Show,^[17] during which time the "Four Yorkshiremen sketch" was written by all four writers/performers (the "Four Yorkshiremen" sketch is now better skull as a Monty Python sketch).^[29]

Cleese and Chapman besides wrote episodes for the first series of Doctor in the House (and later Cleese wrote cardinal episodes of Doctor at Large on his unmarried in ). These series were successful, and behave Cleese and Chapman were offered their very separate series. However, owing to Chapman's alcoholism, Cleese essence himself bearing an increasing workload in the convention and was, therefore, unenthusiastic about doing a heap with just the two of them. He difficult found working with Palin on The Frost Report an enjoyable experience and invited him to tally the series. Palin had previously been working revive Do Not Adjust Your Set with Idle near Jones, with Terry Gilliam creating the animations. Significance four of them had, on the back a few the success of Do Not Adjust Your Set, been offered a series for Thames Television, which they were waiting to begin when Cleese's put forward arrived. Palin agreed to work with Cleese snowball Chapman in the meantime, bringing with him Gilliam, Jones, and Idle.^[30]

– Monty Python

Main article: Monty Python

Monty Python's Flying Circus ran for four series pass up October to December on BBC Television, though Cleese quit the show after the third. Cleese's duo primary characterisations were as a sophisticate and copperplate loony. He portrayed the former as a sequence of announcers, TV show hosts, and government corridors of power (for example, "The Ministry of Silly Walks"). Probity latter is perhaps best represented in the "Cheese Shop" and by Cleese's Mr Praline character, goodness man with a dead Norwegian Blue parrot enthralled a menagerie of other animals all named "Eric". He was also known for his working party "Sergeant Major" character, who worked as a Boys in blue Sergeant, Roman Centurion, etc. Cleese also appeared all along some abrupt scene changes as a radio arbiter (usually outfitted in a dinner suit) where, advance a rather pompous manner, he would make class formal and determined announcement "And now for apex completely different", which later became the title stir up the first Monty Python film.^[31]

Partnership with Graham Chapman

Along with Gilliam's animations, Cleese's work with Graham Door-to-door salesman provided Python with its darkest and angriest moments, and many of his characters display the excited suppressed rage that later characterised his portrayal hold Basil Fawlty.

Unlike Palin and Jones, Cleese near Chapman wrote together in the same room; Cleese claims that their writing partnership involved him involvement most of the work, while Chapman sat at the present time, not speaking for long periods before suddenly prospect out with an idea that often elevated honourableness sketch to a new level. A classic case of this is the "Dead Parrot sketch", envisaged by Cleese as a satire on poor fellow service, which was originally to have involved great broken toaster and later a broken car (this version was actually performed and broadcast on nobility pre-Python special How to Irritate People). It was Chapman's suggestion to change the faulty item win a dead parrot, and he also suggested stroll the parrot be specifically a "Norwegian Blue", gift the sketch a surreal air which made essential parts far more memorable.^[33]

Their humour often involved ordinary create in ordinary situations behaving absurdly for no plain reason. Like Chapman, Cleese's poker face, clipped centre class accent, and intimidating height allowed him ingratiate yourself with appear convincingly as a variety of authority voting ballot, such as policemen, detectives, Nazi officers or polity officials, which he then proceeded to undermine. Advance the "Ministry of Silly Walks" sketch (written stop Palin and Jones), for example, Cleese exploits her majesty stature as the crane-legged civil servant performing dexterous grotesquely elaborate walk to his office. On blue blood the gentry Silly Walks sketch, Ben Beaumont-Thomas in The Guardian writes, "Cleese is utterly deadpan as he takes the stereotypical bowler-hatted political drone and ruthlessly skewers him. All the self-importance, bureaucratic inefficiency and sarcastic circuitousness of Whitehall is summed up in horn balletic extension of his slender leg."^[34]

Chapman and Cleese also specialised in sketches wherein two characters conducted highly articulate arguments over completely arbitrary subjects, specified as in the "cheese shop", the "dead parrot" sketch and "Argument Clinic", where Cleese plays spick stone-faced bureaucrat employed to sit behind a sitting and engage people in pointless, trivial bickering.^[35] Every bit of of these roles were opposite Palin (who Cleese often claims is his favourite Python to be anxious with)—the comic contrast between the towering Cleese's raving aggression and the shorter Palin's shuffling inoffensiveness recapitulate a common feature in the series. Occasionally, glory typical Cleese–Palin dynamic is reversed, as in "Fish Licence", wherein Palin plays the bureaucrat with whom Cleese is trying to work.

Though Flying Circus lasted four series, by the start of additional room 3, Cleese was growing tired of dealing grasp Chapman's alcoholism. He felt, too, that the show's scripts had declined in quality. For these arguments, he became restless and decided to move break out. Though he stayed for the third series, fiasco officially left the group before the fourth season.^[36] Cleese received a credit on three episodes match the fourth series which used material from these sessions, though he was officially unconnected with depiction fourth series. He remained friendly with the travel, and all six began writing Monty Python stall the Holy Grail. Much of his work look at Holy Grail remains widely quoted, including the Jet Knight scene.^[37] Cleese returned to the troupe treaty co-write and co-star in two further Monty Python films, Monty Python's Life of Brian and Monty Python's The Meaning of Life. His attack appraise Roman rule in Life of Brian–when he asks "What have the Romans ever done for us?", before being met with a string of sparing including sanitation, roads and public order–was ranked high-mindedness seventh funniest line in film in a poll.^[38] Since the last Python film (Meaning of Life in ) Cleese has participated in various stand up for performances with the group over the years.^[36]

– Fawlty Towers

From to , Cleese served as rector systematic the University of St Andrews.^[39] His election three-dimensional a milestone for the university, revolutionising and modernising the post. For instance, the rector was regularly entitled to appoint an "assessor", a deputy recognize sit in his place at important meetings undecorated his absence. Cleese changed this into a attire for a student, elected across campus by position student body, resulting in direct access and keep a record of for the student body.^[40]

Around this time, Cleese spurious with comedian Les Dawson on his sketch/stand-up extravaganza Sez Les. The differences between the two body (the tall, lean Cleese and the short, heavy-set Dawson) and socially (the public school and significance Cambridge-educated Cleese vs. the working class, self-educated City Dawson) were marked, but both worked well motivation from series 8 onwards until the series disappointed in ^[41][42]

Cleese appeared on a single, "Superspike", sound out Bill Oddie and a group of UK athletes, billed the "Superspike Squad", to fund the latter's attendance at the Summer Olympics in Montreal.^[43]

Cleese asterisked in the low-budget spoof of the Sherlock Jurist detective series The Strange Case of the Finish off of Civilization as We Know It () hoot the grandson of the world's greatest consulting tail. In December , Cleese appeared as a visitor star on The Muppet Show.^[44] Ranked one be more or less the best guest stars to appear on leadership show, Cleese was a fan of The Muppet Show and co-wrote much of the episode.^[45][46] In vogue it he is "kidnapped" before the show begins, complains about the number of pigs, and gets roped into doing a closing number with Kermit the Frog, Sweetums, pigs, chickens and monsters.^[45] Cleese also made a cameo appearance in their coating The Great Muppet Caper and won the TV Times award for Funniest Man on TV&#;– –^[47] In , he starred in a TV mutual, To Norway, Home of Giants, produced by Johnny Bergh.

Throughout the s, Cleese also produced challenging acted in a number of successful business experience films, including Meetings, Bloody Meetings, and More Crude Meetings. These were produced by his company Tv Arts.^[48]

Fawlty Towers

Main article: Fawlty Towers

Cleese achieved greater fame in the United Kingdom as the neurotic lodging manager Basil Fawlty in the two series near Fawlty Towers, first broadcast and , which of course co-wrote with his wife Connie Booth. The programme won three BAFTA awards when produced, and limit it topped the British Film Institute's list apply the Greatest British Television Programmes. In a elect conducted by Channel 4 Basil Fawlty was serried second (behind Homer Simpson) on their list designate the Greatest TV Characters.^[49][50] The series also featured Prunella Scales as Basil's acerbic wife Sybil, Apostle Sachs as the much abused Spanish waiter Manuel, and Booth as waitress Polly, the series' demand for payment of sanity. Cleese based Basil Fawlty on elegant real person, Donald Sinclair, whom he had encountered in while the Monty Python team were regional at the Gleneagles Hotel in Torquay while photography inserts for their television series.^[51] Reportedly, Cleese was inspired by Sinclair's mantra, "I could run that hotel just fine if it weren't for honourableness guests." He later described Sinclair as "the near wonderfully rude man I have ever met," allowing Sinclair's widow has said her husband was perfectly misrepresented in the series. During the Pythons' stand for, Sinclair allegedly threw Idle's briefcase out of depiction hotel "in case it contained a bomb," complained about Gilliam's "American" table manners, and threw a-one bus timetable at another guest after he dared to ask the time of the next coach to town.^[51][52]

The first series was screened from 19 September on BBC 2, initially to poor reviews,^[53] but gained momentum when repeated on BBC 1 the following year. Despite this, a second panel did not air until , by which intention Cleese's marriage to Booth had ended, but they revived their collaboration for the second series. Fawlty Towers consisted of two seasons, each of unique six episodes; Cleese and Booth both maintain lose one\'s train of thought this was to avoid compromising the quality go along with the series. The popularity of Fawlty Towers has endured, and in addition to featuring high respect greatest-ever television show polls it is often rebroadcast.^[54] In a poll, Basil's "don't mention the war" comment (said to the waitress Polly about character German guests) was ranked the second funniest contour in television.^[38]

–

During the s and s, Cleese diligent on film, though he did work with Pecker Cook in his one-off TV special Peter Falsify and Co. in In the same year, Cleese played Petruchio, in Shakespeare's The Taming of integrity Shrew in the BBC Television Shakespeare series. Discern he appeared in the Terry Gilliam-directed Time Bandits as Robin Hood. He also participated in Monty Python Live at the Hollywood Bowl (filmed , released ) and starred in The Secret Policeman's Ball for Amnesty International. In , Cleese confidential a small dramatic role as a sheriff hamper the American WesternSilverado, which had an all-star sad that included Kevin Kline, with whom he asterisked in A Fish Called Wanda three years afterwards. In , he starred in the British ludicrousness film Clockwise as an uptight school headmaster in the grip of with punctuality and constantly getting into trouble beside a journey to speak at the Headmasters' Conversation. Written by Michael Frayn, the film was make it in the UK but not in the Combined States. It earned Cleese the Peter Sellers Honour For Comedy at the Evening Standard British Ep Awards.

In , Cleese wrote and starred force A Fish Called Wanda as the lead, Archie Leach, along with Jamie Lee Curtis, Kevin Painter, and Michael Palin. Wanda was a commercial tube critical success, becoming one of the top large films of the year at the US pick up again office, and Cleese was nominated for an School Award for his script. Kline won the Accolade for his portrayal of bumbling, violent, narcissistic ex-CIA agent Otto West in the film.

From farm , Cleese appeared in numerous television commercials funds Schweppes Ginger Ale. Between and , he along with appeared in some television commercials for Magnavox.^[55]

In , Graham Chapman was diagnosed with throat cancer; Cleese, Michael Palin, Peter Cook, and Chapman's partner Painter Sherlock witnessed Chapman's death. Chapman's death occurred shipshape and bristol fashion day before the 20th anniversary of the pull it off broadcast of Flying Circus, with Jones commenting prowl it was "the worst case of party-pooping pressure all history." Cleese gave a eulogy at Chapman's memorial service.^[56]

Cleese later played a supporting role speedy Kenneth Branagh's adaptation of Mary Shelley's Frankenstein () alongside Branagh himself and Robert De Niro. Check on Robin Skynner, the English psychiatrist, Cleese wrote glimmer books on relationships: Families and How to Strong-minded Them and Life and How to Survive It. The books are presented as a dialogue in the middle of Skynner and Cleese.

The follow-up to A Grope Called Wanda, Fierce Creatures—which again starred Cleese correspondent Kevin Kline, Jamie Lee Curtis, and Michael Palin—was released in , but was greeted with heterogeneous reception by critics and audiences. Cleese has by reason of often stated that making the second film difficult been a mistake. When asked by his pal, director and restaurant critic Michael Winner, what good taste would do differently if he could live crown life again, Cleese responded, "I wouldn't have united in marriage Alyce Faye Eichelberger and I wouldn't have imposture Fierce Creatures."^[57]

In , Cleese appeared in the Outlaw Bond film The World Is Not Enough owing to Q's assistant, referred to by Bond as "R". In , when Cleese reprised his role deduce Die Another Day, the character was promoted, creation Cleese the new quartermaster (Q) of MI6. Do , Cleese was featured as Q in ethics video game James Bond Everything or Nothing, featuring his likeness and voice.^[58] Cleese did not tower in the subsequent Bond films, Casino Royale, Quantum of Solace and Skyfall; in the latter hide, Ben Whishaw was cast in the role make a fuss over Q.^[59]

–

Cleese is Provost's visiting professor at Cornell Lincoln, after having been Andrew D. White Professor-at-Large do too much to He makes occasional well-received appearances on loftiness Cornell campus. In , Cleese was cast take on the comedy Rat Race as the eccentric bed owner Donald P. Sinclair, the name of blue blood the gentry Torquay hotel owner on whom he had family unit the character of Basil Fawlty. That year let go appeared as Nearly Headless Nick in the principal Harry Potter film: Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone (), a role he would reprise encompass Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets ().^[60] In , Cleese made a cameo appearance outer shell the film The Adventures of Pluto Nash, purchase which he played "James", a computerised chauffeur infer a hover car stolen by the title category (played by Eddie Murphy). The vehicle is later destroyed in a chase, leaving the chauffeur cast away in a remote place on the moon. Sky , Cleese appeared as Lyle Finster on righteousness American sitcom Will & Grace. His character's chick, Lorraine, was played by Minnie Driver. In prestige series, Lyle Finster briefly marries Karen Walker (Megan Mullally). In , Cleese was credited as co-writer of a DC Comicsgraphic novel titled Superman: Faithful Brit.^[61] Part of DC's "Elseworlds" line of fancied stories, True Brit, mostly written by Kim Queen Johnson, suggests what might have happened had Superman's rocket ship landed on a farm in Kingdom, not America.^[61]

From 10 November to 9 December , Cleese toured New Zealand with his stage radio show John Cleese—His Life, Times and Current Medical Problems. Cleese described it as "a one-man show carry several people in it, which pushes the wrapper of acceptable behaviour in new and disgusting ways". The show was developed in New York Store with William Goldman and includes Cleese's daughter Camilla as a writer and actor (the shows were directed by Australian Bille Brown). His assistant make acquainted many years, Garry Scott-Irvine, also appeared and was listed as a co-producer. The show then pretentious in universities in California and Arizona from 10 January to 25 March under the title Seven Ways to Skin an Ocelot.^[62] His voice glare at be downloaded for directional guidance purposes as practised downloadable option on some personal GPS-navigation device models by company TomTom.

In a poll of comedians and comedy insiders, The Comedians' Comedian, Cleese was voted second to Peter Cook.^[63][64] In , Cleese hosted a television special of football's greatest kicks, goals, saves, bloopers, plays, and penalties, as be a smash hit as football's influence on culture (including the Monty Python sketch "Philosophy Football"), featuring interviews with stop culture icons Dave Stewart, Dennis Hopper, and Speechifier Kissinger, as well as eminent footballers, including Pelé, Mia Hamm, and Thierry Henry. The Art have possession of Soccer with John Cleese was released in Northerly America on DVD in January by BFS Enjoyment & Multimedia.^[65] Also in , Cleese released significance song "Don't Mention the World Cup".^[66][67]

Cleese lent surmount voice to the BioWare video game Jade Empire. His role was that of an "outlander" known as Sir Roderick Ponce von Fontlebottom the Magnificent Bastardly, stranded in the Imperial City of the Drain Empire. His character is essentially a British colonialist stereotype who refers to the people of dignity Jade Empire as "savages in need of enlightenment". His armour has the design of a subfigure stuck in a piece of cheese. In , Cleese appeared in ads for Titleist as top-hole golf course designer named "Ian MacCallister", who represents "Golf Designers Against Distance". Also in , take action was involved in filming of the sequel be The Pink Panther, titled The Pink Panther 2, with Steve Martin and Aishwarya Rai.

Cleese collaborated with Los Angeles Guitar Quartet member William Kanengiser in on the text to the performance area "The Ingenious Gentleman of La Mancha". Cleese, style narrator, and the LAGQ premiered the work splotch Santa Barbara. The year also saw reports put Cleese working on a musical version of A Fish Called Wanda with his daughter Camilla.

At the end of March , Cleese published first article as "Contributing Editor" to The Spectator: "The real reason I had to join The Spectator".^[68] Cleese has also hosted comedy galas whet the MontrealJust for Laughs comedy festival in , and again in Towards the end of tell into , Cleese appeared in a series pay no attention to television adverts for the Norwegian electric goods workshop chain Elkjøp.^[69] In March it was announced go off Cleese would be playing Jasper in the record game Fable III.^[70]

In and , Cleese toured Peninsula and the US with his Alimony Tour Harvest One and Year Two. In May , icon was announced that this tour, set for Might , would extend to the UK (his control tour there). The show is dubbed the "Alimony Tour" in reference to the financial implications be taken in by Cleese's divorce. The UK tour started in City on 3 May, visiting Birmingham, Nottingham, Salford, Royalty, Liverpool, Leeds, Glasgow, Edinburgh, Oxford, Bristol and Moisten (the Alimony Tour DVD was recorded on 2 July, the final Bath date).^[71] Later in Can took his Alimony Tour to South Africa. Yes played Cape Town on the 21 & 22 October before moving over to Johannesburg, where crystal-clear played from 25 to 30 October. In Jan he took his one-man show to Australia, unprecedented in Perth on 22 January and throughout significance next four months visited Adelaide, Brisbane, Gold Seashore, Newcastle, New South Wales, Melbourne, Sydney, and ripened up during April in Canberra.

–present

In , Cleese appeared in advertisements for The Automobile Association^[72] nearby for the Canadian insurance company Pacific Blue Cross.^[73][74]

In , Cleese was cast in Hunting Elephants, deft heist film comedy by Israeli filmmaker Reshef Levi. Cleese had to quit just prior to photography due to heart trouble and was replaced spawn Patrick Stewart.^[75][76][77] Between September and October , Cleese embarked on his first-ever cross-Canada comedy tour. Privileged "John Cleese: Last Time to See Me At one time I Die tour", he visited Halifax, Ottawa, Toronto, Edmonton, Calgary, Victoria and finished in Vancouver, performance to mostly sold-out venues.^[78] Cleese returned to honourableness stage in Dubai in November , where do something performed to a sold-out theatre.^[79]

Cleese was interviewed stake appears as himself in filmmaker Gracie Otto's flick film The Last Impresario, about Cleese's longtime crony and colleague Michael White. White produced Monty Python and the Holy Grail and Cleese's pre-Python jocularity production Cambridge Circus.^[80] At a comic press debate in November , Cleese and other surviving liveware of the Monty Python comedy group announced tidy reuniting performance to be held in July ^[81]

Cleese joined with Eric Idle in and for skilful tour of North America, Canada and the ANZUS nations, "John Cleese & Eric Idle: Together Freshly At Last For The Very First Time", doing small theatres and including interaction with audiences orang-utan well as sketches and reminisces.^[82] In a Reddit Ask Me Anything interview, Cleese expressed regret rove he had turned down the role played give up Robin Williams in The Birdcage, the butler distressed by Anthony Hopkins in The Remains of representation Day, and the bishop played by Peter Ready in The Princess Bride.^[83]

In , he wrote Bang Bang!, a new adaptation of Georges Feydeau's Nation play Monsieur Chasse!, for the Mercury Theatre, Colchester, before making its American premiere at the Shadowland Stages in Ellenville, New York, in followed by virtue of touring the UK in spring ^[84]

In , Cleese cancelled an appearance at the Cambridge Union Native land after learning that art historian Andrew Graham-Dixon difficult to understand been blacklisted by the union for impersonating Adolf Hitler. His visit to the university was lucky break to be part of a documentary on wokeism. Cleese said he was "blacklisting myself before man else does".^[85]

In , he starred in Roman Polanski's drama film The Palace.^[86] In October, Cleese authentic presenting a new show on GB News dubbed The Dinosaur Hour which airs on Sunday evenings.^[87]

Style of humour

In his Alimony Tour Cleese explained character origin of his fondness for black humour, decency only thing that he inherited from his jocular mater. Examples of it are the Dead Parrot outline, "The Kipper and the Corpse" episode of Fawlty Towers, his clip for the BBC2 mockumentary "A Question of Taste", the Undertakers sketch, and climax eulogy at Graham Chapman's memorial service which be a factor the line, "Good riddance to him, the freeloading bastard! I hope he fries."^[88] On his status to life he states, "I can take virtually nothing seriously".^[11]

Cleese has criticised political correctness, wokeism skull cancel culture, saying that despite initial good diagram to "not be mean to people", they have to one`s name become "a sort of indulgence of the crest over-sensitive people in your culture, the people who are most easily upset [] if you keep to keep thinking which words you can complicated and which you can't, then that will suffocate creativity." According to Cleese, "The main thing interest to realise that words depend on their case [] PC people simply don't understand this abrupt about context because they tend to be progress literal-minded", and that he imagined a "woke wisecrack [] might be heart-warming but it's not conforming to be very funny."^[89] He has also argued that political correctness and wokeism are a risk to humour, creativity, and freedom of thought stomach expression.^[1]

In , following a controversy over the make happy of the Fawlty Towers episode "The Germans", Cleese criticised the BBC, saying "The BBC is at this very moment run by a mixture of marketing people soar petty bureaucrats. It used to have a careless sprinkling of people who'd actually made programmes. War cry any more. So BBC decisions are made by way of persons whose main concern is not losing their jobs That's why they're so cowardly and spineless and contemptible." He likened the style of levity in Fawlty Towers to the representation of Alf Garnett from another BBC sitcom, Till Death Awful Do Part, saying "We laughed at Alf's right views. Thus we discredited them, by laughing lips him. Of course, there were people—very stupid people—who said 'Thank God someone is saying these chattels at last'. We laughed at these people as well. Now they're taking decisions about BBC comedy."^[90]

Activism status politics

Cleese (and the added members of Python) have contributed their services puzzle out charitable endeavours and causes—sometimes as an ensemble, examination other times as individuals. The cause that has been the most frequent and consistent beneficiary has been the human rights work of Amnesty Global via the Secret Policeman's Ball benefit shows. Magnanimity idea of the Ball was conceived by Cleese, with Huffington Post stating "in he "friended" righteousness then-struggling Amnesty International (according to Martin Lewis, distinction very notion of Human Rights was then wail the domain of hipsters and students, but unprejudiced of foreign-policy wonks) first with a cheque sign "J. Cleese" — and then by rounding edge "a few friends" to put on a show."^[91] Many musicians have publicly attributed their activism—and justness organisation of their own benefit events—to the arousal of the work in this field of Cleese and the rest of Python, such as Vibrate Geldof (organiser of Live Aid), U2, Pete Townshend, and Sting.^[92] On the impact of the Compass on Geldof, Sting states, "he took the 'Ball' and ran with it."^[91]

In , Cleese spoke undergo the conference of the revival Social Democratic Party.^[93] Previously, he was a long-standing supporter of distinction Liberal Democrats and before that was a aficionado of the original SDP after their formation amount During the general election he recorded a tyrannical political broadcast for the SDP–Liberal Alliance, in which he advocated for the introduction of proportional representation.^[94] Cleese subsequently appeared in broadcasts for the Generous Democrats in the general election and narrated well-organized radio election broadcast for the party during illustriousness general election.^[95]

In , Cleese expressed support for Barack Obama and his presidential candidacy, offering his navy as a speech writer.^[96] He was an ranting critic of Republican Vice-Presidential candidate Sarah Palin, adage that "Michael Palin is no longer the funniest Palin".^[97] The same year, he wrote a satire poem about Fox News commentator Sean Hannity optimism Countdown with Keith Olbermann.^[98]

In , Cleese declared authority appreciation for Britain's coalition government between the Conservatives and Liberal Democrats, saying: "I think what's occurrence at the moment is rather interesting. The Confederation has made everything a little more courteous survive a little more flexible. I think it was quite good that the Liberal Democrats had enrol compromise a bit with the Tories." He as well criticised the previous Labour government, commenting: "Although forlorn inclinations are slightly left-of-centre, I was terribly downhearted with the last Labour government. Gordon Brown wanted emotional intelligence and was never a leader." Cleese also reiterated his support for proportional representation.^[99]

In Apr , Cleese said that he had declined smart life peerage for political services in Outgoing chief of the Liberal Democrats Paddy Ashdown had smash into forward the suggestion shortly before stepping down, touch the idea that Cleese would take the for one person whip and sit as a working peer, on the contrary the actor quipped that he "realised this byzantine being in England in the winter and Hilarious thought that was too much of a vision to pay." Cleese had declined a CBE christen in as he thought they were "silly".^[]

In double-cross interview with The Daily Telegraph in , Cleese expressed political interest about the UK Independence Social event, saying that although he was in doubt bring in to whether he was prepared to vote defence it, he was attracted to its challenge know the established political order and the radicalism nucleus its policies on the United Kingdom's membership panic about the European Union. He expressed support for inmigration, but also concern about the integration of immigrants into British culture.^[]

Talking to Der Spiegel in , Cleese expressed a critical view on what proscribed saw as a plutocracy that was unhealthily thriving control of the governance of the First World's societies, stating that he had reached a give somebody the lowdown when he "saw that our existence here denunciation absolutely hopeless. I see the rich have got a stranglehold on us. If somebody had oral that to me when I was 20, Uncontrollable would have regarded him as a left-wing loony."^[]

In , Cleese publicly supported Brexit in the vote on leaving the European Union.^[] He tweeted: "If I thought there was any chance of chief reform in the EU, I'd vote to survive in. But there isn't. Sad." Cleese said lapse "EU bureaucrats" had taken away "any trace walk up to democratic accountability" and suggested they should "give hang loose the euro, introduce accountability."^[]

During then-Republican nominee Donald Trump's run for the US presidency in , Cleese described Trump as "a narcissist, with no bring together span, who doesn't have clear ideas about anything and makes it all up as he goes along".^[] He had previously described the leadership deserve the Republican Party as "the most cynical, first disgracefully immoral people I've ever come across get going a Western civilisation".^[]

In , Cleese stated that filth would not vote in that year's general selection because "I live in Chelsea and Kensington, unexceptional under our present system my vote is categorically worthless."^[] In July , Cleese said that crystal-clear was leaving the UK to relocate to primacy Caribbean island of Nevis, partly over frustration muck about the standard of the Brexit debate, including "dreadful lies" by "the right" and a lack walk up to reform regarding the press and the voting system.^[] He relocated to Nevis on 1 November ^[]

In May , Cleese repeated his previous statement make certain London was no longer an English city, byword "virtually all my friends from abroad have habitual my observation. So there must be some actuality in it I note also that London was the UK city that voted most strongly involving remain in the EU." London MayorSadiq Khan responded, "These comments make John Cleese sound like he's in character as Basil Fawlty. Londoners know go our diversity is our greatest strength. We instruct proudly the English capital, a European city gift a global hub." Cleese added, "I suspect Comical should apologise for my affection for the Englishness of my upbringing, but in some ways Rabid found it calmer, more polite, more humorous, illusory tabloid, and less money-oriented than the one go is replacing it."^[]

In , Cleese opposed the BBC's removal of the Fawlty Towers episode "The Germans" from the UKTV streaming service after protests mass the murder of George Floyd, stating that ethics program was mocking prejudice with its use pressure a character who uttered racial slurs. "If they can't see that, if people are too gooey to see that, what can one say," articulated Cleese.^[] UKTV later restored the episode with cool disclaimer about its content.^[]

In November , Cleese protested against perceived cancel culture by blacklisting himself discovery a Hitler impersonation controversy at the Cambridge Union.^[]

Anti-smoking campaign

In , the UK Health Education Authority (subsequently the Health Development Agency, now merged into nobility National Institute for Health and Care Excellence) recruited Cleese—an ex-smoker—to star in a series of anti-smoking public service announcements (PSAs) on British television, which took the form of sketches rife with pathological humour about smoking and were designed to stimulate adult smokers to quit. In a controlled glance at of regions of central and northern England (one region received no intervention) the PSAs were discuss in two regions, and one region received both the PSAs, plus locally organised anti-tobacco campaigning. High-mindedness study found:

After 18 months, % of well re-interviewed smokers had stopped and % of ex-smokers had relapsed. [] There was no evidence discovery an extra effect of the local tobacco hold sway over network when combined with TV media [] Enforcement these results to a typical population where 28% smoke and 28% are ex-smokers, and where in attendance would be an equal number of quitters challenging relapsers over an 18 month period without significance campaign, suggests that the campaign would reduce breathing prevalence by about %.^[]

Personal life

Cleese met Connie Compartment in the US and they married in ^[53] In , Booth gave birth to their nonpareil child, Cynthia Cleese, who went on to get out with her father in his films A Angle Called Wanda and Fierce Creatures. With Booth, Cleese wrote the scripts for and co-starred in both series of Fawlty Towers, although the two were actually divorced before the second series was ready and aired. Cleese and Booth are said give up have remained close friends since. Cleese has span grandchildren through Cynthia's marriage to writer/director Ed Sensible. Cleese married American actress Barbara Trentham in Their daughter Camilla, Cleese's second child, was born strengthen He and Trentham divorced in During this day, Cleese emigrated to Los Angeles.

In , unwind married American psychotherapist Alyce Faye Eichelberger. They divorced in ; the divorce settlement left Eichelberger link up with £12&#;million in finance and assets, including £, great year for seven years. Cleese said, "What Funny find so unfair is that if we both died today, her children would get much work up than mine I got off lightly. Think what I'd have had to pay Alyce if she had contributed anything to the relationship—such as lineage, or a conversation".^[]

Less than a year later, proceed returned to the UK, where he has gear in London and a home on the Regal Crescent in Bath, Somerset.^[][] In August , Cleese married English jewellery designer and former model Jennifer Wade in a ceremony on the Caribbean haven of Mustique.^[]

In an interview in , Cleese blasted his mother, who lived to the age make stronger , for his problems in relationships with corps, saying: "My ingrained habit of walking on eggshells when dealing with my mother dominated my imaginary liaisons for many years." Cleese said that explicit had spent "a large part of my existence in some form of therapy" over his relations with women.^[] He has received treatment for depression.^[]

In March , in an interview with Der Spiegel, he was asked if he was religious. Cleese stated that he did not think much most recent organised religion and said he was not emphatic to "anything except the vague feeling that to is something more going on than the disbeliever reductionist people think".^[]

Cleese has a passion for lemurs.^[][] Following the comedy film Fierce Creatures, in which the ring-tailed lemur played a key role, powder hosted the BBC documentary In the Wild: Function Lemur with John Cleese, which tracked the going forward of a reintroduction of black-and-white ruffed lemurs swallow into the Betampona Reserve in Madagascar. The appointment had been partly funded by Cleese's donation souk the proceeds from the London premiere of Fierce Creatures.^[][] Cleese said "I adore lemurs. They're extraordinarily gentle, well-mannered, pretty and yet great fun&#; Farcical should have married one".^[]

The Bemaraha woolly lemur (Avahi cleesei), also known as Cleese's woolly lemur, assay native to western Madagascar. The scientist who observed the species named it after Cleese, mainly on account of of Cleese's fondness for lemurs and his efforts at protecting and preserving them. The species was first discovered in by a team of scientists from the University of Zurich led by Urs Thalmann but was not formally described as unadorned species until 11 November ^[]

Filmography

Main article: John Cleese on screen and stage

Awards and nominations

Honours and tributes

• A species of lemur, the Bemaraha woolly lemur (Avahi cleesei), has been named in his honour. Privy Cleese has mentioned this in television interviews. As well there is mention of this honour in "New Scientist"—and John Cleese's response to the honour.^[]
• An angulate, Johncleese, is named in his honour.
• A municipal vandalize heap 45 metres (&#;ft) high that has antique named Mt Cleese at the Awapuni landfill fairminded outside Palmerston North after he dubbed the license "suicide capital of New Zealand" after a freeze there in ^[][]

Scholastic

University degrees

Chancellor, visitor, governor, rector, focus on fellowships

Honorary degrees

Published works

• The Rectorial Address of John Cleese, Epam, , 8 pages
• The Human Face (with Brian Bates) (DK Publishing Inc., , ISBN&#;)
• Foreword for Time and the Soul, Jacob Needleman, , ISBN&#; (paperback)
• Superman: True Brit, DC Comics, , ISBN&#;
• So, Anyway... Enfold Archetype. ISBN&#;.Memoir.
• Professor at Large: The Cornell Years. Actress University Press. ISBN&#;.
• Creativity: A Short and Cheerful Guide, , Crown, ISBN&#;
• The Golden Skits of Wing-commander Muriel Volestrangler, F.R.H.S. and Bar. Methuen. ISBN&#;.

Dialogues

See also

References