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John Cleese
| John Cleese | |
 | |
| Birth name | John Marwood Cleese |
| Born | October 27, 1939 in Weston-super-Mare, Somerset, England |
| Sometimes credited as | Maurice Godin |
| Notable Roles | Monty Python's Flying Circus: Monty Python member
Fawlty Towers: Basil Fawlty |
| Notable Episodes | Fawlty Towers: 1x06 - The Germans
Fawlty Towers: 2x01 - Communication Problems Fawlty Towers: 2x02 - The Psychiatrist |
| Awards | 1 Emmy 1 BAFTA TV Award 1 AFI Star Award (with Monty Python) 1 Aftonbladet TV Prize, Sweden 1 Banff Television Festival Sir Peter Ustinov Award Other: 1 BAFTA Film Award; 1 David di Donatello Award, Italy; 1 Evening Standard British Film Awards Peter Sellers Award for Comedy |
John Cleese is a British writer, producer, comedian and actor best known for his work as a member of the comedy troupe Monty Python, and for his solo work as creator, writer and star of the British sitcom Fawlty Towers and dozens of subsequent film and TV roles.
Contents |
Biography
John Marwood Cleese was born in Weston-super-Mare, England on October 27, 1939. Although his family was not well-to-do, he moved around a lot as a child to various small towns in England. His father, Reginald Francis Cleese, was an insurance salesman and World War I veteran, and his mother, Muriel Cross, was a homemaker. Young Cleese was fascinated by making people laugh and by comedy—especially The Goon Show on BBC Radio, but he never considered show business as a career. His biggest dream was to play cricket. After high school, he taught for a couple of years and headed on to Cambridge to study law.
At Cambridge, Cleese joined the famous Footlights Club, which performed comedy revues on a real stage. There he met fellow future Python Graham Chapman. At first, Cleese preferred to be a writer and avoided performing—a shyness born from a childhood of being unusually tall, but in 1963 he caught the eye of the BBC, who hired him as a writer for radio. Cleese agreed to it for the steady pay.
After a few years Cleese came to America, as part of the Cambridge Revue. He fell in love with the country and stayed for a few years. There he met Terry Gilliam and his future wife Connie Booth. When he returned to England, Cleese went to work writing and performing on BBC television on such shows as The Frost Report and At Last the 1948 Show.
In 1969, Cleese was offered the chance to headline his own show with Chapman. They brought together several writer/performers they had worked with, and the show soon became a collaboration. Monty Python's Flying Circus would become one of the most influential and beloved sketch comedies in television history, and unquestionably the most important in BBC history.
Feeling that he was not spending enough time with his wife and daughter, Cynthia (born 1971), Cleese left the show after three seasons and asked for a chance to work with Booth on his next series. That show, Fawlty Towers, was also a landmark in BBC history, and in 2000, it was named the favorite British TV series of all time by the UK TV industry.
In between the first and second seasons of Fawlty Towers, Cleese and Booth were divorced. Cleese also made two original movies with his fellow Pythons: Monty Python and the Holy Grail and Life of Brian. The latter was released after the second season of Fawlty Towers and it became an international hit, rocketing Cleese and his fellow Pythons to an almost rock star-like status. Cleese and the Pythons again toured America, and after Life of Brian, they made another original film, Monty Python Live at the Hollywood Bowl.
Upon completion of the final Monty Python film, The Meaning of Life, Cleese and the Pythons officially split up, although they would continue to work together on other projects. Cleese and Python Michael Palin worked together on two movies which Cleese wrote and starred in —A Fish Called Wanda (the highest grossing British film to date) and Fierce Creatures. In the meanwhile, even before Fawlty Towers, Cleese had begun his own company in collaboration with Tony Jay, Video Arts, which devoted itself to business training videos, often starring Cleese.
Throughout the 80s and 90s, Cleese, by then a sort of legend, continued to make cameo appearances in films and guest appearances on TV shows. In 1987, he won an Emmy as Outstanding Guest Performer in a Comedy Series for his appearance in Cheers. He has since been nominated in that category twice more, in 1998 for 3rd Rock from the Sun and in 2004 for his recurring role as Lyle Finster in the sixth season of Will & Grace. He also received a nomination in 2002 for Outstanding Non-Fiction Special (Informational) for his work as writer, producer and host of the documentary-miniseries The Human Face. In 1981, he remarried, to Barbara Trentham, with whom he had one child, Camilla, before they divorced in 1990. He married a third time to Alice Faye Eichelberger in 1992.
In more recent years, Cleese has become a fixture in comedy/action movies set in Britain. He had notable supporting role as "Nearly Headless Nick" in the Harry Potter movies, as the new Q (formerly Q's assistant R) in the James Bond films, and voiced King Harold in the Shrek movies. He has also lent his voice to several video games, animated movies and commercials. He has co-authored books on psychology and serves as a visiting professor at Cornell University.
Roles
Starring Roles
| Series | Role | Year(s) | Season(s) | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| The Frost Report | Ensemble Member | 1966–1967 | 1 | 2 | |
| At Last the 1948 Show | Ensemble Member | 1967 | 1 | 2 | |
| Monty Python's Flying Circus | Monty Python Member | 1969–1973 | 1 | 2 | 3 |
| Sez Les | Ensemble Member | 1994–95 | 8 | 9 | |
| Fawlty Towers | Basil Fawlty | 1975–1979 | 1 | 2 | |
| Whoops Apocalypse | Lacrobat | 1982 | 1 | ||
| Funny Women | Himself | 1998 | miniseries | ||
| Laughter in the House: The Story of British Sitcom | Himself | 1999 | miniseries | ||
| Disney's House of Mouse | Narrator | 2001–2004 | 1 | 2 | 3 |
| The Human Face | Host | 2001 | miniseries | ||
| The Sketch Show Story | Himself | 2001 | miniseries | ||
| Wednesday 9:30 (8:30 Central) | Red Lansing | 2002 | 1 | ||
| I Love the 70s | Himself | 2004 | miniseries | ||
| Dokument: Humor | Himself | 2005–2006 | 1 | ||
| Monty Python's Personal Best | Monty Python Member | 2006 | miniseries | ||
Guest Starring Roles
| Series | Role | Episode | Airdate |
|---|---|---|---|
| The Avengers | Marcus Rugman | 6x11 - Look — (Stop Me If You've Heard This One) — But There Were These Two Fellers... | December 4, 1968 |
| Sez Les | Himself | 3x04 - Episode Four | September 6, 1971 |
| The Goodies | The Genie | 4x04 - The Goodies and the Beanstalk | December 24, 1973 |
| The Muppet Show | Guest Star | 2x23 - John Cleese | August 10, 1977 |
| Doctor Who | Art Gallery Visitor | 5H - City of Death | September 29, 1979—October 20, 1979 |
| Ripping Yarns | Passer-by | 2x02 - Golden Gordon | October 17, 1979 |
| Cheers | Dr. Simon Finch-Royce | 5x21 - Simon Says | March 5, 1987 |
| The Unpleasant World of Penn & Teller | Himself | 1x02 - Episode Two | January 14, 1994 |
| Look at the State We're In! | Harold Kingsby | 1x02 - Secrecy | May 21, 1995 |
| Look at the State We're In! | The Minister | 1x06 - The Status Quo | June 4, 1995 |
| Saturday Night Live | Himself | 22x10 - Kevin Spacey/Beck | January 11, 1997 |
| Heroes of Comedy | Himself | 1x09 - The Goons | May 7, 1997 |
| 3rd Rock from the Sun | Dr. Liam Neesam | 3x22 - Just Your Average Dick (1) | April 28, 1998 |
| 3rd Rock from the Sun | Dr. Liam Neesam | 3x23 - Dick and the Other Guy (2) | April 28, 1998 |
| Kiss Me Kate | Himself | 1x03 - Calendar | May 18, 1998 |
| Mickey Mouse Works | Narrator | 1x06 - Episode Six | June 5, 1999 |
| Casper & Mandrilaftalen | Gun Rack Technician | 2x02 - Episode Two | September 3, 1999 |
| Mickey Mouse Works | Narrator | 2x05 - Episode Thirteen | October 23, 1999 |
| MADtv | Guest | 5x09 - Episode 509 | November 20, 1999 |
| 3rd Rock from the Sun (credited as Maurice Godin) |
Dr. Liam Neesam | 6x17 - Mary Loves Scoochie (1) | May 8, 2001 |
| 3rd Rock from the Sun | Dr. Liam Neesam | 6x18 - Mary Loves Scoochie (2) | May 15, 2001 |
| MADtv | Guest | 7x09 - Episode 707 | November 24, 2001 |
| Will & Grace | Lyle Finster | 6x06 - Heart Like a Wheelchair | November 6, 2003 |
| Will & Grace | Lyle Finster | 6x11 - The Accidental Tsuris | January 15, 2004 |
| Britain's Best Sitcom | Himself | 1x01 - Fawlty Towers | January 24, 2004 |
| Will & Grace | Lyle Finster | 6x15 - Flip-Flop (1) | February 26, 2004 |
| Will & Grace | Lyle Finster | 6x16 - Flip-Flop (2) | March 4, 2004 |
| Will & Grace | Lyle Finster | 6x23 - I Do (1) | April 29, 2004 |
| Will & Grace | Lyle Finster | 6x23 - Oh, No, You Di-In't (2) | April 29, 2004 |
| Comedy Connections | Himself | 3x01 - Monty Python's Flying Circus | February 21, 2005 |
Specials and Made-for-TV Movies
Talk, News and Game Show Appearances
Writer
Staff Writer
| Series | Year(s) | Credit | Season(s) | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| The Frost Report | 1966-1967 | 1 | 2 | ||
| At Last the 1948 Show | 1967 | 1 | 2 | ||
| Broaden Your Mind | 1968 | 1 | |||
| Monty Python's Flying Circus | 1969-1973 | 1 | 2 | 3 | |
| Fawlty Towers | 1975-1979 | 1 | 2 | ||
| The Human Face | 2001 | 1 | |||
Episode Writer
Specials and Made-for-TV Movies Written
| Title | Credit | Airdate | Series/Banner |
|---|---|---|---|
| How to Irritate People | January 21, 1969 | ||
| Simply Sheila | July 7, 1968 | Show of the Week | |
| Monty Python's Fliegender Zirkus | January 3, 1972 | Monty Python's Fliegender Zirkus | |
| Monty Python's Fliegender Zirkus Episode 2 | December 18, 1972 | Monty Python's Fliegender Zirkus | |
| The Mermaid Frolics | September 10, 1977 | ||
| Comic Relief | April 25, 1986 | Comic Relief | |
| It's... the Monty Python Story | October 9, 1999 | ||
| We Know Where You Live | June 16, 2001 | ||
| John Cleese's Wine for the Confused | October 21, 2004 | ||
| The Art of Football from A to Z | May 25, 2006 |
Responsible For
- Monty Python's Flying Circus (1969)
- Fawlty Towers (1975)
- Look at the State We're In! (1995)
- The Human Face (2001)
Memorable Moments
- Monty Python's Flying Circus
- 1x08 - Full Frontal Nudity: In the sketch "Dead Parrot," he plays Eric Praline, a customer trying to return a dead parrot to a pet shop. As the shopkeeper tries to argue the parrot is not dead, merely sleeping, Praline tries to find some way to get across that the parrot is dead, "passed on. This parrot is no more. It has ceased to be. It's expired and gone to meet its maker. This is a late parrot. Bereft of life, it rests in peace. ... It's rung down the curtain and joined the Choir Invisible. This... is an ex-parrot!" The sketch would become a trademark of Monty Python and arguably their most popular sketch of all time.
- 2x01 - Face the Press: Cleese is first seen walking down the street in an odd goose-step and skipping combination. He walks all the way to his office—at the Ministry of Silly Walks, where he reviews grant proposals to develop silly walks for the United Kingdom.
- Fawlty Towers
- 1x05 - Gourmet Night: Scrambling furiously to deliver the duck which will be the only menu item at his gala gourmet night, Basil Fawlty is pushed to the limit when his car breaks down. Basil curses at the car and threatens to give it a "damn good thrashing!" He runs off and returns with a tree branch, which he beats furiously across the hood and windshield of the car.
- 2x06 - Basil the Rat: Basil has been serving lunch to a hotel health inspector and trying to hide that a pet rat has escaped into the hotel. As Basil serves the inspector biscuits, the rat sits staring up from the biscuits can at the startled inspector. Trying to act casual, Basil says, "Would you care for any rat, or...?"
Awards and Accolades
Primetime Emmy Awards
(4 Nominations/1 Win)
- Won: Outstanding Guest Performer in a Comedy Series (1986-87)
- Nominated: Outstanding Guest Actor in a Comedy Series (1998-99)
- Nominated: Outstanding Non-Fiction Special (Informational) (2001-02)
- Nominated: Outstanding Guest Actor in a Comedy Series (2004-05)
BAFTA TV Awards
(4 Nominations/1 Win)
- Nominated: Best Light Entertainment Personality (1969)
- Nominated: Best Light Entertainment Performance (1970)
- Nominated: Best Light Entertainment Performance (1975)
- Won: Best Light Entertainment Performance (1979)
American Film Institute
(1 Win)
- Won: AFI Star Award (1998 - with Monty Python)
- Honoring "the talents of those who have made a significant impact and have had an enduring influence on the television and motion picture industries."
Aftonbladet TV Prizes, Sweden
(1 Win)
- Won: Best Foreign TV Personality - Male (1991)
Banff Television Festival, Canada
(1 Win)
- Won: Sir Peter Ustinov Award (2002)
- "In recognition of outstanding achievement in a body of comedy work."
Other Awards
- Academy Awards
- Nominated: Best Writing, Original Screenplay (1988) - A Fish Called Wanda
- Golden Globes, Motion Picture
- Nominated: Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture - Comedy/Musical (1988) - A Fish Called Wanda
- BAFTA Film Awards
- Won: Best Actor (1988) - A Fish Called Wanda
- Nominated: Best Screenplay - Original (1988) - A Fish Called Wanda
- Writers Guild of America
- Nominated: WGA Award (Screen) (1988) - A Fish Called Wanda
- David di Donatello Awards, Italy
- Won: Best Screenplay - Foreign Film (1988) - A Fish Called Wanda
- DVD Exclusive Awards, USA
- Nominated: Best Audio Commentary (2001) - Monty Python and the Holy Grail
- Edgar Allan Poe Awards, USA
- Nominated: Best Motion Picture (1988) - A Fish Called Wanda
- Evening Standard British Film Awards, UK
- Won: Peter Sellers Award for Comedy (1986) - Clockwise
- Phoenix Film Critics Society Awards, USA
- Nominated: Best Acting Ensemble (2002) - Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets
Trivia
- His family name was originally "Cheese," but his father changed it to avoid being made fun of while he was in the Army in World War I. Cleese regrets the name change, saying his wife, Alice Faye Eichelberger, calls him Jack, and "I liked the idea of being called Jack Cheese."
- Mother Muriel Cleese (née Cross) had a long, fascinating life. Born November 11, 1899, the armistice declaring the end of World War I happened on her 20th birthday. On her 101st birthday—November 11, 2000—she passed away, having been witness to almost the entire 20th century.
- Was over 6' tall by the age of twelve.
- All three of his wives have been blonde American actresses.
- Has a fascination with psychology, psychiatry and psychotherapy. Many of his writings use it as a major theme—including an episode of Fawlty Towers, 2x02 - The Psychiatrist. Two of his wives—Connie Booth and Alice Faye Eichelberger—have worked as psychotherapists. And he has co-authored books on psychology (including Families and How to Survive Them) and co-created, written and hosted the documentary miniseries The Human Face, which largely discusses the psychology of facial beauty and recognition.
- Was both the tallest and the oldest member of Monty Python, with about two inches on Graham Chapman and one year on Terry Gilliam.
- Starting in 1970, he served for three years as a rector of St. Andrews University in Scotland.
- In 1989, he joined the American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (AFTRA). Despite his long, distinguished career by that point—including an Emmy two years prior and an Oscar nomination the year before—none of the staff recognized him.
- There are claims he declined the honor of Commander of the Order of the British Empire in 1996. Contrary to some claims, however, he did not turn down knighthood, as Commander is one rank below full knighthood and the right to be addressed as "Sir John Cleese."
- An Internet piece entitled "The Revocation of Independence," in which (in response to the election of George W. Bush in 2000 and subsequent Bush Administration policies) Britain revokes America's independence, was falsely attributed to him. Although he does have left-leaning politics, he is very fond of America and has resided here for many years, so his own attitude is far from the smug sense of superiority on display in the e-mail forward.
- In 2005, he had a part of his colon removed in a medical procedure. He subsequently put the tissue removed for sale on his Website.
- In recognition of his love for lemurs (who figure prominently in his film Fierce Creatures), the recently discovered Malagasy species Cleese's woolly lemur (Avahi cleesei) was named after him.
