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{{Short description|English comedian and actor (born 1939)}}
{{Infobox Comedian <!-- for more information see [[:Template:Infobox comedian]] -->
{{Pp-vandalism|small=yes}}
| name = John Cleese
{{Use British English|date=August 2019}}
| image =John Cleese 2008 cropped.jpg
{{Use dmy dates|date=August 2023}}
| imagesize =200px
{{Infobox person
| caption = Cleese in 2008
| pseudonym =
| name = John Cleese
| birth_name = John Marwood Cleese
| image = John Cleese Photo Op GalaxyCon Richmond 2023.jpg
| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|df=yes|1939|10|27|}}
| caption = Cleese in 2023
| birth_name = John Marwood Cleese
| birth_place = [[Weston-super-Mare]], [[North Somerset]], [[England]]
| birth_date = {{birth date and age|df=y|1939|10|27}}
| medium = Film, television, radio, stand-up comedy
| genre = [[Surreal comedy]], [[Dark comedy]], [[Physical comedy]]
| birth_place = [[Weston-super-Mare]], [[Somerset]], England
| active = 1965–present
| alt = Cleese smiling
| alma_mater = [[Downing College, Cambridge]]
| influences = [[Stephen Leacock]], [[Spike Milligan]], [[The Goons]], [[William Shakespeare]]
| occupation = {{hlist|Actor|comedian|screenwriter|producer|presenter}}
| spouse = [[Connie Booth]] (1968–76) (divorced)<br>Barbara Trentham (1981–90) (divorced)<br>[[Alyce Faye Eichelberger]] (1992–2008) (divorced)
| years_active = 1961–present
| website = [http://www.thejohncleese.com/ www.thejohncleese.com]
| spouse = {{plainlist|
* {{marriage|[[Connie Booth]]|1968|1978|end=div}}
* {{marriage|[[Barbara Trentham]]|1981|1990|end=div}}
* {{marriage|[[Alyce Cleese|Alyce Eichelberger]]|1992|2008|end=div}}
* {{marriage|Jennifer Wade|2012}}
}}
| children = 2
| website = {{URL|johncleese.com}}
}}
}}


'''John Marwood Cleese''' ({{pron-en|ˈkliːz}}; born 27 October 1939) is an [[Academy Award]]-nominated [[English people|English]] [[actor]], [[comedian]], [[writer]], and [[film producer]] who is known for being a member of [[Monty Python]], the comedy troupe responsible for the [[sketch show]] ''[[Monty Python's Flying Circus]]'' and the four Monty Python films: ''[[And Now for Something Completely Different]]'', ''[[Monty Python and the Holy Grail|Holy Grail]]'', ''[[Monty Python's Life of Brian|Life of Brian]]'' and ''[[Monty Python's The Meaning of Life|The Meaning of Life]]''.
'''John Marwood Cleese''' ({{IPAc-en|'|k|l|iː|z}} {{respell|KLEEZ}}; born 27 October 1939) is an English actor, comedian, screenwriter, producer, and [[Television presenter|presenter]]. Emerging from the [[Footlights|Cambridge Footlights]] in the 1960s, he first achieved success at the [[Edinburgh Festival Fringe]] and as a scriptwriter and performer on ''[[The Frost Report]]''. In the late 1960s, he cofounded [[Monty Python]], the comedy troupe responsible for the [[sketch show]] ''[[Monty Python's Flying Circus]].'' Along with his Python costars [[Terry Gilliam]], [[Eric Idle]], [[Terry Jones]], [[Michael Palin]], and [[Graham Chapman]], Cleese starred in Monty Python films, which include ''[[Monty Python and the Holy Grail]]'' (1975), ''[[Monty Python's Life of Brian|Life of Brian]]'' (1979), and ''[[Monty Python's The Meaning of Life|The Meaning of Life]]'' (1983).


Cleese co-wrote and starred in, with first wife [[Connie Booth]], the British sitcom ''[[Fawlty Towers]]''. Later, he co-starred with [[Kevin Kline]], [[Jamie Lee Curtis]] and former Python colleague [[Michael Palin]] in ''[[A Fish Called Wanda]]'' and ''[[Fierce Creatures]]'', and has made significant appearances in many films, including two [[James Bond]] films (''[[The World Is Not Enough]]'' and ''[[Die Another Day]]''), two [[Harry Potter]] films (''[[Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone (film)|Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone]]'' and ''[[Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (film)|Chamber of Secrets]]''), and two ''[[Shrek (film series)|Shrek]]'' films (''[[Shrek 2]]'' and ''[[Shrek 3]]'').
In the mid-1970s, Cleese and first wife [[Connie Booth]] cowrote the sitcom ''[[Fawlty Towers]]'', in which he starred as hotel owner [[Basil Fawlty]], for which he won the 1980 [[British Academy Television Award for Best Entertainment Performance]]. In 2000, the show topped the [[British Film Institute]]'s list of the [[100 Greatest British Television Programmes]], and in a 2001 [[Channel 4]] poll, Basil was ranked second on its list of the [[100 Greatest (TV series)|100 Greatest TV Characters]].


Cleese costarred with [[Kevin Kline]], [[Jamie Lee Curtis]], and Michael Palin in ''[[A Fish Called Wanda]]'' (1988) and ''[[Fierce Creatures]]'' (1997), both of which he also wrote. For ''A Fish Called Wanda'', he received [[Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay|Academy Award]], [[BAFTA Award]], and [[Golden Globe Award]] nominations. He has also starred in ''[[Time Bandits]]'' (1981), ''[[Clockwise (film)|Clockwise]]'' (1986), and ''[[Rat Race (film)|Rat Race]]'' (2001) and acted in ''[[Silverado (film)|Silverado]]'' (1985), ''[[Mary Shelley's Frankenstein (film)|Mary Shelley's Frankenstein]]'' (1994), two ''[[James Bond (film series)|James Bond]]'' films (as R and [[Q (James Bond)|Q]]), two ''[[Harry Potter (film series)|Harry Potter]]'' films (as [[Nearly Headless Nick]]), and the last three ''[[Shrek (franchise)|Shrek]]'' films. He received a [[Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Guest Actor in a Comedy Series]] for ''[[Cheers (TV series)|Cheers]]'' (1987) and was nominated for ''[[3rd Rock from the Sun]]'' (1998) and ''[[Will & Grace]]'' (2004).
In Britain, he is also known for co-founding (with ''[[Yes Minister]]'' writer [[Antony Jay]]) the [[Video Arts]] production company, responsible for making training films.

Cleese has specialised in political and religious [[satire]],<ref name="Reason 2022">{{cite magazine |last=Gillespie |first=Nick |date=1 August 2022 |title=John Cleese's War on Wokeism |url=https://reason.com/video/2022/08/01/john-cleeses-war-on-wokeism/ |url-status=live |magazine=[[Reason (magazine)|Reason]] |publisher=[[Reason Foundation]] |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220802072439/https://reason.com/video/2022/08/01/john-cleeses-war-on-wokeism/ |archive-date=2 August 2022 |access-date=3 August 2022}}</ref> [[black comedy]], [[sketch comedy]], and [[surreal humour]].<ref>{{cite book |last1=Rowan |first1=Terry |title=The Kings & Queens of Hollywood Comedy |date=2017 |publisher=Lulu |page=201}}</ref> He was ranked the second best comedian ever in a 2005 Channel 4 poll of fellow comedians.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/entertainment/4141019.stm|work=BBC News|title=Cook voted 'comedians' comedian'|date=2 January 2005 |access-date=22 July 2022}}</ref> He cofounded [[Video Arts]], a production company making entertaining training films as well as ''[[The Secret Policeman's Ball]]'' benefit shows to raise funds for the human rights organisation [[Amnesty International]]. Formerly a staunch supporter of the [[Liberal Democrats (UK)|Liberal Democrats]], in 1999, he turned down an offer from the party to nominate him for a [[life peer]]age. In 2023, he began presenting a [[talk show]] on [[GB News]].

== Early life and education ==
Cleese was born in [[Weston-super-Mare]], [[Somerset]], England, the only child of Reginald Francis Cleese (1893–1972), an insurance salesman, and his wife Muriel Evelyn (''née'' Cross, 1899–2000), the daughter of an auctioneer.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.filmreference.com/film/20/John-Cleese.html |title=John Cleese Biography (1939–) |website=Film Reference |access-date=14 June 2010 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100204051924/http://www.filmreference.com/film/20/John-Cleese.html |archive-date=4 February 2010 }}</ref> His family's surname was originally Cheese, but his father had thought it was embarrassing and used the name Cleese when he enlisted in the [[British Army|Army]] during the [[First World War]]; he changed it officially by [[Deed poll#Use for changing name|deed poll]] in 1923.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/32864/page/6398|title=Reginald Francis Cleese|work=[[The London Gazette]]|date=21 September 1923|issue=32864|page=6398}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last=Stadlen |first=Matthew |title=John Cleese says: 'I've finally found true love—in a fish and three cats' |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/men/relationships/11157618/John-Cleese-says-Ive-finally-found-true-love-in-a-fish-and-three-cats.html |access-date=11 November 2015 |work=The Daily Telegraph |date=13 October 2014 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151105021521/http://www.telegraph.co.uk/men/relationships/11157618/John-Cleese-says-Ive-finally-found-true-love-in-a-fish-and-three-cats.html |archive-date=5 November 2015 }}</ref> As a child, Cleese supported [[Bristol City F.C.|Bristol City]] and [[Somerset County Cricket Club]].<ref>{{cite news |first1=Amy |last1=Raphael |title=Ross and Brand were astoundingly tasteless |url=https://www.theguardian.com/culture/2008/nov/29/john-cleese-interview |newspaper=[[The Guardian]] |location=London, England|date=29 November 2008 |access-date=23 November 2014 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141129084524/http://www.theguardian.com/culture/2008/nov/29/john-cleese-interview |archive-date=29 November 2014 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=The Bristol Funny List: 50 of the city's funniest men and women |url=https://www.bristolpost.co.uk/news/bristol-news/bristol-funny-list-50-citys-1582 |website=Bristol Live |access-date=17 July 2018|date=18 February 2017 }}</ref> Cleese was educated at St Peter's Preparatory School,<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/and-now-for-something-completely-silly-7g6pg0pxpgw|title=And now for something completely silly|website=thetimes.co.uk|access-date=30 March 2022|last1=Cleese |first1=John }}</ref> paid for by money his mother had inherited,<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://wtfpod.libsyn.com/episode-961-john-cleese|title=WTF with Marc Maron Podcast: Episode 961—John Cleese|website=wtfpod.libsyn.com|access-date=22 October 2018}}</ref> where he received a prize for [[English studies|English]] and did well at [[cricket (sport)|cricket]] and [[boxing]]. When he was 13, he was awarded an [[exhibition (scholarship)|exhibition]] at [[Clifton College]], an [[English public school]] in Bristol. By that age, he was more than 6 feet (1.83 m) tall.<ref name="WTTW">{{cite news |title=John Cleese: 'I Can Take Almost Nothing Seriously' |url=https://news.wttw.com/2015/12/30/john-cleese-i-can-take-almost-nothing-seriously |access-date=19 March 2020 |agency=WTTW}}</ref>

{{Quote box
| width = 27%
| bgcolor = #FFFFF0
| align = right
| quote = The biggest influence was ''[[The Goon Show]]''. Kids were devoted to it. It was written by [[Spike Milligan]]. It also had [[Peter Sellers]] in it, who of course is the greatest voice man of all time. In the morning, we'd be at school and we'd discuss the whole thing and rehash the jokes and talk about it. We were obsessed with it.
| source = —Cleese on his greatest comedic influence growing up, 1950s BBC Radio comedy ''The Goon Show''.<ref>{{cite news |title=John Cleese on The Goon Show, His Earliest Comedy Influence |url=https://www.vulture.com/2018/07/talking-peter-sellers-and-the-goon-show-with-john-cleese.html |access-date=10 September 2019 |work=Vulture}}</ref>
}}


Cleese allegedly defaced the school grounds, as a prank, by painting footprints to suggest that the statue of [[Field Marshal]] [[Douglas Haig, 1st Earl Haig|Earl Haig]] had left its plinth and gone to the toilet.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.sandiegomag.com/media/San-Diego-Magazine/March-2006/Silly-Walks-and-Dead-Parrots/ |title=San Diego Magazine, Silly Walks and Dead Parrots |website=Sandiegomag.com |access-date=14 June 2010 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070928021220/http://www.sandiegomag.com/media/San-Diego-Magazine/March-2006/Silly-Walks-and-Dead-Parrots/ |archive-date=28 September 2007}}</ref> Cleese played cricket in the First XI and did well academically, passing eight [[GCE Ordinary Level|O-Levels]] and three [[GCE Advanced Level|A-Levels]] in mathematics, physics and chemistry.<ref>{{cite web |title=John Cleese |url=http://www.cardinalfang.net/biographies/cleese_biog.html |website=Cardinal Fang's Python Site |access-date=7 May 2011 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110723052835/http://www.cardinalfang.net/biographies/cleese_biog.html |archive-date=23 July 2011 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=John Cleese |url=http://www.leadingauthorities.com/agent/john-cleese.aspx |publisher=Leading Authorities |access-date=7 May 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100910042226/http://www.leadingauthorities.com/Agent/John-Cleese.aspx |archive-date=10 September 2010}}</ref> In his autobiography ''So, Anyway'', he says that discovering, aged 17, he had not been made a house [[prefect]] by his housemaster affected his outlook: "It was not fair and therefore it was unworthy of my respect... I believe that this moment changed my perspective on the world."<ref>{{cite book |last1=Cleese |first1=John |title=So, Anyway...: The Autobiography |date=2014 |publisher=Random House}}</ref>
==Early life==
Cleese was born in [[Weston-super-Mare]], [[North Somerset|Somerset]], the son of Muriel ([[married and maiden names|née]] Cross), an acrobat, and Reginald Francis Cleese (b. 1894), who worked in insurance sales.<ref>[http://www.filmreference.com/film/20/John-Cleese.html John Cleese Biography (1939-)]</ref> His family's surname was previously "Cheese", but his grandfather, John Edwin Cheese, changed it to "Cleese" in 1915, upon joining the [[British Army|Army]].<ref>[http://www.everything2.com/index.pl?node=John%20Cleese John Cleese's father]</ref><ref name="cheese">{{cite web |url=http://www.rollingstone.com/news/story/30583033/john_cleeses_towering_legacy |title=John Cleese's Towering Legacy |accessdate=2009-10-23 |work=Rolling Stone}}</ref>


Cleese could not go straight to the [[University of Cambridge]], as the ending of [[conscription in the United Kingdom|National Service]] meant there were twice the usual number of applicants for places, so he returned to his prep school for two years<ref name="fringe">{{cite book|first1=Roger|last1=Wilmut|title=From Fringe to Flying Circus: Celebrating a Unique Generation of Comedy 1960–1980|publisher=[[Methuen Publishing]]|location=North Yorkshire, England|date=1980|isbn=0-413-46950-6}}</ref> to teach science, English, geography, history, and Latin<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.dailyllama.com/news/1999/llama090.html |title=John Cleese to Spend Five Years Tour As Professor at Cornell University |work=Daily Llama |date=18 January 1999 |access-date=4 April 2012 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120326105229/http://www.dailyllama.com/news/1999/llama090.html |archive-date=26 March 2012 }}</ref> (he drew on his Latin teaching experience later for a scene in ''[[Life of Brian]]'', in which he corrects Brian's badly written Latin [[graffiti]]).<ref>Life of Brian commentary by Terry Jones, Terry Gilliam and Eric Idle</ref> He then took up a place he had won at [[Downing College, Cambridge|Downing College]], Cambridge, to read law. He also joined the [[Footlights|Cambridge Footlights]]. He recalled that he went to the [[Cambridge Guildhall]], where each university society had a stall, and went up to the Footlights stall, where he was asked if he could sing or dance. He replied "no" as he was not allowed to sing at his school because he was so bad, and if there was anything worse than his singing, it was his dancing. He was then asked "Well, what do you do?" to which he replied, "I make people laugh."<ref name="fringe" />
Cleese was educated at St Peter's Preparatory School where he was a star pupil, receiving a prize for [[English studies]] and doing well at sport including [[cricket (sport)|cricket]] and [[boxing]]. At 13 he received an [[exhibition (scholarship)|exhibition]] to [[Clifton College]], an [[English public school]] in [[Bristol]]. He was tall as a child and was well over 6&nbsp;ft when he arrived there. While at the school he is said to have defaced the school grounds for a prank by painting footsteps to suggest that the school's statue of [[Field Marshal]] [[Douglas Haig, 1st Earl Haig|Earl Haig]] had got down from his plinth and gone to the toilet.<ref>[http://www.sandiegomag.com/media/San-Diego-Magazine/March-2006/Silly-Walks-and-Dead-Parrots/ San Diego Magazine, Silly Walks and Dead Parrots]</ref> Cleese played cricket for the first team and after initial indifference he did well academically, passing 8 [[O levels]] and 3 [[Advanced Level in the United Kingdom|A-Levels]] in mathematics, physics and chemistry.


After leaving school he went back to his prep school to teach science before taking up a place he had won at [[Downing College, Cambridge]] where he studied law and joined the [[Footlights|Cambridge Footlights Revue]]. There he met his future writing partner [[Graham Chapman]]. Cleese wrote extra material for the 1961 Footlights Revue ''I Thought I Saw It Move'',<ref name="footlights">''Footlights!'' &mdash; 'A Hundred Years of Cambridge Comedy' &mdash; Robert Hewison, Methuen London Ltd, 1983, ISBN 0-413-51150-2.</ref><ref name="fringe">''From Fringe to Flying Circus'' &mdash; 'Celebrating a Unique Generation of Comedy 1960&ndash;1980' &mdash; Roger Wilmut, Eyre Methuen Ltd, 1980, ISBN 0-413-46950-6.</ref> and was Registrar for the Footlights Club during 1962, as well as being one of the cast members for the 1962 Footlights Revue ''Double Take!''<ref name="footlights" /><ref name="fringe" /> He graduated from Cambridge in 1963 with a 2:1 classification in his degree.
At the Footlights theatrical club, Cleese spent a lot of time with [[Tim Brooke-Taylor]] and [[Bill Oddie]] and met his future writing partner [[Graham Chapman]].<ref name="fringe" /> Cleese wrote extra material for the 1961 Footlights Revue ''I Thought I Saw It Move'',<ref name="fringe" /><ref name="footlights">{{cite book|first=Robert|last=Hewison|title=Footlights! A Hundred Years of Cambridge Comedy|publisher=[[Methuen Publishing|Methuen London Ltd.]]|location=London, England|date=1983|isbn=0-413-51150-2}}</ref> and was registrar for the Footlights Club during 1962. He was also in the cast of the 1962 Footlights Revue ''Double Take!''<ref name="fringe" /><ref name="footlights" /> Cleese graduated from Cambridge in 1963 with an [[British undergraduate degree classification#Upper Second Class Honours|upper second]]. Despite his successes on ''[[The Frost Report]]'', his father sent him cuttings from ''[[The Daily Telegraph]]'' offering management jobs in places such as [[Marks & Spencer]].<ref>''[[The Sunday Times]]'', 16 October 1988.</ref>


==Career==
== Career ==
===Pre-Python===
=== 1963–1968: Pre-Python ===
Cleese was one of the script writers, as well as being a member of the cast, for the 1963 Footlights Revue, ''A Clump of Plinths'',<ref name="footlights"/><ref name="fringe"/> which was so successful during the [[Edinburgh Festival Fringe]] that its name was changed to ''[[Cambridge Circus (comedy)|Cambridge Circus]]'' and was taken to the [[West End Theatre|West End]] in London and then on a tour of [[New Zealand]] and [[Broadway theatre|Broadway]], with the cast also appearing in some of the revue's sketches on ''[[The Ed Sullivan Show]]'' in September 1964.<ref name="fringe" />
Cleese was a scriptwriter, as well as a cast member, for the 1963 [[Cambridge Footlights Revue|Footlights Revue]] ''A Clump of Plinths''.<ref name="fringe" /><ref name="footlights" /> The revue was so successful at the [[Edinburgh Festival Fringe]] that it was renamed ''[[Cambridge Footlights Revue|Cambridge Circus]]'' and taken to the [[West End Theatre|West End]] in London and then on a tour of New Zealand and Broadway, with the cast also appearing in some of the revue's sketches on ''[[The Ed Sullivan Show]]'' in October 1964.<ref name="fringe" />


After ''Cambridge Circus'', Cleese briefly stayed in America, performing [[Broadway theatre|on]] and [[off-Broadway]]. While performing in the musical ''[[Half a Sixpence]]'',<ref name="fringe"/> Cleese met future Python [[Terry Gilliam]], as well as American actress Connie Booth whom he married on 20 February 1968.<ref name="fringe" />
After ''Cambridge Circus'', Cleese briefly stayed in America, performing [[Broadway theatre|on]] and [[off-Broadway]]. While performing in the musical ''[[Half a Sixpence]]'',<ref name="fringe" /> Cleese met future Python [[Terry Gilliam]] as well as American actress Connie Booth, whom he married on 20 February 1968.<ref name="fringe" /> At their wedding at a Unitarian church in Manhattan, the couple attempted to ensure an absence of any theistic language. "The only moment of disappointment", Cleese recalled, "came at the very end of the service when I discovered that I'd failed to excise one particular mention of the word 'God'."<ref>Cleese, John (2014). New York: Crown Archetype, p. 318.</ref> Later, Booth became a writing partner. Cleese was soon offered work as a writer with [[BBC Radio]], where he worked on several programmes, most notably as a sketch writer for ''[[Dick Emery|The Dick Emery Show]]''. The success of the Footlights Revue led to the recording of a short series of half-hour radio programmes, called ''[[I'm Sorry, I'll Read That Again]]'', which were so popular that the BBC commissioned a regular series with the same title that ran from 1965 to 1974. Cleese returned to Britain and joined the cast.<ref name="fringe" /> In many episodes, he is credited as "John Otto Cleese" (according to Jem Roberts, this may have been due to the embarrassment of his actual middle name, "Marwood").<ref>P70, The Authorised History of I'm Sorry I Haven't A Clue; Jem Roberts {{ISBN|978-1-84809-132-0}}</ref>


Also in 1965, Cleese and Chapman began writing on ''[[The Frost Report]]''. The writing staff chosen for the programme consisted of a number of writers and performers who went on to make names for themselves in comedy.<ref name="BBCComedy">{{cite news|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/comedy/thefrostreport/|title=The Frost Report|publisher=BBC Comedy|access-date=9 July 2016}}</ref> They included co-performers from ''I'm Sorry, I'll Read That Again'' and future [[The Goodies|Goodies]] [[Bill Oddie]] and [[Tim Brooke-Taylor]], and also [[Frank Muir]], [[Barry Cryer]], [[Marty Feldman]], [[Ronnie Barker]], [[Ronnie Corbett]], and [[Dick Vosburgh]] and future Python members [[Eric Idle]], [[Terry Jones]], and [[Michael Palin]].<ref name="BBCComedy"/><ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/obituaries/2016/07/08/jimmy-gilbert-bbc-producer-who-presided-over-a-golden-age-of-lig/ |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20220110/https://www.telegraph.co.uk/obituaries/2016/07/08/jimmy-gilbert-bbc-producer-who-presided-over-a-golden-age-of-lig/ |archive-date=10 January 2022 |url-access=subscription |url-status=live|title=Jimmy Gilbert, BBC producer who presided over a golden age of light entertainment—obituary|work=The Daily Telegraph|location=London|date=8 June 2016|access-date=9 July 2016}}{{cbignore}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Marty Feldman: Six Degrees of Separation |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b009pgsc |work=[[BBC Two]] |date=13 August 2011 |access-date=18 November 2015}}</ref> While working on ''The Frost Report'', the future Pythons developed the writing styles that would make their collaboration significant. Cleese's and Chapman's sketches often involved authority figures, some of whom were performed by Cleese, while Jones and Palin were both infatuated with filmed scenes that opened with idyllic countryside panoramas. Idle was one of those charged with writing [[David Frost]]'s monologue. During this period Cleese met and befriended influential British comedian [[Peter Cook]], eventually collaborating with Cook on several projects and forming a close friendship that lasted until Cook's death in 1995.<ref name="BBCComedy"/><ref>{{cite AV media |last1=Geraghty |first1=Geraldine |title=The Undiscovered Peter Cook |date=16 November 2016 |publisher=BBC |type=Film }}</ref>
He was soon offered work as a writer with [[BBC Radio]] where he worked on several programmes, most notably as a sketch writer for ''[[Dick Emery|The Dick Emery Show]]''. The success of the Footlights Revue led to the recording of a short series of half-hour radio programmes, called ''[[I'm Sorry, I'll Read That Again]]'', which were so popular that the BBC commissioned a regular series with the same title which ran from 1965 to 1974. Cleese returned to England and joined the cast.<ref name="fringe" /> In many episodes, he is credited as "John Otto Cleese".


It was as a performer on ''The Frost Report'' that Cleese achieved his breakthrough on British television as a comedy actor, appearing as the tall, ''upper class'' patrician figure in the classic [[Class sketch|"Class" sketch]] (screened on 7 April 1966), contrasting comically in a line-up with the shorter, ''middle class'' [[Ronnie Barker]] and the even shorter, ''working class'' [[Ronnie Corbett]]. The British Film Institute commented, "Its twinning of height and social position, combined with a minimal script, created a classic TV moment."<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.screenonline.org.uk/tv/id/852164/ |title=BFI Screenonline: Frost Report, The (1966–67) |publisher=[[British Film Institute]] |access-date=21 April 2010 }}</ref> The series was so popular that in 1966 Cleese and Chapman were invited to work as writers and performers with Brooke-Taylor and Feldman on ''[[At Last the 1948 Show]]'',<ref name="fringe" /> during which time the "[[Four Yorkshiremen sketch]]" was written by all four writers/performers (the "Four Yorkshiremen" sketch is now better known as a [[Monty Python Live at the Hollywood Bowl|Monty Python sketch]]).<ref name="BrightRoss2001">{{cite book |author1=Morris Bright |author2=Robert Ross |title=Fawlty Towers: fully booked |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=AH-FAAAAIAAJ |access-date=29 September 2010 |year=2001 |publisher=BBC |isbn=978-0-563-53439-6 |page=60 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130607064408/http://books.google.com/books?id=AH-FAAAAIAAJ |archive-date=7 June 2013 }}</ref>
In 1965, Cleese and Chapman began writing on ''[[The Frost Report]]''. The writing staff chosen for ''The Frost Report'' consisted of a number of writers and performers who would go on to make names for themselves in comedy. They included future [[The Goodies|Goodies]] [[Bill Oddie]] and [[Tim Brooke-Taylor]], and also [[Frank Muir]], [[Barry Cryer]], [[Marty Feldman]], [[Ronnie Barker]], [[Ronnie Corbett]], [[Dick Vosburgh]] and future Python members [[Eric Idle]], [[Terry Jones]] and [[Michael Palin]]. It was while working on ''The Frost Report'', in fact, that the future Pythons developed the writing styles that would make their collaboration significant. Cleese and Chapman's sketches often involved authority figures, some of which were performed by Cleese, while Jones and Palin were both infatuated with filmed scenes that open with idyllic countryside panoramas. Idle was one of those charged with writing [[David Frost (broadcaster)|David Frost]]'s monologue. It was during this period that Cleese met and befriended influential British comedian [[Peter Cook]].


Such was the popularity of the series that in 1966 Cleese and Chapman were invited to work as writers and performers with Brooke-Taylor and Feldman on ''[[At Last the 1948 Show]]'',<ref name="fringe"/> during which time the ''[[Four Yorkshiremen sketch]]'' was written by all four writers/performers (the Four Yorkshiremen sketch is now better known as a ''[[Monty Python]]'' sketch). John Cleese and Graham Chapman also wrote episodes for the first series of ''[[Doctor in the House (TV series)|Doctor in the House]]'' (and later on his own Cleese wrote six episodes of ''[[Doctor at Large (TV series)|Doctor at Large]]'' in 1971). These series were successful and, in 1969, Cleese and Chapman were offered their very own series. However, owing to Chapman's [[alcoholism]], Cleese found himself bearing an increasing workload in the partnership and was therefore unenthusiastic about doing a series with just the two of them. He had found working with Palin on ''The Frost Report'' an enjoyable experience, and invited him to join the series. Palin had previously been working on ''[[Do Not Adjust Your Set]]'', with Idle and Jones, with Terry Gilliam creating the animations. The four of them had, on the back of the success of ''Do Not Adjust Your Set'', been offered a series for [[ITV]], which they were waiting to begin when Cleese's offer arrived. Palin agreed to work with Cleese and Chapman in the meantime, bringing with him Gilliam, Jones and Idle.
Cleese and Chapman also wrote episodes for the first series of ''[[Doctor in the House (TV series)|Doctor in the House]]'' (and later Cleese wrote six episodes of ''[[Doctor at Large (TV series)|Doctor at Large]]'' on his own in 1971). These series were successful, and in 1969 Cleese and Chapman were offered their very own series. However, owing to Chapman's alcoholism, Cleese found himself bearing an increasing workload in the partnership and was, therefore, unenthusiastic about doing a series with just the two of them. He had found working with Palin on ''The Frost Report'' an enjoyable experience and invited him to join the series. Palin had previously been working on ''[[Do Not Adjust Your Set]]'' with Idle and Jones, with Terry Gilliam creating the animations. The four of them had, on the back of the success of ''Do Not Adjust Your Set'', been offered a series for [[Thames Television]], which they were waiting to begin when Cleese's offer arrived. Palin agreed to work with Cleese and Chapman in the meantime, bringing with him Gilliam, Jones, and Idle.<ref>{{cite book |last1=McCall |first1=Douglas. L. |title=Monty Python: a chronological listing of the troupe's creative output, and articles and reviews about them, 1969–1989 |date=1991 |publisher=McFarland |page=1}}</ref>


===Monty Python===
=== 1969–1983: Monty Python ===
{{Main|Monty Python}}
''Monty Python's Flying Circus'' ran for four seasons from October 1969 to December 1974 on [[BBC]] Television, though with only limited participation in the last six shows. Cleese's two primary characterizations were as a sophisticate and a stressed-out loony. He portrayed the former as a series of announcers, TV show hosts, government officials (for example, "[[The Ministry of Silly Walks]]"). The latter is perhaps best represented in the "[[Cheese Shop Sketch|Cheese Shop]]", and by Cleese's [[Mr Praline]] character, the man with a [[Dead Parrot|dead Norwegian Blue parrot]] and a menagerie of other animals all named "Eric". He was also known for his working-class "Sergeant Major" character, who worked as a Police Sergeant, Roman Centurion, etc. he is also seen as the opening announcer, with the now famous line: "And now for something completely different" a phrase that premiered in the sketch, "Man with Three Buttocks".
''[[Monty Python's Flying Circus]]'' ran for four series from October 1969 to December 1974 on [[BBC Television]], though Cleese quit the show after the third. Cleese's two primary characterisations were as a sophisticate and a loony. He portrayed the former as a series of announcers, TV show hosts, and government officials (for example, "[[The Ministry of Silly Walks]]"). The latter is perhaps best represented in the "[[Cheese Shop Sketch|Cheese Shop]]" and by Cleese's [[Mr Praline]] character, the man with a [[Dead Parrot sketch|dead Norwegian Blue parrot]] and a menagerie of other animals all named "Eric". He was also known for his working class "Sergeant Major" character, who worked as a Police Sergeant, Roman Centurion, etc. Cleese also appeared during some abrupt scene changes as a radio commentator (usually outfitted in a dinner suit) where, in a rather pompous manner, he would make the formal and determined announcement "And now for something completely different", which later became the title of [[And Now For Something Completely Different|the first Monty Python film]].<ref>{{cite news |title=And Now For Something Completely Different |url=https://www.smithsonianmag.com/arts-culture/and-now-for-something-completely-different-102005497/ |access-date=20 August 2019 |work=Smithsonian}}</ref>


====Partnership with Graham Chapman====
'''Partnership with Graham Chapman'''
{{Quote box
{{listen
| width = 29%
|filename=Parrot sketch.ogg
| bgcolor = #FFFFF0
|title=The Dead Parrot sketch performed on ''Monty Python's Flying Circus'' in 1969
| align = right
|description=listen to a clip from the sketch.
| quote = He was the greatest sounding board I've ever had. If Graham thought something was funny, then it almost certainly was funny. You cannot believe how invaluable that is.
| source = — Cleese on Chapman in ''[[The Pythons Autobiography by The Pythons]]'' (2003).<ref>{{cite news |title=The full Monty |url=https://www.theguardian.com/theobserver/2003/oct/05/tvandradio |access-date=21 August 2019 |work=The Guardian}}</ref>
}}
}}
Along with Gilliam's animations, Cleese's work with Chapman provided Python with its darkest and angriest moments, and many of his characters display the seething suppressed rage that later characterised his portrayal of [[Basil Fawlty]].


Along with Gilliam's animations, Cleese's work with Graham Chapman provided Python with its darkest and angriest moments, and many of his characters display the seething suppressed rage that later characterised his portrayal of [[Basil Fawlty]].
Unlike Palin and Jones, Cleese and Chapman actually wrote together, in the same room; Cleese claims that their writing partnership involved him sitting with pen and paper, doing most of the work, while Chapman sat back, not speaking for long periods, then suddenly coming out with an idea that often elevated the sketch to a different level. A classic example of this is the "[[Dead Parrot]]" sketch, envisaged by Cleese as a satire on poor customer service, which was originally to have involved a broken toaster, and later a broken car (this version was actually performed and broadcast, on the pre-Python special ''[[How To Irritate People]]''). It was Chapman's suggestion to change the faulty item into a dead parrot, and he also suggested that the parrot be specifically a ''Norwegian Blue'', giving the sketch a [[surreal]] air which made it far more memorable.


Unlike Palin and Jones, Cleese and Chapman wrote together in the same room; Cleese claims that their writing partnership involved him doing most of the work, while Chapman sat back, not speaking for long periods before suddenly coming out with an idea that often elevated the sketch to a new level. A classic example of this is the "[[Dead Parrot sketch]]", envisaged by Cleese as a satire on poor customer service, which was originally to have involved a broken toaster and later a broken car (this version was actually performed and broadcast on the pre-Python special ''[[How to Irritate People]]''). It was Chapman's suggestion to change the faulty item into a dead parrot, and he also suggested that the parrot be specifically a "Norwegian Blue", giving the sketch a [[Surrealism|surreal]] air which made it far more memorable.<ref>McCabe, Bob (2005). ''The Life of Graham, The authorised biography of Graham Chapman''. pp. 90–91. London: Orion Books</ref>
Their humour often involved ordinary people in ordinary situations behaving absurdly for no obvious reason. Like Chapman, Cleese's poker face, clipped middle-class accent and imposing height allowed him to appear convincing as a variety of authority figures &mdash; which he would then proceed to undermine. Most famously, in the [[Ministry of Silly Walks|"Ministry of Silly Walks"]] sketch (actually written by Palin and Jones), Cleese exploits his stature as the crane-legged civil servant performing a grotesquely elaborate walk to his office.


Their humour often involved [[Everyman|ordinary people]] in ordinary situations behaving absurdly for no obvious reason. Like Chapman, Cleese's [[Deadpan|poker face]], clipped middle class accent, and intimidating height allowed him to appear convincingly as a variety of authority figures, such as policemen, detectives, Nazi officers or government officials, which he then proceeded to undermine. In the "[[The Ministry of Silly Walks|Ministry of Silly Walks]]" sketch (written by Palin and Jones), for example, Cleese exploits his stature as the crane-legged civil servant performing a grotesquely elaborate walk to his office. On the Silly Walks sketch, Ben Beaumont-Thomas in ''[[The Guardian]]'' writes, "Cleese is utterly deadpan as he takes the stereotypical [[Bowler hat|bowler-hatted]] political drone and ruthlessly skewers him. All the self-importance, bureaucratic inefficiency and laughable circuitousness of [[Whitehall]] is summed up in one balletic extension of his slender leg."<ref>{{cite news |title=John Cleese and Mick Jagger are wrong—Monty Python's silly walks are still hilarious |url=https://www.theguardian.com/culture/2014/jul/01/john-cleese-mick-jagger-monty-python-silly-walks-funny |access-date=22 August 2019 |work=The Guardian}}</ref>
Chapman and Cleese also specialised in sketches where two characters would conduct highly articulate arguments over completely arbitrary subjects, such as in the "cheese shop", the "dead parrot" sketch and "[[The Argument Sketch]]", where Cleese plays a stone-faced [[bureaucrat]] employed to sit behind a desk and engage people in pointless, trivial bickering. All of these roles were opposite Palin (who Cleese often claims is his favourite Python to work with) – the comic contrast between the towering Cleese's crazed aggression and diminutive Palin's shuffling inoffensiveness is a common feature in the series. Occasionally, the typical Cleese-Palin dynamic is reversed, as in "[[Fish Licence]]", wherein Palin plays the bureaucrat with whom Cleese is trying to work.


[[File:Monty Python Live 02-07-14 13 00 13 (14415341590).jpg|thumb|"[[Argument Clinic]]" sketch with Palin (standing) at ''[[Monty Python Live (Mostly)]]'', in 2014]]
Though the programme lasted four series, by the start of series 3, Cleese was growing tired of dealing with Chapman's alcoholism. According to Gilliam, Cleese was the "most Cambridge" of the Cambridge-educated members of the group (Cleese, Chapman and Idle), by which Gilliam meant that Cleese was the tallest (6'4") and most aggressive of the whole group. He felt, too, that the show's scripts had declined in quality. For these reasons, he became restless and decided to move on. Though he stayed for the third series, he officially left the group before the fourth season. Despite this, he remained friendly with the group, and all six began writing ''[[Monty Python and the Holy Grail]]''; Cleese received a credit on episodes of the fourth series which used material from these sessions, and even makes a brief appearance in one episode as the voice of a cartoon in the "Hamlet" episode, though he was officially unconnected with the fourth series. Cleese returned to the troupe to co-write and co-star in the Monty Python films ''[[Monty Python and the Holy Grail]]'', ''[[Monty Python's Life of Brian]]'' and ''[[Monty Python's The Meaning of Life]]'', and participated in various live performances over the years.


Chapman and Cleese also specialised in sketches wherein two characters conducted highly articulate arguments over completely arbitrary subjects, such as in the "cheese shop", the "dead parrot" sketch and "[[Argument Clinic]]", where Cleese plays a stone-faced bureaucrat employed to sit behind a desk and engage people in pointless, trivial bickering.<ref>Monty Python (1989). ''The Complete Monty Python's Flying Circus: All the Words, Volume 2''. Pantheon Books. p. 86.</ref> All of these roles were opposite Palin (who Cleese often claims is his favourite Python to work with)—the comic contrast between the towering Cleese's crazed aggression and the shorter Palin's shuffling inoffensiveness is a common feature in the series. Occasionally, the typical Cleese–Palin dynamic is reversed, as in "[[Fish Licence]]", wherein Palin plays the bureaucrat with whom Cleese is trying to work.
===Post-Python===
From 1970 to 1973 Cleese served as [[rector]] of the [[University of St Andrews]].<ref>[http://64.233.167.104/search?q=cache:stSIYW6ohXEJ:foi.st-andrews.ac.uk/doc.jsp%3Fid%3D295+%22john+cleese%22+%22st-andrews%22&hl=en&ct=clnk&cd=4&gl=nz List of Rectors of University of St. Andrews]</ref> His election proved a milestone for the University, revolutionising and modernising the post. For instance, the Rector was traditionally entitled to appoint an "Assessor", a deputy to sit in his place at important meetings in his absence. Cleese changed this into a position for a student, elected across campus by the student body, resulting in direct access and representation for the student body for the first time in over 500 years. This was one of many changes that Cleese brought in.


Though ''Flying Circus'' lasted four series, by the start of series 3, Cleese was growing tired of dealing with Chapman's alcoholism. He felt, too, that the show's scripts had declined in quality. For these reasons, he became restless and decided to move on. Though he stayed for the third series, he officially left the group before the fourth season.<ref name="Split">{{cite news |title=And now for something completely difficult ... |url=https://www.theguardian.com/stage/2006/sep/13/theatre |access-date=21 August 2019 |work=The Guardian}}</ref> Cleese received a credit on three episodes of the fourth series which used material from these sessions, though he was officially unconnected with the fourth series. He remained friendly with the group, and all six began writing ''[[Monty Python and the Holy Grail]]''. Much of his work on ''Holy Grail'' remains widely quoted, including the [[Black Knight (Monty Python)|Black Knight]] scene.<ref>{{cite news |title=49 of Monty Python's most absurdly funny jokes and quotes |url=https://www.yorkshirepost.co.uk/read-this/49-of-monty-pythons-most-absurdly-funny-jokes-and-quotes/ |access-date=18 August 2019 |work=Yorkshire Post |archive-date=18 August 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190818192829/https://www.yorkshirepost.co.uk/read-this/49-of-monty-pythons-most-absurdly-funny-jokes-and-quotes/ |url-status=dead }}</ref> Cleese returned to the troupe to 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 on Roman rule in ''Life of Brian''–when he asks "What have the Romans ever done for us?", before being met with a string of benefits including sanitation, roads and public order–was ranked the seventh funniest line in film in a 2002 poll.<ref name="line poll">{{cite news |title=Life of Brian wins the vote for film's best laughter line |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/1385293/Life-of-Brian-wins-the-vote-for-films-best-laughter-line.html |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20220110/https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/1385293/Life-of-Brian-wins-the-vote-for-films-best-laughter-line.html |archive-date=10 January 2022 |url-access=subscription |url-status=live |access-date=19 August 2019 |newspaper=The Telegraph}}{{cbignore}}</ref> Since the last Python film (''Meaning of Life'' in 1983) Cleese has participated in various live performances with the group over the years.<ref name="Split"/>
Cleese achieved greater prominence in the United Kingdom as the neurotic hotel manager [[Basil Fawlty]] in ''[[Fawlty Towers]]'', which he co-wrote with his wife [[Connie Booth]]. The series won three [[BAFTA]] awards when produced and in 2000, it topped the [[British Film Institute]]'s list of the [[100 Greatest British Television Programmes]]. The series also featured [[Prunella Scales]] as Basil's acerbic wife Sybil, [[Andrew Sachs]] as the much abused [[Spanish people|Spanish]] waiter Manuel ("...he's from [[Barcelona]]"), and Booth as waitress Polly, the series' voice of sanity. Cleese based Basil Fawlty on a real person, [[Donald Sinclair (hotel owner)|Donald Sinclair]], whom he had encountered in 1970 while the Monty Python team were staying at the Gleneagles Hotel in [[Torquay]] while filming inserts for their television series. Reportedly, Cleese was inspired by Sinclair's mantra of "I could run this hotel just fine, if it weren't for the guests". He later described Sinclair as "the most wonderfully rude man I have ever met", although Sinclair's widow has said her husband was totally misrepresented in the series. During the Pythons' stay, Sinclair allegedly threw Idle's briefcase out of the hotel "in case it contained a bomb", complained about Gilliam's "American" table manners, and threw a bus timetable at another guest after they dared to ask the time of the next bus to town.


=== 1970–1979: ''Fawlty Towers'' ===
The first series was screened from 19 September 1975 on [[BBC 2]], initially to poor reviews,<ref name="Malmo">Cahal Milmo [http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/this-britain/life-after-polly-connie-booth-a-case-of-fawlty-memory-syndrome-450289.html "Life after Polly: Connie Booth (a case of Fawlty memory syndrome",] ''The Independent'', 25 May 2007</ref> but gained momentum when repeated on [[BBC 1]] the following year. Despite this, a second series did not air until 1979, by which time Cleese's marriage to Booth had ended, but they revived their collaboration for the second series. ''Fawlty Towers'' consisted of only 12 episodes; Cleese and Booth both maintain that this was to avoid compromising the quality of the series.
From 1970 to 1973, Cleese served as [[rector of the University of St Andrews]].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://foi.st-andrews.ac.uk/doc.jsp?id=295 |title=List of Rectors of University of St. Andrews |access-date=18 August 2013 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20050114000125/http://foi.st-andrews.ac.uk/doc.jsp?id=295 |archive-date=14 January 2005 }}</ref> His election proved a milestone for the university, revolutionising and modernising the post. For instance, the rector was traditionally entitled to appoint an "assessor", a deputy to sit in his place at important meetings in his absence. Cleese changed this into a position for a student, elected across campus by the student body, resulting in direct access and representation for the student body.<ref>{{cite web |title=John Cleese Biography |url=http://www.cardinalfang.net/biographies/cleese_biog.html |publisher=Cardinal Fang |access-date=8 October 2011 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111009130013/http://www.cardinalfang.net/biographies/cleese_biog.html |archive-date=9 October 2011 }}</ref>
[[Image:Tv muppet show john cleese.jpg|left|250px|thumb|Cleese as a Mexican maraca soloist as part of his 1977 guest appearance on ''[[The Muppet Show]]'']]
In December 1977, Cleese appeared as a guest star on ''[[The Muppet Show]]''. Cleese was a fan of the show, and co-wrote much of the episode. He appears in a "[[Pigs in Space]]" segment as a pirate trying to hijack the spaceship Swinetrek, and also helps [[Gonzo the Great|Gonzo]] restore his arms to "normal" size after Gonzo's cannonball catching act goes wrong. During the show's closing number, Cleese refuses to sing the famous show tune from ''[[Man of La Mancha]]'', "[[The Impossible Dream (The Quest)|The Impossible Dream]]". [[Kermit The Frog]] apologizes and the curtain re-opens with Cleese now costumed as a [[Viking]] trying some [[Richard Wagner|Wagnerian]] opera as part of a duet with [[Sweetums]]. Once again, Cleese protests to Kermit, and gives the frog one more chance. This time, as pictured opposite this text, he is costumed as a Mexican maraca soloist. He's finally had enough and protests that he's leaving the show, saying "You were supposed to be my host. How can you do this to me? Kermit - I am your guest!". The cast all joins in with their parody of "The Impossible Dream", singing "This is your guest, to follow that star...". During the crowd's applause that follows the song, he pretends to strangle Kermit until he realizes the crowd loves him and accepts the accolades. During the show's finale, as Kermit thanks him, he shows up with a fictional album, his own new vocal record ''John Cleese: A Man & His Music'', and encourages everyone to buy a copy.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.muppetcentral.com/guides/episodes/tms/season2/47_cleese.shtml |title=John Cleese appearance on the Muppet Show, as cited on Muppet Central Web site |accessdate=2008-12-20 |work=αCharts.us}}</ref>


Around this time, Cleese worked with comedian [[Les Dawson]] on his sketch/stand-up show ''[[Sez Les]]''. The differences between the two physically (the tall, lean Cleese and the short, stout Dawson) and socially (the public school and the Cambridge-educated Cleese vs. the working class, self-educated [[Manchester|Mancunian]] Dawson) were marked, but both worked well together from series 8 onwards until the series ended in 1976.<ref>{{cite web |author=Andy Lowe |url=http://www.bubblegun.com/features/cleese.html |title=30 Things You Genuinely Never Knew About John Cleese |website=Bubblegun.com |access-date=4 April 2012 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120422113142/http://www.bubblegun.com/features/cleese.html |archive-date=22 April 2012 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.chortle.co.uk/correspondents/2008/01/15/6271/why_well_never_know_the_real_les_dawson |title=Why we'll never know the real Les Dawson : Correspondents 2008 : Chortle : The UK Comedy Guide |publisher=Chortle |date=15 January 2008 |access-date=4 April 2012 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111105025011/http://chortle.co.uk/correspondents/2008/01/15/6271/why_well_never_know_the_real_les_dawson |archive-date=5 November 2011 }}</ref>
This would not be Cleese's final appearance with The Muppets. In their 1981 movie ''[[The Great Muppet Caper]]'', Cleese does a cameo appearance as Neville, a local homeowner. As part of the appearance, [[Miss Piggy]] borrows his house as a way to impress Kermit The Frog


Cleese appeared on a single, "Superspike", with [[Bill Oddie]] and a group of UK athletes, billed the "Superspike Squad", to fund the latter's attendance at the [[1976 Summer Olympics]] in Montreal.<ref>Bradley's BRAD 7606, released 20 February 1976. A side: Superspike (Part 1), B side: Superspike (Part 2). {{YouTube|5z5h2mDNNwg|Superspike}}</ref>
Cleese won the ''[[TV Times]]'' award for Funniest Man On TV - 1978 / 1979.


Cleese starred in the low-budget spoof of the [[Sherlock Holmes]] detective series ''[[The Strange Case of the End of Civilization as We Know It]]'' (1977) as the grandson of the world's greatest consulting detective. In December 1977, Cleese appeared as a guest star on ''[[The Muppet Show]]''.<ref>{{cite book|title=Kermit Culture: Critical Perspectives on Jim Henson's Muppets|last1=Garlen|first1=Jennifer C.|last2=Graham|first2=Anissa M.|publisher=McFarland & Company|year=2009|isbn=978-0-7864-4259-1|page=[https://archive.org/details/kermitculturecri0000unse/page/218 218]|url=https://archive.org/details/kermitculturecri0000unse/page/218}}</ref> Ranked one of the best guest stars to appear on the show, Cleese was a fan of ''The Muppet Show'' and co-wrote much of the episode.<ref name="Muppet Show">{{cite news |title=The 10 best Muppet Show guests: John Cleese |url=https://www.theguardian.com/culture/gallery/2012/jan/22/ten-best-muppets-in-pictures |access-date=19 March 2020 |work=The Guardian}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.muppetcentral.com/guides/episodes/tms/season2/47_cleese.shtml|title=John Cleese&nbsp;– Episode 47|publisher=Muppet Central|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081229022312/http://www.muppetcentral.com/guides/episodes/tms/season2/47_cleese.shtml|archive-date=29 December 2008|url-status=live|access-date=20 December 2008}}</ref> In 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.<ref name="Muppet Show"/> Cleese also made a [[cameo appearance]] in their 1981 film ''[[The Great Muppet Caper]]'' and won the ''[[TV Times]]'' award for Funniest Man on TV&nbsp;– 1978–79.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.savemeaticket.com/event/theatre/entertainment/john-cleese-tickets|title=John Cleese|publisher=Save me a ticket|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110409230952/http://www.savemeaticket.com/event/theatre/entertainment/john-cleese-tickets|archive-date=9 April 2011|url-status=dead|access-date=12 February 2011}}</ref> In 1979, he starred in a TV special, ''[[To Norway, Home of Giants]]'', produced by [[Johnny Bergh]].
===1980s and 1990s===
During the 1980s and 1990s, Cleese focused on film, though he did work with [[Peter Cook]] in his one-off TV special ''Peter Cook and Co.'' in 1980. In the same year Cleese played [[Petruchio]], in [[William Shakespeare|Shakespeare]]'s ''[[The Taming of the Shrew]]'' in the [[BBC Television Shakespeare]] series. In 1981 he starred with [[Sean Connery]] and [[Michael Palin]] in the [[Terry Gilliam]] directed ''[[Time Bandits]]'' as [[Robin Hood]]. He also participated in ''[[Monty Python Live at the Hollywood Bowl]]'' (1982), and starred in ''[[The Secret Policeman's Ball]]'' for [[Amnesty International]].


Throughout the 1970s, Cleese also produced and acted in a number of successful business training films, including ''[[Meetings, Bloody Meetings]],'' and ''[[More Bloody Meetings]]''. These were produced by his company [[Video Arts]].<ref>[https://www.independent.co.uk/news/business/video-arts-sells-out-in-pounds-25m-deal-1322504.html Video Arts sells in £25m deal]. ''[[The Independent]]''. 5 January 1996.</ref>
[[File:John Cleese at 1989 Oscars.jpg|thumb|right|Cleese at the 1989 [[Academy Award]]s]]
Timed with the 1987 UK elections, he appeared in a video promoting [[proportional representation]].<ref>[http://www.topix.com/forum/world/canada/TCCS4ILPTT6OD8FVD YouTube - John Cleese Explains Proportional Representation for Canada & Ontario changes Coming - Topix<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref>


''' ''Fawlty Towers'' '''
{{Main|Fawlty Towers}}
Cleese achieved greater prominence in the United Kingdom as the neurotic hotel manager [[Basil Fawlty]] in the two series of ''Fawlty Towers'', first broadcast 1975 and 1979, which he co-wrote with his wife [[Connie Booth]]. The series won three [[BAFTA]] awards when produced, and in 2000 it topped the [[British Film Institute]]'s list of the [[100 Greatest British Television Programmes]]. In a 2001 poll conducted by [[Channel 4]] Basil Fawlty was ranked second (behind [[Homer Simpson]]) on their list of the [[100 Greatest (TV series)|100 Greatest TV Characters]].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.channel4.com/entertainment/tv/microsites/G/greatest/tv_characters/results.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090531160558/http://www.channel4.com/entertainment/tv/microsites/G/greatest/tv_characters/results.html |archive-date=31 May 2009 |title=100 Greatest TV Characters |access-date=26 May 2019 |publisher=[[Channel 4]]}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.itnsource.com/en/shotlist/ITVProgs/2001/05/05/Y22090001/ |title=100 Greatest ... (100 Greatest TV Characters (Part 1)) |publisher=[[ITN Source]] |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150221233837/http://www.itnsource.com/en/shotlist/ITVProgs/2001/05/05/Y22090001/ |archive-date=21 February 2015 |access-date=13 May 2019}}</ref> The series also featured [[Prunella Scales]] as Basil's acerbic wife [[Sybil Fawlty|Sybil]], [[Andrew Sachs]] as the much abused Spanish waiter [[Manuel (Fawlty Towers)|Manuel]], and Booth as waitress [[Polly Sherman|Polly]], the series' voice of sanity. Cleese based Basil Fawlty on a real person, [[Donald Sinclair (hotel owner)|Donald Sinclair]], whom he had encountered in 1970 while the Monty Python team were staying at the Gleneagles Hotel in [[Torquay]] while filming inserts for their television series.<ref name="Sinclair"/> Reportedly, Cleese was inspired by Sinclair's mantra, "I could run this hotel just fine if it weren't for the guests." He later described Sinclair as "the most wonderfully rude man I have ever met," although Sinclair's widow has said her husband was totally misrepresented in the series. During the Pythons' stay, Sinclair allegedly threw Idle's briefcase out of the hotel "in case it contained a bomb," complained about Gilliam's "American" table manners, and threw a bus timetable at another guest after he dared to ask the time of the next bus to town.<ref name="Sinclair">{{cite news |title=Fawlty hotelier was bonkers, says waitress |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/1394580/Fawlty-hotelier-was-bonkers-says-waitress.html |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20220110/https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/1394580/Fawlty-hotelier-was-bonkers-says-waitress.html |archive-date=10 January 2022 |url-access=subscription |url-status=live |access-date=24 May 2019 |work=The Daily Telegraph}}{{cbignore}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/devon/content/articles/2006/08/10/fawlty_towers_relaunch_feature.shtml |title=Sybil back at Fawlty Towers |publisher=BBC |date=18 September 2006 |access-date=6 January 2014}}</ref>


The first series was screened from 19 September 1975 on [[BBC Two|BBC 2]], initially to poor reviews,<ref name="Malmo">{{cite news |last1=Milmo |first1=Cahal |title=Life after Polly: Connie Booth (a case of Fawlty memory syndrome) |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/this-britain/life-after-polly-connie-booth-a-case-of-fawlty-memory-syndrome-450289.html |access-date=8 October 2015 |work=Independent |date=25 May 2007 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080502123852/http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/this-britain/life-after-polly-connie-booth-a-case-of-fawlty-memory-syndrome-450289.html |archive-date=2 May 2008}}</ref> but gained momentum when repeated on [[BBC One|BBC 1]] the following year. Despite this, a second series did not air until 1979, by which time Cleese's marriage to Booth had ended, but they revived their collaboration for the second series. ''Fawlty Towers'' consisted of two seasons, each of only six episodes; Cleese and Booth both maintain that this was to avoid compromising the quality of the series. The popularity of ''Fawlty Towers'' has endured, and in addition to featuring high in greatest-ever television show polls it is often rebroadcast.<ref>Mattha Busby (9 April 2019). [https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2019/apr/09/fawlty-towers-greatest-ever-british-sitcom "Fawlty Towers named greatest ever British TV sitcom"]. ''The Guardian''. Retrieved 24 May 2019.</ref> In a 2002 poll, Basil's "[[The Germans|don't mention the war]]" comment (said to the waitress Polly about the German guests) was ranked the second funniest line in television.<ref name="line poll"/>
In 1988 he wrote and starred in ''[[A Fish Called Wanda]]'', as the lead, Archie Leach, along with [[Jamie Lee Curtis]], [[Kevin Kline]] and [[Michael Palin]]. ''Wanda'' was a commercial and critical success, and Cleese was nominated for an [[Academy Award]] for his script. Cynthia Cleese starred as Leach's daughter.


=== 1980–1999 ===
Chapman was diagnosed with [[Esophageal cancer|throat cancer]] in 1989; Cleese, Michael Palin, Peter Cook and Chapman's partner [[David Sherlock]], witnessed Chapman's passing. Chapman's death occurred one day before the 20th anniversary of the first broadcast of ''Flying Circus'', with Jones commenting, "the worst case of party-pooping in all history." Cleese's [[eulogy]] at Chapman's memorial service &mdash; in which he "became the first person ever at a British memorial service to say 'fuck'" &mdash; has since become legendary.<ref> Cleese continued to openly say fuck. It is most notable account of this is in an interview hosted by Robert Klein by remarking that Chapman is, "stone-fucking-dead!" [http://www.oocities.com/fang_club/chapman_memorial.html Memorial eulogy by John Cleese for Graham Chapman]</ref>
During the 1980s and 1990s, Cleese focused on film, though he did work with [[Peter Cook]] in his one-off TV special ''Peter Cook and Co.'' in 1980. In the same year, Cleese played [[Petruchio]], in [[William Shakespeare|Shakespeare]]'s ''[[The Taming of the Shrew]]'' in the [[BBC Television Shakespeare]] series. In 1981 he appeared in the [[Terry Gilliam]]-directed ''[[Time Bandits]]'' as [[Robin Hood]]. He also participated in ''[[Monty Python Live at the Hollywood Bowl]]'' (filmed 1980, released 1982) and starred in ''[[The Secret Policeman's Ball (1979)|The Secret Policeman's Ball]]'' for [[Amnesty International]]. In 1985, Cleese had a small dramatic role as a sheriff in the American [[Western (genre)|Western]] ''[[Silverado (film)|Silverado]]'', which had an all-star cast that included [[Kevin Kline]], with whom he starred in ''[[A Fish Called Wanda]]'' three years later. In 1986, he starred in the British comedy film ''[[Clockwise (film)|Clockwise]]'' as an uptight school headmaster obsessed with punctuality and constantly getting into trouble during a journey to speak at the [[Headmasters' Conference]]. Written by [[Michael Frayn]], the film was successful in the UK but not in the United States. It earned Cleese the 1987 [[Peter Sellers]] Award For Comedy at the [[Evening Standard British Film Awards]].


[[File:John Cleese at 1989 Oscars.jpg|thumb|upright|Cleese appearing at the [[61st Academy Awards]] in March 1989]]
Cleese would later play a supporting role in [[Kenneth Branagh]]'s adaptation of [[Mary Shelley]]'s ''[[Frankenstein (1994 film)|Frankenstein]]'' alongside Branagh himself and [[Robert De Niro]]. He also [[Film producer|produced]] and acted in a number of successful business training films, including ''[[Meetings, Bloody Meetings]]'' and ''[[More Bloody Meetings]]''. These were produced by his company [[Video Arts]].
In 1988, Cleese wrote and starred in ''A Fish Called Wanda'' as the lead, Archie Leach, along with [[Jamie Lee Curtis]], Kevin Kline, and Michael Palin. ''Wanda'' was a commercial and critical success, becoming one of the [[1988 in film|top ten films of the year]] at the US box office, and Cleese was nominated for an [[Academy Award]] for his script. Kline won the Oscar for his portrayal of bumbling, violent, narcissistic ex-CIA agent Otto West in the film.


From 1988 to 1992, Cleese appeared in numerous television commercials for Schweppes Ginger Ale. Between 1992 and 1994, he also appeared in some television commercials for Magnavox.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.tbsnews.net/features/panorama/golden-era-humour-advertising-over-558490 | title=Is the golden era of humour in advertising over? | date=27 December 2022 }}</ref>
With [[Robin Skynner]], the [[Group analysis|group analyst]] and [[Family therapy|family therapist]], Cleese wrote two books on relationships: ''[[Families and How to Survive Them]]'', and ''[[Life and How to Survive It]]''. The books are presented as a dialogue between Skynner and Cleese.


In 1989, Graham Chapman was diagnosed with [[Esophageal cancer|throat cancer]]; Cleese, Michael Palin, Peter Cook, and Chapman's partner [[David Sherlock]] witnessed Chapman's death. Chapman's death occurred a day before the 20th anniversary of the first broadcast of ''Flying Circus'', with Jones commenting that it was "the worst case of party-pooping in all history." Cleese gave a eulogy at Chapman's memorial service.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.cardinalfang.net/misc/chapman_memorial.html|archive-url=https://archive.today/20120801025612/http://www.cardinalfang.net/misc/chapman_memorial.html|url-status=dead|title=Graham Chapman's memorial speech|archive-date=1 August 2012|website=Cardinalfang.net}}</ref>
In 1996, Cleese [[List of people who have declined a British honour|declined the British honour of]] Commander of the [[Order of the British Empire]] (CBE). The follow-up to ''A Fish Called Wanda'', ''[[Fierce Creatures]]'' &mdash; which again starred Cleese himself alongside Kevin Kline, Jamie Lee Curtis and Michael Palin &mdash; was also released this year, but was greeted with mixed reception by critics and audiences. Cleese has since often stated that making the second movie had been a mistake. When asked by his friend, director and restaurant critic [[Michael Winner]], what he would do differently if he could live his life again, Cleese responded, "I wouldn’t have married [[Alyce Faye Eichelberger]] and I wouldn’t have made ''Fierce Creatures''."<ref>{{citeweb|url=http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/life_and_style/food_and_drink/eating_out/winners_dinners/article4275153.ece|title=Restaurant review: Michael Winner at Villa Principe Leopoldo, Switzerland|publisher=The Sunday Times|date=6 July 2008|accessdate=2008-08-03}}</ref>


Cleese later played a supporting role in [[Kenneth Branagh]]'s adaptation of ''[[Mary Shelley's Frankenstein (film)|Mary Shelley's Frankenstein]]'' (1994) alongside Branagh himself and [[Robert De Niro]]. With [[Robin Skynner]], the English psychiatrist, Cleese wrote two books on relationships: ''[[Families and How to Survive Them]]'' and ''[[Life and How to Survive It]]''. The books are presented as a dialogue between Skynner and Cleese.
In 1999, Cleese appeared in the [[James Bond]] movie, ''[[The World Is Not Enough]]'' as [[Q (James Bond)|Q's]] assistant, referred to by Bond as "R". In 2002, when Cleese reprised his role in ''[[Die Another Day]]'', the character was promoted, making Cleese the new quartermaster (Q) of [[MI6]]. In 2004, Cleese was featured as Q in the [[video game]] ''[[James Bond 007: Everything or Nothing]]'', featuring his likeness and voice. Cleese did not appear in the subsequent Bond films, ''[[Casino Royale (2006 film)|Casino Royale]]'' and ''[[Quantum of Solace]]''.


The follow-up to ''A Fish Called Wanda'', ''[[Fierce Creatures]]''—which again starred Cleese alongside Kevin Kline, Jamie Lee Curtis, and Michael Palin—was released in 1997, but was greeted with mixed reception by critics and audiences. Cleese has since often stated that making the second film had been a mistake. When asked by his friend, director and restaurant critic [[Michael Winner]], what he would do differently if he could live his life again, Cleese responded, "I wouldn't have married [[Alyce Faye Eichelberger]] and I wouldn't have made ''Fierce Creatures''."<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/life_and_style/food_and_drink/eating_out/winners_dinners/article4275153.ece |title=Restaurant review: Michael Winner at Villa Principe Leopoldo, Switzerland |work=The Sunday Times |location=UK |date=6 July 2008 |access-date=3 August 2008 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081202234740/http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/life_and_style/food_and_drink/eating_out/winners_dinners/article4275153.ece |archive-date=2 December 2008 }}</ref>
===2000-present===
Cleese is currently Provost's Visiting Professor at [[Cornell University]], after having been [[Andrew D. White]] [[Professor]]-at-Large from 1999-2006. He makes occasional, well-received appearances on the Cornell campus, but he lives in the town of [[Montecito, California]].


In 1999, Cleese appeared in the [[James Bond]] film ''[[The World Is Not Enough]]'' as [[Q (James Bond)|Q's]] assistant, referred to by Bond as "R". In 2002, when Cleese reprised his role in ''[[Die Another Day]]'', the character was promoted, making Cleese the new quartermaster (Q) of [[MI6]]. In 2004, Cleese was featured as Q in the video game ''[[James Bond 007: Everything or Nothing]]'', featuring his likeness and voice.<ref>{{cite news |title=James Bond 007: Everything Or Nothing |url=https://ew.com/article/2004/02/13/james-bond-007-everything-or-nothing/ |access-date=23 August 2019 |work=EW |archive-date=25 July 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210725212153/https://ew.com/article/2004/02/13/james-bond-007-everything-or-nothing/ |url-status=dead }}</ref> Cleese did not appear in the subsequent Bond films, ''[[Casino Royale (2006 film)|Casino Royale]]'', ''[[Quantum of Solace]]'' and ''[[Skyfall]]''; in the latter film, [[Ben Whishaw]] was cast in the role of Q.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-15889689 |title=Ben Whishaw Cast as Q in New James Bond Film Skyfall |date=25 November 2011 |work=BBC News |access-date=2 December 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180814142542/https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-15889689 |archive-date=14 August 2018 |url-status=live }}</ref>
In 2001, Cleese was cast in the comedy ''[[Rat Race]]'' as the eccentric hotel owner Donald P. Sinclair.<ref>http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0250687/fullcredits#cast</ref>


=== 2000–2009 ===
In a 2005 poll of comedians and comedy insiders ''The Comedian's Comedian'', Cleese was voted second only to [[Peter Cook]]. Also in 2005, a long-standing piece of [[Internet]] humour, "The Revocation of Independence of the United States", was wrongly attributed to Cleese.
Cleese is Provost's visiting professor at [[Cornell University]], after having been [[Andrew D. White]] Professor-at-Large from 1999 to 2006. He makes occasional well-received appearances on the Cornell campus. In 2001, Cleese was cast in the comedy ''[[Rat Race (film)|Rat Race]]'' as the eccentric hotel owner Donald P. Sinclair, the name of the [[Torquay]] hotel owner on whom he had based the character of Basil Fawlty. That year he appeared as [[Nearly Headless Nick]] in the first [[Harry Potter (film series)|''Harry Potter'' film]]: ''[[Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone (film)|Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone]]'' (2001), a role he would reprise in ''[[Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (film)|Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets]]'' (2002).<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.ign.com/articles/2001/03/22/cleese-talks-harry-potter |title=Cleese Talks Harry Potter |last=Linder |first=Brian |website=[[IGN]] |date=22 March 2001 |access-date=4 June 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200604034109/https://www.ign.com/articles/2001/03/22/cleese-talks-harry-potter |archive-date=4 June 2020 |url-status=live}}</ref> In 2002, Cleese made a cameo appearance in the film ''[[The Adventures of Pluto Nash]]'', in which he played "James", a computerised chauffeur of a hover car stolen by the title character (played by [[Eddie Murphy]]). The vehicle is subsequently destroyed in a chase, leaving the chauffeur stranded in a remote place on the moon. In 2003, Cleese appeared as Lyle Finster on the American sitcom ''[[Will & Grace]]''. His character's daughter, Lorraine, was played by [[Minnie Driver]]. In the series, Lyle Finster briefly marries [[Karen Walker (Will & Grace)|Karen Walker]] ([[Megan Mullally]]). In 2004, Cleese was credited as co-writer of a [[DC Comics]] [[graphic novel]] titled ''[[Superman: True Brit]]''.<ref name="True Brit">{{cite book |last=Cowsill |first=Alan |editor-last=Dolan |editor-first=Hannah |chapter=2000s |title=DC Comics Year By Year A Visual Chronicle |publisher=[[Dorling Kindersley]] |year=2010 |isbn=978-0-7566-6742-9 |page=315 |quote=Comedy legend John Cleese joined forces with artist John Byrne, inker Mark Farmer and writer Kim Johnson for a unique take on the Superman story. ''Superman: True Brit'' saw Kal-El's rocketship land on a farm... in the UK.}}</ref> Part of DC's "[[Elseworlds]]" line of imaginary stories, ''True Brit'', mostly written by [[Kim Howard Johnson]], suggests what might have happened had [[Superman]]'s rocket ship landed on a farm in Britain, not America.<ref name="True Brit"/>


[[File:John Cleese 2008 bigger crop.jpg|thumb|upright|left|Cleese in 2008]]
In 2006 Cleese hosted a television special at football’s greatest kicks, goals, saves, bloopers, plays and penalties, as well as football’s influence on culture (including the famous Monty Python sketch, “Philosophy Football”). Featuring interviews with pop culture icons [[Dave Stewart]], [[Dennis Hopper]] and [[Henry Kissinger]], as well as football greats, including Pelé, Mia Hamm and Thierry Henry. ''The Art of Soccer with John Cleese''<ref>http://www.bfsent.com/item_detail.asp?number=30895</ref> is being released in North America on DVD in January 2009 by BFS Entertainment & Multimedia.
From 10 November to 9 December 2005, Cleese toured New Zealand with his stage show ''John Cleese—His Life, Times and Current Medical Problems''. Cleese described it as "a [[one-man show]] with several people in it, which pushes the envelope of acceptable behaviour in new and disgusting ways". The show was developed in New York City with [[William Goldman]] and includes Cleese's daughter Camilla as a writer and actor (the shows were directed by Australian [[Bille Brown]]). His assistant of many years, Garry Scott-Irvine, also appeared and was listed as a co-producer. The show then played in universities in California and [[Arizona]] from 10 January to 25 March 2006 under the title ''Seven Ways to Skin an Ocelot''.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.playbill.com/news/article/97589.html |title=John Cleese Brings Seven Ways to Skin an Ocelot to U.S. |work=Playbill |access-date=14 June 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071011212747/http://www.playbill.com/news/article/97589.html |archive-date=11 October 2007}}</ref> His voice can be downloaded for directional guidance purposes as a downloadable option on some personal [[Global Positioning System|GPS]]-navigation device models by company [[TomTom]].


In a 2005 poll of comedians and comedy insiders, ''The Comedians' Comedian'', Cleese was voted second to [[Peter Cook]].<ref>{{cite news |title=Peter Cook the funniest |url=http://www.theage.com.au/news/People/Peter-Cook-the-funniest/2005/01/03/1104601276619.html |work=The Age |location=Australia |date=3 January 2005}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=Cook tops poll of comedy greats|url=https://www.theguardian.com/uk/2005/jan/02/arts.artsnews |work=The Guardian |date=2 January 2005}}</ref> In 2006, Cleese hosted a television special of football's greatest kicks, goals, saves, bloopers, plays, and penalties, as well as football's influence on culture (including the Monty Python sketch "Philosophy Football"), featuring interviews with pop culture icons [[Dave Stewart (Eurythmics)|Dave Stewart]], [[Dennis Hopper]], and [[Henry Kissinger]], as well as eminent footballers, including [[Pelé]], [[Mia Hamm]], and [[Thierry Henry]]. ''The Art of Soccer with John Cleese'' was released in North America on DVD in January 2009 by BFS Entertainment & Multimedia.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.bfsent.com/item_detail.asp?number=30895 |title=Art of Soccer, The With John Cleese |publisher=Bfsent.com |access-date=14 June 2010 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110707231506/http://www.bfsent.com/item_detail.asp?number=30895 |archive-date=7 July 2011 }}</ref> Also in 2006, Cleese released the song "[[Don't Mention the World Cup]]".<ref>{{cite web|last=Sherwin |first=Adam |url=http://entertainment.timesonline.co.uk/tol/arts_and_entertainment/article718221.ece |title=Don't mention the War, says Cleese in World Cup peace bid |publisher=The Times (archived at Wayback Machine) |access-date=30 May 2014 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110809055508/http://entertainment.timesonline.co.uk/tol/arts_and_entertainment/article718221.ece |archive-date=9 August 2011 }}</ref><ref name=abc>{{cite web|url=http://www.abc.net.au/am/content/2006/s1642618.htm |title=Soccer fans learn World Cup etiquette according to Cleese |publisher=ABC |date=19 May 2006 |access-date=29 May 2014}}</ref>
Cleese recently lent his voice to the [[BioWare]] video game ''[[Jade Empire]]''. His role was that of an "outlander" named Sir Roderick Ponce von Fontlebottom the Magnificent Bastard, stranded in the Imperial City of the Jade Empire. His character is essentially a British [[colonialism|colonialist]] stereotype who refers to the people of the Jade Empire as savages in need of enlightenment. His armour has the design of a fork stuck in a piece of cheese.


Cleese lent his voice to the [[BioWare]] video game ''[[Jade Empire]]''. His role was that of an "outlander" named Sir Roderick Ponce von Fontlebottom the Magnificent Bastard, stranded in the Imperial City of the Jade Empire. His character is essentially a [[British colonialism|British colonialist]] stereotype who refers to the people of the Jade Empire as "savages in need of enlightenment". His armour has the design of a fork stuck in a piece of cheese. In 2007, Cleese appeared in ads for [[Titleist]] as a golf course designer named "Ian MacCallister", who represents "Golf Designers Against Distance". Also in 2007, he was involved in filming of the sequel to ''[[The Pink Panther (2006 film)|The Pink Panther]]'', titled ''[[The Pink Panther 2]]'', with [[Steve Martin]] and [[Aishwarya Rai]].
He also had a cameo appearance in the computer game ''[[Starship Titanic]]'' as "The Bomb" (credited as "Kim Bread"), designed by [[Douglas Adams]]. When the bomb is activated it tells the player that "The ship is now armed and preparing to explode. This will be a fairly large explosion, so you'd best keep back about {{convert|22|mi|km}}". When the player tries to disarm the bomb, it says "Well, you can try that, but it won't work because ''nobody likes a smartarse''!"


Cleese collaborated with [[Los Angeles Guitar Quartet]] member [[William Kanengiser]] in 2008 on the text to the performance piece "The Ingenious Gentleman of La Mancha". Cleese, as narrator, and the LAGQ premiered the work in [[Santa Barbara County, California|Santa Barbara]]. The year 2008 also saw reports of Cleese working on a musical version of ''A Fish Called Wanda'' with his daughter Camilla.
In 2002, Cleese made a cameo appearance in the movie ''[[The Adventures of Pluto Nash]]'', where he played "James", a computerized chauffeur of a hover car stolen by the title character (played by [[Eddie Murphy]]). The vehicle is subsequently destroyed in a chase, leaving the chauffeur stranded in a remote place on the Moon.


At the end of March 2009, Cleese published his first article as "Contributing Editor" to ''[[The Spectator]]'': "The real reason I had to join ''The Spectator''".<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.spectator.co.uk/i//the-magazine/features/3472446/the-real-reason-i-had-to-join-the-spectator.thtml |title=The real reason I had to join |work=The Spectator |location=UK |date=25 March 2009 |access-date=14 June 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090330060944/http://www.spectator.co.uk/i/the-magazine/features/3472446/the-real-reason-i-had-to-join-the-spectator.thtml |archive-date=30 March 2009}}</ref> Cleese has also hosted comedy galas at the [[Montreal]] [[Just for Laughs]] comedy festival in 2006, and again in 2009. Towards the end of 2009 and into 2010, Cleese appeared in a series of television adverts for the Norwegian electric goods shop chain [[Elkjøp]].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.dagbladet.no/2009/09/23/kjendis/tv/tv_og_medier/reklame/elkjop/8259273/ |archive-url=https://archive.today/20120730031508/http://www.dagbladet.no/2009/09/23/kjendis/tv/tv_og_medier/reklame/elkjop/8259273/ |url-status=dead |archive-date=30 July 2012 |title=John Cleese i Elkjøp-reklame |last=Ottosen |first=Peder |publisher=Kjendis.no |access-date=17 February 2011 |date=23 September 2009 }}</ref> In March 2010 it was announced that Cleese would be playing Jasper in the video game ''[[Fable III]]''.<ref>{{cite web |last=Brudvig |first=Erik |url=http://xbox360.ign.com/articles/107/1076735p1.html |title=GDC 10: Designing Fable III&nbsp;– Xbox 360 Preview at IGN |publisher=Xbox360.ign.com |date=11 March 2010 |access-date=14 June 2010 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100419055442/http://xbox360.ign.com/articles/107/1076735p1.html |archive-date=19 April 2010 }}</ref>
In 2003, Cleese also appeared as Lyle Finster on the U.S. sitcom ''[[Will & Grace]]''. His character's daughter, Lorraine, was played by [[Minnie Driver]]. In the series, Lyle Finster briefly marries [[Karen Walker (Will & Grace)|Karen Walker]] ([[Megan Mullally]]).


In 2009 and 2010, Cleese toured [[Scandinavia]] and the US with his Alimony Tour Year One and Year Two. In May 2010, it was announced that this tour, set for May 2011, would extend to the UK (his first tour there). The show is dubbed the "Alimony Tour" in reference to the financial implications of Cleese's divorce. The UK tour started in [[Cambridge]] on 3 May, visiting [[Birmingham]], [[Nottingham]], [[Salford, Greater Manchester|Salford]], [[York]], Liverpool, [[Leeds]], Glasgow, [[Edinburgh]], [[Oxford]], Bristol and [[Bath (England)|Bath]] (the Alimony Tour DVD was recorded on 2 July, the final Bath date).<ref>{{cite news |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/local/bristol/hi/people_and_places/arts_and_culture/newsid_8695000/8695560.stm |title=BBC&nbsp;– Ex-Python John Cleese goes on first UK tour, aged 71 |work=BBC News |date=20 May 2010 |access-date=14 June 2010 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100523042254/http://news.bbc.co.uk/local/bristol/hi/people_and_places/arts_and_culture/newsid_8695000/8695560.stm |archive-date=23 May 2010 }}</ref> Later in 2011 John took his Alimony Tour to South Africa. He played [[Cape Town]] on the 21 & 22 October before moving over to [[Johannesburg]], where he played from 25 to 30 October. In January 2012 he took his one-man show to Australia, starting in Perth on 22 January and throughout the next four months visited [[Adelaide]], [[Brisbane]], [[City of Gold Coast|Gold Coast]], [[Newcastle, New South Wales]], [[Melbourne]], Sydney, and finished up during April in [[Canberra]].
In 2004, Cleese was credited as co-writer of a [[DC Comics]] [[graphic novel]] entitled ''[[Superman: True Brit]]''. Part of DC's "[[Elseworlds]]" line of imaginary stories, ''True Brit'', mostly written by [[Kim Howard Johnson]], suggests what might have happened had [[Superman]]'s rocket ship landed in Britain, not America.


=== 2010–present ===
From 10 November to 9 December 2005, Cleese toured New Zealand with his stage show, ''John Cleese &mdash; His Life, Times and Current Medical Problems''. Cleese described it as "a [[one-man show]] with several people in it, which pushes the envelope of acceptable behaviour in new and disgusting ways." The show was developed in [[New York]] with [[William Goldman]] and includes Cleese's daughter Camilla as a writer and actor (the shows were directed by [[Australia]]n [[Bille Brown]].) His assistant of many years, [[Garry Scott-Irvine]], also appeared, and was listed as a co-producer. It then played in universities in California and [[Arizona]] from 10 January to 25 March 2006 under the title "Seven Ways to Skin an Ocelot".<ref>[http://www.playbill.com/news/article/97589.html Playbill]</ref> His voice can be downloaded for directional guidance purposes as a downloadable option on some personal [[Global Positioning System|GPS]]-navigation device models by company [[TomTom]].
In 2010, Cleese appeared in advertisements for [[The Automobile Association]]<ref>{{cite web |last=Oatts |first=Joanne |url=http://www.marketingweek.co.uk/sectors/travel-and-leisure/aa-ad-features-john-cleese/3019428.article |title=AA ad features John Cleese at |work=Marketing Week |access-date=1 June 2011 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121010061506/http://www.marketingweek.co.uk/sectors/travel-and-leisure/aa-ad-features-john-cleese/3019428.article |archive-date=10 October 2012 }}</ref> and for the Canadian insurance company [[Pacific Blue Cross]].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.the-cma.org/awards/downloads/CA0GLR4WEB.pdf |title=Canadian Marketing Association Awards 2010 |publisher=Canadian Marketing Association |date=November 2010 |access-date=6 December 2011 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111001022733/http://www.the-cma.org/awards/downloads/CA0GLR4WEB.pdf |archive-date=1 October 2011 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.waveproductions.com/newsframe.php |title=Pacific Blue Cross gets Comedic Insurance with John Cleese |publisher=Wave Productions |date=1 April 2010 |access-date=6 December 2011 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090101073650/http://www.waveproductions.com/newsframe.php |archive-date=1 January 2009}}</ref>


In 2012, Cleese was cast in ''Hunting Elephants'', a [[heist film]] comedy by Israeli filmmaker Reshef Levi. Cleese had to quit just prior to filming due to heart trouble and was replaced by [[Patrick Stewart]].<ref name="he1">{{cite web |url=http://www.haaretz.com/culture/british-actor-john-cleese-to-appear-in-israeli-heist-comedy-1.431056 |title=British actor John Cleese to appear in Israeli heist comedy |last=Anderman |first=Irit |date=17 May 2012 |work=[[Haaretz]] |access-date=17 May 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120701122914/http://www.haaretz.com/culture/british-actor-john-cleese-to-appear-in-israeli-heist-comedy-1.431056 |archive-date=1 July 2012}}</ref><ref name="he2">{{cite web |url=http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/cannes-john-cleese-hunting-elephants-325570 |title=Cannes 2012: John Cleese Joins Israeli Comedy 'Hunting Elephants' |last=Roxborough |first=Scott |date=16 May 2012 |work=[[The Hollywood Reporter]] |access-date=17 May 2012 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120520053817/http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/cannes-john-cleese-hunting-elephants-325570 |archive-date=20 May 2012 }}</ref><ref name="he3">{{cite news |url=http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-4266862,00.html |title=Cleese replaced by Stewart |newspaper=Ynetnews |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121120150628/http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-4266862,00.html |archive-date=20 November 2012 |year=2012 |last1=Yaakov |first1=Yaara }}</ref> Between September and October 2013, Cleese embarked on his first-ever cross-Canada comedy tour. Entitled "John Cleese: Last Time to See Me Before I Die tour", he visited Halifax, [[Ottawa]], Toronto, [[Edmonton]], Calgary, [[Victoria (British Columbia)|Victoria]] and finished in [[Vancouver]], performing to mostly sold-out venues.<ref>{{cite news |last=Chamberlain |first=Adrian |url=http://www.timescolonist.com/john-cleese-the-minister-of-silly-talks-sure-has-a-big-following-1.654719 |title=John Cleese, the minister of silly talks, sure has a big following |newspaper=[[Times Colonist]] |date=9 October 2013 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131220230254/http://www.timescolonist.com/john-cleese-the-minister-of-silly-talks-sure-has-a-big-following-1.654719 |archive-date=20 December 2013 }}</ref> Cleese returned to the stage in [[Dubai]] in November 2013, where he performed to a sold-out theatre.<ref>{{cite web |last=Hymers |first=Sarah |url=http://www.ahlanlive.com/john-cleese-in-dubai-%E2%80%93-an-evening-with-456682.html |title=John Cleese in Dubai |work=[[Ahlan!]] |date=6 November 2013 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131220023822/http://www.ahlanlive.com/john-cleese-in-dubai-%E2%80%93-an-evening-with-456682.html |archive-date=20 December 2013 }}</ref>
In June 2006, while promoting a football (soccer) song in which he was featured, entitled ''[[Don't Mention the World Cup]]'', Cleese appears to have claimed that he decided to retire from performing in sitcoms, instead opting to writing a book on the history of comedy and tutoring young comedians.<ref>{{cite news
|url = http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/entertainment/5070650.stm
|title = Cleese 'retires from performing'
|publisher = BBC News
|date = 13 June 2006
}}</ref>
This was an erroneous story, the result of an interview with ''[[The Times]]'' of London (the piece was not fact checked before printing).


[[File:Monty Python O2 Arena.jpg|thumb|Cleese (right) with the rest of Monty Python on stage at [[The O2 Arena|the O<sub>2</sub> Arena]], London, in July 2014]]
In 2007, Cleese appeared in ads for [[Titleist]] as a golf course designer named "Ian MacCallister", who represents "Golf Designers Against Distance".
Cleese was interviewed and appears as himself in filmmaker [[Gracie Otto]]'s 2013 documentary film ''[[The Last Impresario]]'', about Cleese's longtime friend and colleague [[Michael White (producer)|Michael White]]. White produced ''[[Monty Python and the Holy Grail]]'' and Cleese's pre-Python comedy production ''[[Cambridge Footlights Revue|Cambridge Circus]]''.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Coveney |first1=Michael |title=Michael White obituary |url=https://www.theguardian.com/stage/2016/mar/09/michael-white-producer-obituary |access-date=9 December 2017 |work=The Guardian |date=9 March 2016 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170908135521/https://www.theguardian.com/stage/2016/mar/09/michael-white-producer-obituary |archive-date=8 September 2017 }}</ref> At a comic press conference in November 2013, Cleese and other surviving members of the Monty Python comedy group announced a reuniting performance to be held in July 2014.<ref>{{cite web |last=Ng |first=David |url=http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/arts/culture/la-et-cm-monty-python-reunion-20131121,0,6836416.story |title=Monty Python makes it official: group reuniting in July |work=[[Los Angeles Times]] |date=21 November 2013 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131219152929/http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/arts/culture/la-et-cm-monty-python-reunion-20131121,0,6836416.story |archive-date=19 December 2013 }}</ref>


Cleese joined with Eric Idle in 2015 and 2016 for a tour of North America, Canada and the ANZUS nations, "John Cleese & Eric Idle: Together Again At Last ... For The Very First Time", playing small theatres and including interaction with audiences as well as sketches and reminisces.<ref>{{cite press release|url=https://www.justforlaughs.com/about/press/john-cleese-eric-idle-announce-additional-north-american-tour-dates|title=John Cleese & Eric Idle announce additional North American tour dates!|website=Just For Laughs|date=15 June 2016}}</ref> In a [[Reddit]] Ask Me Anything interview, Cleese expressed regret that he had turned down the role played by [[Robin Williams]] in ''[[The Birdcage]]'', the butler played by [[Anthony Hopkins]] in ''[[The Remains of the Day (film)|The Remains of the Day]]'', and the bishop played by [[Peter Cook]] in ''[[The Princess Bride (film)|The Princess Bride]]''.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.reddit.com/r/IAmA/comments/70arwl/i_am_john_cleese_writer_actor_and_tall_person_ama/ |work=Reddit |title=I am John Cleese: writer, actor, and tall person. AMA! |date=15 September 2017 |access-date=16 September 2017 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171124162826/https://www.reddit.com/r/IAmA/comments/70arwl/i_am_john_cleese_writer_actor_and_tall_person_ama/|archive-date=24 November 2017 }}</ref>
In 2007, he started filming the sequel to ''[[The Pink Panther]]'', titled ''[[The Pink Panther 2]]'' with [[Steve Martin]] and [[Bollywood]] star [[Aishwarya Rai]].


In 2017, he wrote ''[[Bang Bang! (play)|Bang Bang!]]'', a new adaptation of [[Georges Feydeau]]'s French play ''Monsieur Chasse!'', for the [[Mercury Theatre, Colchester]], before making its American premiere at the Shadowland Stages in [[Ellenville, New York]], in 2018 followed by touring the UK in spring 2020.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.chortle.co.uk/news/2019/10/16/44546/uk_tour_for_john_cleeses_first_stage_farce|title=UK tour for John Cleese's first stage farce : News 2019 : Chortle : The UK Comedy Guide|last=Bennett|first=Steve|website=www.chortle.co.uk|language=en|access-date=1 February 2020}}</ref>
On 27 September 2007, [[The Podcast Network]] announced it had signed a deal with Cleese to produce a series of video podcasts called HEADCAST to be published on TPN's website. Cleese released the first episode of this series in April 2008 on his own website, Headcast.co.uk


In 2021, Cleese cancelled an appearance at the [[Cambridge Union|Cambridge Union Society]] after learning that art historian [[Andrew Graham-Dixon]] had been blacklisted by the union for impersonating Adolf Hitler. His visit to the university was intended to be part of a documentary on [[wokeism]]. Cleese said he was "blacklisting myself before someone else does".<ref>{{Cite news|date=10 November 2021|title=John Cleese blacklists himself from Cambridge University event|language=en-GB|work=BBC News|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-cambridgeshire-59237741|access-date=13 November 2021}}</ref>
According to recent reports, Cleese is currently working on a musical version of ''A Fish Called Wanda'' with his daughter Camilla. He also said that he is working on a new film screenplay for the first time since 1996's ''Fierce Creatures''. Cleese collaborates on it with writer [[Lisa Hogan]], under the current working title "Taxing Times". According to him, it is "about the lengths to which people will go to avoid tax. [...] It's based on what happened to me when I cashed in my UK pension and moved to Santa Barbara."<ref>{{citeweb|url=http://www.dailymail.co.uk/tvshowbiz/article-1036560/John-Cleeses-fling-blonde-HALF-age.html|title=John Cleese's fling with a blonde HALF his age|publisher=Daily Mail|date=20 July 2008|accessdate=2008-08-03}}</ref>


In 2023, he starred in [[Roman Polanski]]'s drama film ''[[The Palace (2023 film)|The Palace]]''.<ref>{{cite news|last=Vivarelli|first=Nick|date=22 May 2022|url=https://variety.com/2022/film/news/france-falls-out-of-love-with-roman-polanski-1235272794/|title= Roman Polanski Always Thrived in France, But Now Even His Adopted Country is Turning On Him (EXCLUSIVE)|work=Variety|access-date=22 May 2022}}</ref> In October, Cleese starting presenting a new show on [[GB News]] called ''The Dinosaur Hour'' which airs on Sunday evenings.<ref>{{Cite news |date=10 October 2022 |title=John Cleese to host new GB News TV show |first=Paul|last=Glynn|work=BBC News |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/entertainment-arts-63197829 |access-date=12 October 2022}}</ref>
At the end of March 2009, Cleese published his first article as 'Contributing Editor' to ''[[The Spectator]]'': "The real reason I had to join ''The Spectator''".<ref>http://www.spectator.co.uk/i//the-magazine/features/3472446/the-real-reason-i-had-to-join-the-spectator.thtml</ref>


== Style of humour ==
On 6 May 2009, he appeared on ''[[The Paul O'Grady Show]]''. Cleese has also hosted comedy galas at the Montreal Just for Laughs comedy festival in 2006, and again in 2009. He had to cancel the 2009 appearance due to [[prostatitis]], but hosted it a few days later.<ref>http://www.cbc.ca/arts/story/2009/07/22/cleese-just-laughs-montreal-0722.html</ref>
[[File:Monty Python Graffiti Leicester.jpg|thumb|Graffiti of Cleese in "[[The Ministry of Silly Walks]]" sketch in Monty Python—[[Leicester]], 2007]]


In his ''Alimony Tour'' Cleese explained the origin of his fondness for [[black humour]], the only thing that he inherited from his mother. Examples of it are the [[Dead Parrot sketch]], "[[The Kipper and the Corpse]]" episode of ''[[Fawlty Towers]]'', his clip for the 1992 BBC2 mockumentary "A Question of Taste", the [[Undertakers sketch]], and [[Dead Parrot sketch#Further uses|his eulogy]] at Graham Chapman's memorial service which included the line, "Good riddance to him, the freeloading bastard! I hope he fries."<ref>{{cite news |title=Monty Python reunion: 10 things you didn't know |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/comedy/comedy-news/10463439/Monty-Python-reunion-10-things-you-didnt-know.html |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20220110/https://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/comedy/comedy-news/10463439/Monty-Python-reunion-10-things-you-didnt-know.html |archive-date=10 January 2022 |url-access=subscription |url-status=live |access-date=27 May 2019 |work=The Telegraph}}{{cbignore}}</ref> On his attitude to life he states, "I can take almost nothing seriously".<ref name="WTTW"/>
Towards the end of 2009 and on into 2010, Cleese appeared in a series of television adverts for the [[Norway|Norwegian]] electric goods shop chain, [[Elgiganten]].


Cleese has criticised [[political correctness]], [[Woke|wokeism]] and [[cancel culture]], saying that despite initial good intentions to "not be mean to people", they have become "a sort of indulgence of the most over-sensitive people in your culture, the people who are most easily upset [...] if you have to keep thinking which words you can use and which you can't, then that will stifle creativity." According to Cleese, "The main thing is to realise that words depend on their context [...] PC people simply don't understand this business about context because they tend to be very literal-minded", and that he imagined a "woke joke [...] might be heart-warming but it's not going to be very funny."<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/tv/news/john-cleese-political-correctness-comedy-woke-bbc-fawlty-towers-a9702986.html |title=John Cleese condemns 'woke jokes' and claims 'political correctness' is stifling creativity|first=Adam|last=White|date=3 September 2020 |access-date=8 March 2021 |work=The Independent}}</ref> He has also argued that political correctness and wokeism are a threat to humour, creativity, and [[freedom of thought]] and [[Freedom of Expression|expression]].<ref name="Reason 2022"/>
==Personal life==
===1960s to 1980s===
Cleese met Connie Booth in America during the late 1960s and the couple married in 1968.<ref name="Malmo"/> In 1971, Booth gave birth to [[Cynthia Cleese]], their only child. With Booth, Cleese also wrote the scripts for and co-starred in both series of the TV series ''[[Fawlty Towers]]'', even though the two were actually divorced before the second series was finished and aired. Cleese and Booth are said to have remained close friends since.<ref>{{citeweb|url=http://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-1036533/Our-divorceymoon-What-happened-Cleese-Winner-invaded-Switzerland-day-road-trip.html|title=Our divorceymoon! What happened when Cleese and Winner invaded Switzerland on a six-day road trip |publisher=Daily Mail|date=21 July 2008|accessdate=2008-08-03}}</ref>


In 2020, following a controversy over the content of the ''Fawlty Towers'' episode "[[The Germans]]", Cleese criticised the BBC, saying "The BBC is now run by a mixture of marketing people and petty bureaucrats. It used to have a large sprinkling of people who'd actually made programmes. Not any more. So BBC decisions are made by persons whose main concern is not losing their jobs... That's why they're so cowardly and gutless and contemptible." He likened the style of humour in ''Fawlty Towers'' to the representation of [[Alf Garnett]] from another BBC sitcom, ''[[Till Death Us Do Part]]'', saying "We laughed at Alf's reactionary views. Thus we discredited them, by laughing at him. Of course, there were people—very stupid people—who said 'Thank God someone is saying these things at last'. We laughed at these people too. Now they're taking decisions about BBC comedy."<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-53020335 |title=Fawlty Towers: John Cleese attacks 'cowardly' BBC over episode's removal |date=12 June 2020 |access-date=14 June 2020 |work=[[BBC News]]}}</ref>
Cleese remarried in 1981, to American actress Barbara Trentham.<ref>http://www.nndb.com/people/124/000024052/</ref> Their daughter Camilla, Cleese's second child, was born in 1984. He and Trentham [[divorce]]d in 1990. It was also during this time that Cleese moved from the [[United Kingdom]] to [[California]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0872184/news|title=Cleese Saved Daughter From Drugs|date=2008-12-21|publisher=IMDB|accessdate=2009-08-23}}</ref>


== Activism and politics ==
===1990s to present===
{{Quote box|width=29%|bgcolor=#FFFFF0|align=right|quote=Amnesty first started doing these fund-raising shows in 1976. The instigation came from John Cleese who wanted to help out. And he did it in the only way he knew how. Which was to put on a show with what he described as "a few friends". Who of course transpired to be his colleagues in Monty Python and other luminaries of British comedy.|source=— [[Martin Lewis (humorist)|Martin Lewis]], co-founder of ''[[The Secret Policeman's Ball]]'', on Cleese instigating the benefit show.<ref name="Amnesty Ball">{{cite news |title=How the Secret Policeman's Ball Got Rolling... |url=https://www.huffpost.com/entry/secret-policemans-ball_b_1318876 |access-date=23 September 2019 |work=Huffington Post}}</ref>}}
On 28 December 1992, he married American [[psychotherapy|psychotherapist]] [[Alyce Faye Eichelberger]]. In January 2008, the couple announced they had split. The divorce was settled in December 2008. The divorce settlement left Eichelberger with £12 million in finance and assets; by the time she has received an agreed £600,000 over the course of the next 7 years, she will have more of his money than he does. Cleese stated that "What I find so unfair is that if we both died today, her children would get much more than mine".<ref>http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstopics/celebritynews/6043628/John-Cleese-in-12-million-divorce-settlement.html</ref>


Cleese (and the other members of Python) have contributed their services to charitable endeavours and causes—sometimes as an ensemble, at other times as individuals. The cause that has been the most frequent and consistent beneficiary has been the human rights work of [[Amnesty International]] via the ''[[The Secret Policeman's Ball|Secret Policeman's Ball]]'' benefit shows. The idea of the ''Ball'' was conceived by Cleese, with ''Huffington Post'' stating "in 1976 he "friended" the then-struggling Amnesty International (according to Martin Lewis, the very notion of Human Rights was then not the domain of hipsters and students, but just of foreign-policy wonks) first with a cheque signed "J. Cleese" — and then by rounding up "a few friends" to put on a show."<ref name="Amnesty Ball"/> Many musicians have publicly attributed their activism—and the organisation of their own [[Benefit concert|benefit events]]—to the inspiration of the work in this field of Cleese and the rest of Python, such as [[Bob Geldof]] (organiser of [[Live Aid]]), [[U2]], [[Pete Townshend]], and [[Sting (musician)|Sting]].<ref>[https://www.theguardian.com/world/2012/mar/02/secret-policemans-ball-new-york-amnesty "Secret Policeman's Ball recruits New York's finest to Amnesty celebration"]. ''The Guardian''. Retrieved 24 September 2019.</ref> On the impact of the Ball on Geldof, Sting states, "he took the 'Ball' and ran with it."<ref name="Amnesty Ball"/>
He had begun to date American comedienne [[Barbie Orr]] in November 2008<ref>http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/showbiz/bizarre/article1955623.ece</ref> but they split up in January 2009.<ref>http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1131182/RICHARD-KAY-Cleese-gets-rid-Barbie-doll.html</ref>


In 2022, Cleese spoke at the conference of the revival [[Social Democratic Party (UK, 1990–present)|Social Democratic Party]].<ref>{{Citation |title=Manchester 2022—SDP Question Time—William Clouston Rod Liddle Joanna Williams and Wayne Dixon | date=26 October 2022 |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FLZOWkpSsqo |language=en |access-date=12 November 2022}}</ref> Previously, he was a long-standing supporter of the [[Liberal Democrats (UK)|Liberal Democrats]] and before that was a supporter of the original [[Social Democratic Party (UK)|SDP]] after their formation in 1981. During the [[1987 United Kingdom general election|1987 general election]] he recorded a party political broadcast for the [[SDP–Liberal Alliance]], in which he advocated for the introduction of [[proportional representation]].<ref>{{cite web | url= https://www.newstatesman.com/blogs/the-staggers/2010/05/sdp-liberal-alliance-broadcast | title= Proportional representation for dummies . . . by John Cleese | work=New Statesman | date=5 May 2010 | access-date=9 August 2021}}</ref> Cleese subsequently appeared in broadcasts for the Liberal Democrats in the [[1997 United Kingdom general election|1997 general election]] and narrated a radio election broadcast for the party during the [[2001 United Kingdom general election|2001 general election]].<ref>{{cite news |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/vote2001/hi/english/newsid_1361000/1361458.stm |title=Lib Dems plan warmer homes |work=BBC News |date=31 May 2001 |access-date=21 July 2008 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081219210901/http://news.bbc.co.uk/vote2001/hi/english/newsid_1361000/1361458.stm |archive-date=19 December 2008 }}</ref>
He is a [[vegetarian]].<ref>[http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000092/bio John Cleese - Biography<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref><ref>[http://web.archive.org/web/20071014000314/http://www.goveg.com/feat/sexiestveg2007/ GoVeg.com // Carrie Underwood and Kevin Eubanks Voted World's Sexiest Vegetarian Celebrities<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref>


In 2008, Cleese expressed support for [[Barack Obama]] and his [[Barack Obama 2008 presidential campaign|presidential candidacy]], offering his services as a speech writer.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://articles.nydailynews.com/2008-04-09/news/17895834_1_monty-python-obama-s-campaign-speechwriter |archive-url=https://archive.today/20120911205635/http://articles.nydailynews.com/2008-04-09/news/17895834_1_monty-python-obama-s-campaign-speechwriter |url-status=dead |archive-date=11 September 2012 |title='Monty Python' icon John Cleese stumps to be Barack Obama's speechwriter |work=[[New York Daily News]] |location=New York City|date=9 April 2008 |access-date=14 June 2010}}</ref> He was an outspoken critic of [[Republican Party (United States)|Republican]] Vice-Presidential candidate [[Sarah Palin]], saying that "Michael Palin is no longer the funniest Palin".<ref>{{cite web |first1=John |last1=Cleese |url=http://www.eonline.com/uberblog/b63785_John_Cleese__Sarah_Palin_Funnier_Than_Michael_Palin.html |title=John Cleese: Sarah Palin Funnier Than Michael Palin |first2=Erik |last2=Pedersen |publisher=E! |date=14 October 2008 |access-date=14 June 2010 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100616180442/http://www.eonline.com/uberblog/b63785_John_Cleese__Sarah_Palin_Funnier_Than_Michael_Palin.html |archive-date=16 June 2010 }}</ref> The same year, he wrote a satirical poem about [[Fox News]] commentator [[Sean Hannity]] for ''[[Countdown with Keith Olbermann]]''.<ref>{{cite news |title=Poem For Today |url=https://www.theatlantic.com/daily-dish/archive/2008/10/poem-for-today/210474/ |access-date=8 April 2020 |magazine=The Atlantic}}</ref>
==Political views==


In 2011, Cleese declared his appreciation for Britain's coalition government between the [[Conservative Party (UK)|Conservatives]] and Liberal Democrats, saying: "I think what's happening at the moment is rather interesting. The Coalition has made everything a little more courteous and a little more flexible. I think it was quite good that the Liberal Democrats had to compromise a bit with the Tories." He also criticised the previous [[New Labour|Labour]] government, commenting: "Although my inclinations are slightly [[Centre-left politics|left-of-centre]], I was terribly disappointed with the last Labour government. [[Gordon Brown]] lacked emotional intelligence and was never a leader." Cleese also reiterated his support for proportional representation.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/politics/8279180/David-Cameron-impresses-John-Cleese-with-his-good-manners.html |title=David Cameron impresses John Cleese with his good manners |work=[[The Daily Telegraph]] |first=Tim |last=Walker |date=25 January 2011 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160624175146/http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/politics/8279180/David-Cameron-impresses-John-Cleese-with-his-good-manners.html |archive-date=24 June 2016 }}</ref>
During the [[United Kingdom general election, 1987|1987 UK general election]], he recorded a nine minute party political broadcast for the [[SDP-Liberal Alliance]], which talks about the similarities and failures of the other two parties in a more humorous tone than the standard political broadcast. He has since supported the Alliance's successor, the [[Liberal Democrats]], starring in a political broadcast for the [[1997 UK general election]] and narrating a radio election broadcast for the party during the [[United Kingdom general election, 2001|2001 UK general election]].<ref>{{citeweb|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/vote2001/hi/english/newsid_1361000/1361458.stm|title=Lib Dems plan warmer homes|publisher=BBC News|date=31 May 2001|accessdate=2008-07-21}}</ref>


In April 2011, Cleese said that he had declined a [[life peerage]] for political services in 1999. Outgoing leader of the Liberal Democrats [[Paddy Ashdown]] had put forward the suggestion shortly before stepping down, with the idea that Cleese would take the party whip and sit as a working peer, but the actor quipped that he "realised this involved being in England in the winter and I thought that was too much of a price to pay." Cleese had declined a [[Order of the British Empire|CBE title]] in 1996 as he thought they were "silly".<ref>{{cite news |last=Nikkhah |first=Roya |title=Lord Cleese of Fawlty Towers: Why John Cleese declined a peerage |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/celebritynews/8455538/Lord-Cleese-of-Fawlty-Towers-Why-John-Cleese-declined-a-peerage.html |newspaper=[[The Sunday Telegraph]] |date=17 April 2011 |access-date=17 April 2011 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110420075708/http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/celebritynews/8455538/Lord-Cleese-of-Fawlty-Towers-Why-John-Cleese-declined-a-peerage.html |archive-date=20 April 2011 }}</ref>
Cleese expressed support for [[Barack Obama]]'s presidential candidacy, donating US$2,300 to his [[Barack Obama presidential campaign, 2008|campaign]] and offering his services as a speech writer.<ref>Michael Saul, "The Full Monty for Bam?: Cleese stumps to be his speech writer," ''New York Daily News'', 2008-04-09 p3 http://www.nydailynews.com/news/politics/2008/04/09/2008-04-09_monty_python_icon_john_cleese_stumps_to_.html</ref> He also criticized [[U.S. Republican Party|Republican]] Vice-Presidential candidate [[Sarah Palin]] &mdash; saying that "Michael Palin is no longer the funniest Palin"<ref>http://www.eonline.com/uberblog/b63785_John_Cleese__Sarah_Palin_Funnier_Than_Michael_Palin.html</ref> &mdash; and wrote a [[satire|satirical poem]] about [[Fox News]] commentator [[Sean Hannity]] for ''[[Countdown with Keith Olbermann]]''.<ref>[http://www.dailykos.com/story/2008/10/8/21536/7048 "John Cleese Destroys Sean Hanniyt with Poetry"] www.dailykos.org.</ref>


In an interview with ''[[The Daily Telegraph]]'' in 2014, Cleese expressed political interest about the [[UK Independence Party]], saying that although he was in doubt as to whether he was prepared to vote for it, he was attracted to its challenge to the established political order and the radicalism of its policies on the United Kingdom's membership of the [[European Union]]. He expressed support for immigration, but also concern about the integration of immigrants into British culture.<ref name="stadlen">{{cite news |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/men/relationships/11157618/John-Cleese-says-Ive-finally-found-true-love-in-a-fish-and-three-cats.html |title=John Cleese says: 'I've finally found true love—in a fish and three cats' |work=[[The Daily Telegraph]] |first=Matthew |last=Stadlen |date=13 October 2014 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151105021521/http://www.telegraph.co.uk/men/relationships/11157618/John-Cleese-says-Ive-finally-found-true-love-in-a-fish-and-three-cats.html |archive-date=5 November 2015 }}</ref>
==Radio credits==
*''[[I'm Sorry, I'll Read That Again]]''
*''[[I'm Sorry I Haven't a Clue]]'' (1972-3)


Talking to ''[[Der Spiegel]]'' in 2015, Cleese expressed a critical view on what he saw as a [[plutocracy]] that was unhealthily developing control of the governance of the [[First World]]'s societies, stating that he had reached a point when he "saw that our existence here is absolutely hopeless. I see the rich have got a stranglehold on us. If somebody had said that to me when I was 20, I would have regarded him as a [[Loony left|left-wing loony]]."<ref name="spiegel.de" />
==Television credits==
===Major roles===
*''[[The Frost Report]]'' (1966)
*''Frost on Sunday''
*''[[At Last the 1948 Show]]''
*''[[How to Irritate People]]'' (1968) with [[Michael Palin]], [[Graham Chapman]], Connie Booth and [[Tim Brooke-Taylor]]
*''[[Monty Python's Flying Circus]]'' (1969&ndash;1974)
*''[[Sez Les]]'' (1971, 1974)
*''[[Fawlty Towers]]'' (1975, 1979)
*''[[Cheers]] (episode "Simon Says")'' (1987), he won an [[Emmy Award]] for best actor in a guest starring role
*''[[The Taming of the Shrew]]'' (1980) as Petruchio
*''True Stories: Peace in our Time?'' as [[Neville Chamberlain]]


In 2016, Cleese publicly supported [[Brexit]] in the [[2016 United Kingdom European Union membership referendum|referendum on leaving the European Union]].<ref>{{cite news |last=Saul |first=Heather |title=Brexit: The famous figures celebrating the EU referendum result |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/people/brexit-the-famous-figures-celebrating-the-eu-referendum-result-a7102511.html |work=The Independent |date=25 June 2016}}</ref> He tweeted: "If I thought there was any chance of major reform in the EU, I'd vote to stay in. But there isn't. Sad." Cleese said that "EU bureaucrats" had taken away "any trace of democratic accountability" and suggested they should "give up the [[euro]], introduce accountability."<ref>{{cite news |last=Szalai |first=Georg |title=John Cleese, Jeremy Clarkson Chime in on Brexit Vote as Debate Enters Final Days |url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/brexit-john-cleese-jeremy-clarkson-904348 |work=Hollywood Reporter |date=20 June 2016}}</ref>
===As host===
*''[[The Human Face]]''
*''[[Wine for the Confused]]''
*''[[We Are Most Amused]]'': Master of Ceremonies for a stand-up comedy show celebrating [[Charles, Prince of Wales|Prince Charles]]'s 60th Birthday.


During then-Republican nominee [[Donald Trump]]'s [[Donald Trump 2016 presidential campaign|run for the US presidency]] in 2016, Cleese described Trump as "a narcissist, with no attention span, who doesn't have clear ideas about anything and makes it all up as he goes along".<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/entertainment/news/donald-trump-narcissist-with-no-attention-span-says-john-cleese-35120288.html |title=Donald Trump narcissist with no attention span, says John Cleese |work=[[The Belfast Telegraph]] |date=11 October 2016}}</ref> He had previously described the leadership of the Republican Party as "the most cynical, most disgracefully immoral people I've ever come across in a Western civilisation".<ref name="stadlen" />
===Guest appearances===

*''[[The Avengers (TV series)|The Avengers]]'' (1968), guest appearance as Marcus Rugman (egg clown-face collector) in the episode ''Look (Stop Me if You've Heard this One)...''
In 2017, Cleese stated that he would not vote in [[2017 United Kingdom general election|that year's general election]] because "I live in Chelsea and Kensington, so under our present system my vote is utterly worthless."<ref>{{cite news| url= https://www.standard.co.uk/showbiz/celebrity-news/john-cleese-slammed-after-deeming-general-election-vote-utterly-worthless-a3561176.html | title= John Cleese slammed after deeming General Election vote 'utterly worthless' – before counting suspended in his constituency| newspaper=Evening Standard | first=Emma | last=Powell | date=9 June 2017 | access-date=19 May 2021}}</ref> In July 2018, Cleese said that he was leaving the UK to relocate to the Caribbean island of [[Nevis]], partly over frustration around the standard of the Brexit debate, including "dreadful lies" by "[[right-wing politics|the right]]" and a lack of reform regarding the press and the voting system.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.standard.co.uk/showbiz/celebrity-news/john-cleese-set-to-move-to-the-caribbean-over-disappointment-with-uk-a3884261.html|title=John Cleese set to move to the Caribbean over 'disappointment' with UK|first=Fiona |last=Simpson |date=11 July 2018|newspaper=[[Evening Standard]]}}</ref> He relocated to Nevis on 1 November 2018.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.independent.ie/entertainment/movies/movie-news/actor-john-cleese-reveals-hes-quit-uk-and-is-now-living-in-the-caribbean-37700845.html |title=Actor John Cleese reveals he's quit UK and is now living in the Caribbean|newspaper=Independent.ie |date=10 January 2019 |author=Nicola Anderson}}</ref>
*''[[The Goodies (TV series)|The Goodies]]'' (1973), guest cameo appearance as a Genie in the episode ''[[The Goodies and the Beanstalk]]''

*''[[Doctor Who]]'' (1979), guest cameo appearance as an Art Lover in the episode ''[[City of Death]]'' as a favour to writer/[[script editor]] [[Douglas Adams]]
In May 2019, Cleese repeated his previous statement that London was no longer an English city, saying "virtually all my friends from abroad have confirmed my observation. So there must be some truth in it... I note also that London was the UK city that voted most strongly to remain in the EU." [[London Mayor]] [[Sadiq Khan]] responded, "These comments make John Cleese sound like he's in character as [[Basil Fawlty]]. Londoners know that our diversity is our greatest strength. We are proudly the English capital, a European city and a global hub." Cleese added, "I suspect I should apologise for my affection for the Englishness of my upbringing, but in some ways I found it calmer, more polite, more humorous, less tabloid, and less money-oriented than the one that is replacing it."<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-48451384 |title=John Cleese criticised for saying London is 'no longer an English city'|website=BBC News |date=29 May 2019 |access-date=29 May 2019}}</ref>
*''[[The Muppet Show]]'' (1977)

*''[[Last of the Summer Wine]]'' (1993), guest cameo appearance in the episode ''Welcome to Earth''.
In 2020, Cleese opposed the BBC's removal of the ''[[Fawlty Towers]]'' episode "[[The Germans]]" from the [[UKTV]] streaming service after [[George Floyd protests in the United Kingdom|protests]] following the [[murder of George Floyd]], stating that the program was mocking prejudice with its use of a character who uttered racial slurs. "If they can't see that, if people are too stupid to see that, what can one say," said Cleese.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.theage.com.au/culture/tv-and-radio/john-cleese-slams-uktv-decision-to-remove-fawlty-towers-episode-as-stupid-20200612-p5523w.html |title=John Cleese slams UKTV decision to remove Fawlty Towers episode as 'stupid' |first=Karl |last=Quinn |date=12 June 2020 |access-date=12 June 2020 |work=[[The Age]] }}</ref> UKTV later restored the episode with a disclaimer about its content.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-53032895 |title=Fawlty Towers: The Germans episode to be reinstated by UKTV |date=13 June 2020 |access-date=14 June 2020 |work=[[BBC News]]}}</ref>
*''25 Years of Last of the Summer Wine'' (1997)

*''[[3rd Rock from the Sun]]'' (1998&ndash;2001) as recurring character Dr. Liam Neesam.
In November 2021, Cleese protested against perceived [[cancel culture]] by blacklisting himself over a Hitler impersonation controversy at the Cambridge Union.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.foxnews.com/entertainment/john-cleese-cancel-culture-blacklist-hitler |title=John Cleese takes stand on cancel culture, blacklists himself over Hitler controversy |date=11 November 2021 |access-date=11 November 2021 |work=[[Fox News]]}}</ref>
*''[[Wednesday 9:30 (8:30 Central)]]'' (2002) as Red

*''[[Will & Grace]]'' (2003-2004) as recurring character [[supporting characters on Will & Grace#Love interests|Lyle Finster]].
=== Anti-smoking campaign ===
*Numerous commercials, including for supermarket chain [[Sainsbury's]], snack firm [[Planters]] and a [[British government]] ''Stop [[Tobacco smoking|Smoking]]'' campaign
In 1992, the UK Health Education Authority (subsequently the Health Development Agency, now merged into the [[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 morbid humour about smoking and were designed to encourage adult smokers to quit. In a controlled study of regions of central and northern England (one region received no intervention) the PSAs were broadcast in two regions, and one region received both the PSAs, plus locally organised anti-tobacco campaigning. The study found:
*Party political broadcasts for the [[Liberal Democrats (UK)|Liberal Democrats]] and predecessor, the SDP-Liberal Alliance
<blockquote>After 18 months, 9.8% of successfully re-interviewed smokers had stopped and 4.3% of ex-smokers had relapsed. [...] There was no evidence of an extra effect of the local tobacco control network when combined with TV media [...] Applying these results to a typical population where 28% smoke and 28% are ex-smokers, and where there would be an equal number of quitters and relapsers over an 18 month period without the campaign, suggests that the campaign would reduce smoking prevalence by about 1.2%.<ref name="McVeyStapleton">{{cite journal |last1=McVey |first1=Dominic |last2=Stapleton |first2=John |title=Can anti-smoking television advertising affect smoking behaviour? controlled trial of the Health Education Authority for England's anti-smoking TV campaign |journal=Tob Control |date=September 2000 |volume=9 |issue=3 |pages=273–82 |doi=10.1136/tc.9.3.273 |pmid=10982571 |url= |pmc=1748378}}</ref></blockquote>
*in November 2009 commercials, in which he appears, for Danish electrical appliance chain "Elgiganten" begun broadcasting in Denmark.

*Song "Don't Mention The World Cup" [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tg5tpMm_ruc animated video] played on ITV, BBC and Channel 4 News June 2006
== Personal life ==
*[[Batteries Not Included (TV series)|Batteries Not Included]] - gadget show on UKTV channel [[Dave (TV channel)|Dave]] (2008)
Cleese met [[Connie Booth]] in the US and they married in 1968.<ref name="Malmo" /> In 1971, Booth gave birth to their only child, Cynthia Cleese, who went on to appear with her father in his films ''A Fish 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 finished and aired. Cleese and Booth are said to have remained close friends since. Cleese has two grandchildren through Cynthia's marriage to writer/director [[Ed Solomon]]. Cleese married American actress [[Barbara Trentham]] in 1981. Their daughter Camilla, Cleese's second child, was born in 1984. He and Trentham divorced in 1990. During this time, Cleese emigrated to [[Los Angeles]].

In 1992, he married American psychotherapist [[Alyce Faye Eichelberger]]. They divorced in 2008; the divorce settlement left Eichelberger with £12&nbsp;million in finance and assets, including £600,000 a year for seven years. Cleese said, "What I find so unfair is that if we both died today, her children would get much more 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 children, or a conversation".<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstopics/celebritynews/6043628/John-Cleese-in-12-million-divorce-settlement.html |work=The Daily Telegraph |location=London |title=John Cleese in £12&nbsp;million divorce settlement |first=Andrew |last=Pierce |date=18 August 2009 |access-date=6 May 2010 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100407190653/http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstopics/celebritynews/6043628/John-Cleese-in-12-million-divorce-settlement.html |archive-date=7 April 2010 }}</ref>

Less than a year later, he returned to the [[United Kingdom|UK]], where he has property in [[London]] and a home on the [[Royal Crescent]] in [[Bath, Somerset]].<ref>{{cite news |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/local/bristol/hi/people_and_places/newsid_8920000/8920365.stm |title=John Cleese on move to 'beautiful' Georgian Bath |work=BBC News |access-date=6 December 2011 |date=17 August 2010 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120304010756/http://news.bbc.co.uk/local/bristol/hi/people_and_places/newsid_8920000/8920365.stm |archive-date=4 March 2012 }}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.southwestbusiness.co.uk/news/18032013093934-john-cleese-could-be-spending-more-time-in-bath-after-selling-his-monaco-des-res/ |title=John Cleese could be spending more time in Bath after selling His Monaco des res |publisher=Southwest Business |date=18 March 2013 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131220000044/http://www.southwestbusiness.co.uk/news/18032013093934-john-cleese-could-be-spending-more-time-in-bath-after-selling-his-monaco-des-res/ |archive-date=20 December 2013 }}</ref> In August 2012, Cleese married English jewellery designer and former model Jennifer Wade in a ceremony on the Caribbean island of [[Mustique]].<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/celebritynews/9470746/John-Cleese-marries-for-the-fourth-time.html |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20220110/https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/celebritynews/9470746/John-Cleese-marries-for-the-fourth-time.html |archive-date=10 January 2022 |url-access=subscription |url-status=live|title=John Cleese marries for the fourth time|last=Singh|first=Anita|date=13 August 2012|work=The Daily Telegraph|access-date=11 July 2018|language=en-GB|issn=0307-1235}}{{cbignore}}</ref>

In an interview in 2014, Cleese blamed his mother, who lived to the age of 101, for his problems in relationships with women, saying: "My ingrained habit of walking on eggshells when dealing with my mother dominated my romantic liaisons for many years." Cleese said that he had spent "a large part of my life in some form of therapy" over his relationships with women.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/people/news/john-cleese-blames-his-problems-with-women-on-tyrant-late-mother-9760711.html |title=John Cleese blames his problems with women on 'tyrant' late mother |first=Daisy|last=Wyatt|work=[[The Independent]]|date=28 September 2014|access-date=14 June 2020}}</ref> He has received treatment for [[Major depressive disorder|depression]].<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.mcmanweb.com/fab_five.html#:~:text=The%20ultimate%20high%2Dstrung%20British,symptoms%20eventually%20diagnosed%20as%20depression | title=Comedy's Fab Five }}</ref>

In March 2015, in an interview with ''[[Der Spiegel]]'', he was asked if he was religious. Cleese stated that he did not think much of organised religion and said he was not committed to "anything except the vague feeling that there is something more going on than the materialist reductionist people think".<ref name="spiegel.de">[http://www.spiegel.de/international/zeitgeist/spiegel-interview-with-john-cleese-a-1026293.html SPIEGEL Interview with John Cleese: 'Satire Makes People Think'] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150526064531/http://www.spiegel.de/international/zeitgeist/spiegel-interview-with-john-cleese-a-1026293.html |date=26 May 2015 }}. Retrieved 31 March 2015.</ref>

Cleese has a passion for [[lemur]]s.<ref name=2002DailyLlama>{{cite web |title=John Cleese Visits Lemurs at San Francisco Zoo |author=Hans ten Cate |date=13 June 2002 |publisher=PythOnline's Daily Llama |url=http://www.dailyllama.com/news/2002/llama143.html |access-date=28 December 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101216023151/http://dailyllama.com/news/2002/llama143.html |archive-date=16 December 2010 |url-status=dead }}</ref><ref name=PBS_InTheWild>{{cite video |people=John Cleese (host) |year=1998 |title=In the Wild: Operation Lemur with John Cleese |url=https://www.pbs.org/wnet/nature/inthewild/cleese.html |medium=DVD |publisher=Tigress Productions Ltd for BBC |access-date=28 December 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100605033531/http://www.pbs.org/wnet/nature/inthewild/cleese.html |archive-date=5 June 2010 |url-status=dead }}</ref> Following the 1997 comedy film ''Fierce Creatures'', in which the [[ring-tailed lemur]] played a key role, he hosted the 1998 [[BBC]] documentary ''In the Wild: Operation Lemur with John Cleese'', which tracked the progress of a [[reintroduction]] of [[black-and-white ruffed lemur]]s back into the [[Betampona Reserve]] in Madagascar. The project had been partly funded by Cleese's donation of the proceeds from the London premiere of ''Fierce Creatures''.<ref name=PBS_InTheWild /><ref name=1998ScienceDaily>{{cite web |title=Four More Lemurs To Be Released into Madagascar Jungle This Fall |work=Science Daily |publisher=Duke University |date=12 October 1998 |url=http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/1998/10/981012073550.htm |access-date=28 December 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100926123703/http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/1998/10/981012073550.htm |archive-date=26 September 2010 |url-status=dead }}</ref> Cleese said "I adore lemurs. They're extremely gentle, well-mannered, pretty and yet great fun&nbsp;... I should have married one".<ref name=2002DailyLlama />

The [[Bemaraha woolly lemur]] (''Avahi cleesei''), also known as Cleese's woolly lemur, is native to western Madagascar. The scientist who discovered the species named it after Cleese, mainly because of Cleese's fondness for lemurs and his efforts at protecting and preserving them. The species was first discovered in 1990 by a team of scientists from the [[University of Zurich]] led by Urs Thalmann but was not formally described as a species until 11 November 2005.<ref>{{cite news |title=Endangered lemurs get Fawlty name |date=11 November 2005 |publisher=BBC |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/4427160.stm |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100204075908/http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/4427160.stm |archive-date=4 February 2010 |url-status=live}}</ref>


== Filmography ==
== Filmography ==
{{main|John Cleese on screen and stage}}
{| border="2" cellpadding="4" cellspacing="0" style="margin: 1em 1em 1em 0; background: #f9f9f9; border: 1px #aaa solid; border-collapse: collapse; font-size: 90%;"

|-style="background:#B0C4DE;"
== Awards and nominations ==
{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Year
! Year
! Association
! Film
! Category
! Role
! Nominated work
! Notes
! Result
|-
|-
| 1988 || [[Academy Award]] || [[Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay|Original Screenplay]] || rowspan=4|''[[A Fish Called Wanda]]'' || {{nom}}
| 1968
| ''[[Interlude (1968 film)|Interlude]]
|
|
|-
|-
|1988 || [[Golden Globe Award]] || [[Golden Globe Award for Best Actor in a Motion Picture - Comedy or Musical|Best Actor in a Motion Picture – Comedy of Musical]] || {{nom}}
|rowspan=2| 1969
| ''[[The Magic Christian (film)|The Magic Christian]]''
|
|
|-
|-
|rowspan=2|1988 || rowspan=2|[[BAFTA Film Award]] || [[BAFTA Award for Best Actor|Best Actor]] || {{won}}
| ''[[The Best House in London]]''
|
|
|-
|-
|[[BAFTA Award for Best Original Screenplay|Best Original Screenplay]] || {{nom}}
| 1970
| ''[[The Rise and Rise of Michael Rimmer]]''
|
| Writer
|-
|-
|1971 || rowspan=3|[[BAFTA Television Award]] || rowspan=3|[[British Academy Television Award for Best Entertainment Performance|Best Entertainment Performance]] || ''[[Monty Python’s Flying Circus]]'' || {{nom}}
| 1971
| ''[[And Now for Something Completely Different]]''
| The Announcer, Chef, Mountain Guide, various other characters
| Writer
|-
|-
|1976 || rowspan=2|''[[Fawlty Towers]]'' || {{nom}}
| 1974
| ''[[Romance with a Double Bass]]''
|
| Writer
|-
|-
|1980 || {{won}}
| 1975
| ''[[Monty Python and the Holy Grail]]''
| [[Lancelot|Sir Lancelot]], <br> [[Tim the Enchanter]], <br> Swallow obsessed guard #2, <br> Peasant #1, <br> [[Black Knight (Monty Python)|Black Knight]], French Taunter, <br> Body cart customer
| Writer
|-
|-
|1987 || rowspan=4|[[Primetime Emmy Awards|Emmy Awards]] || rowspan=2|[[Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Guest Actor in a Comedy Series|Outstanding Guest Actor in a Comedy Series]] || ''[[Cheers (TV series)|Cheers]]'' ||{{won}}
| 1976
| ''Meetings, Bloody Meetings''
|
| a humorous business-oriented training video
|-
|-
|1998 || ''[[3rd Rock from the Sun]]'' || {{nom}}
| 1977
| ''[[The Strange Case of the End of Civilization as We Know It]]''
|
| Arthur Sherlock Holmes, a descendant of the original
|-
|-
|2002 || [[Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Documentary or Nonfiction Special|Outstanding Non-Fiction Special]] || ''[[The Human Face]]'' || {{nom}}
| 1979
| ''[[Monty Python's Life of Brian]]''
| Reg, the High priest,<br> Centurion of the Yard, Deadly Dirk, Arthur, <br>1st wise man
| Writer, various roles
|-
|-
|2004 || Outstanding Guest Actor in a Comedy Series || ''[[Will & Grace]]'' || {{nom}}
| 1980
| ''[[The Secret Policeman's Ball]]''
|
|
|-
|-
|1976 || rowspan=5|[[Grammy Awards]] || rowspan=3|[[Grammy Award for Best Comedy Album|Best Comedy Album]] || ''[[The Monty Python Matching Tie and Handkerchief]]'' || {{nom}}
|rowspan=2| 1981
| ''[[The Great Muppet Caper]]''
|
|
|-
|-
|1981 || ''[[Monty Python's Contractual Obligation Album]]'' || {{nom}}
| ''[[Time Bandits]]''
| Gormless [[Robin Hood]]
|
|-
|-
|1984 || ''[[Monty Python's The Meaning of Life (album)|Monty Python’s The Meaning of Life]]'' || {{nom}}
|rowspan=2| 1982
| ''[[Dish]]''
|
|
|-
|-
|1989 || [[Grammy Award for Best Spoken Word Album|Best Spoken Word Album]] || ''[[The Screwtape Letters]]'' || {{nom}}
| ''[[Privates on Parade]]''
|Major Giles Flack
|
|-
|-
|1994 || [[Grammy Award for Best Spoken Word Album for Children|Best Spoken Word Album for Children]] || ''[[Did I Ever Tell You How Lucky You Are?]]'' || {{nom}}
|rowspan=2|1983
| ''[[Yellowbeard]]''
| Blind Pew
|
|-
|-
|}
| ''[[Monty Python's The Meaning of Life]]''

| Various roles
== Honours and tributes ==
| Writer
* A species of [[lemur]], the [[Bemaraha woolly lemur]] (''Avahi cleesei''), has been named in his honour. John Cleese has mentioned this in television interviews. Also there is mention of this honour in "''New Scientist''"—and John Cleese's response to the honour.<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Cleese |first1=John |title=Monty Python's lemur |journal=New Scientist |date=3 December 2005 |issue=2528 |url=https://www.newscientist.com/article.ns?id=mg18825280.400 |access-date=8 October 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080206010416/http://www.newscientist.com/article.ns?id=mg18825280.400 |archive-date=6 February 2008}}</ref>
* An asteroid, [[9618 Johncleese]], is named in his honour.
* A municipal rubbish heap {{convert|45|m}} high that has been named Mt Cleese at the [[Awapuni, Palmerston North|Awapuni]] landfill just outside [[Palmerston North]] after he dubbed the city "suicide capital of New Zealand" after a stay there in 2005.<ref>[http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/story/0,20867,21767448-1702,00.html Funnyman Cleese rubbishes NZ city] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071010130657/http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/story/0,20867,21767448-1702,00.html |date=10 October 2007 }}. The Australian. 21 May 2007.</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10440967 |title=Palmerston North's heap of payback on Cleese |date=21 May 2007 |access-date=18 March 2018 |website=New Zealand Herald}}</ref>

=== Scholastic ===
; University degrees

{| class="wikitable" style="width:100%;"
! style="width:20%;"| Location
! style="width:20%;"| Date
! style="width:40%;"| School
! style="width:20%;"| Degree
|-
|-
| England || '''1963''' || [[Downing College, Cambridge]] || Law
| 1985
| ''[[Silverado (film)|Silverado]]''
| Langston
| An English sheriff in a town in the western USA. <br> His first line, as he walks in to a bar to <br> break up a brawl, is, "What's all this, then?")
|-
|-
|}
| 1986

| ''[[Clockwise (movie)|Clockwise]]''
; Chancellor, visitor, governor, rector, and fellowships
| Mr. Stimpson, a school headmaster

|
{| class="wikitable" style="width:100%;"
! style="width:20%;"| Location
! style="width:20%;"| Date
! style="width:40%;"| School
! style="width:20%;"| Position
|-
|-
| Scotland || '''1970–1973''' || [[University of St Andrews]] || [[Rector of the University of St Andrews|Rector]]
| 1988
| ''[[A Fish Called Wanda]]''
| lawyer Archie Leach
| Writer, as lawyer Archie Leach ([[Cary Grant]]'s real name)<br>[[BAFTA Award for Best Actor in a Leading Role]]<br>Nominated - [[Academy Award For Best Original Screenplay]]<br>Nominated - [[BAFTA Award for Best Original Screenplay]]<br>Nominated — [[Golden Globe Award for Best Actor – Motion Picture Musical or Comedy]]
|-
|-
|}
| 1989

| ''[[Erik the Viking]]
;Honorary degrees
| Halfdan the Black

|
{| class="wikitable" style="width:100%;"
|-
! style="width:20%;"| Location
| 1990
! style="width:20%;"| Date
| ''[[Bullseye!]]''
! style="width:40%;"| School
| Man on the Beach in <br> Barbados Who Looks Like John Cleese
! style="width:20%;"| Degree
|
|-
| 1991
| ''[[An American Tail: Fievel Goes West]]''
| Cat R. Waul
|
|-
| 1992
| ''[[Did I Ever Tell You How Lucky You Are?]]''
|
| Narrator
|-
| 1993
| ''[[Splitting Heirs]]''
| Raoul P. Shadgrind
|
|-
|rowspan=3| 1994
| ''[[Mary Shelley's Frankenstein]]''
| Professor Waldman
|
|-
| ''[[The Jungle Book (1994 film)|Disney's Rudyard Kipling's The Jungle Book]]''
| Dr. Julius Plumford
|
|-
| ''[[The Swan Princess]]''
| Jean-Bob
|
|-
|rowspan=2| 1996
| ''[[The Wind in the Willows (1996 film)|The Wind in the Willows]]
| Mr. Toad's lawyer
|
|-
| ''[[Fierce Creatures]]''
| Rollo Lee, manager of an English zoo
| The novelisation suggests that he <br> is actually the twin brother of Archie Leach from <br> ''A Fish Called Wanda'', with a slight change of surname)
|-
| 1997
| ''[[George of the Jungle (film)|George of the Jungle]]''
|
| The voice of an ape named Ape
|-
| 1998
| ''In the Wild: Operation Lemur with John Cleese''
| Host
| Narrator
|-
|rowspan=2| 1999
| ''[[The Out-of-Towners (1999 film)]]''
| Mr. Mersault, the hotel manager
|
|-
| ''[[The World Is Not Enough]]''
| R
| A James Bond film, <br> As Q's assistant, nicknamed ''R'' by Bond
|-
| 2000
| ''[[Isn't She Great]]''
|
|
|-
|rowspan=4| 2001
| ''Quantum Project''
| Father of [[Stephen Dorff]]'s character
|
|-
| ''Here's Looking at You: The Evolution of the Human Face''
|
| Narrator
|-
| ''[[Rat Race (film)|Rat Race]]''
| Eccentric millionaire Donald P. Sinclair
|
|-
| ''[[Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone (movie)|Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone]]''
| "[[Hogwarts ghosts#Nearly Headless Nick|Nearly Headless Nick]]"
|
|-
|rowspan=4| 2002
| ''[[Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (movie)|Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets]]''
| "Nearly Headless Nick"
|
|-
| ''[[Pinocchio (2002 film)|Roberto Benigni's Pinocchio]]
| Talking Cricket's voice in English version
|
|-
| ''[[Die Another Day]]''
| Q
| Second appearance in a James Bond film, <br> replaces [[Desmond Llewelyn]] as Q in the series
|-
| ''[[The Adventures of Pluto Nash]]''
| James, a computerized car chauffeur
|
|-
|rowspan=3| 2003
| ''[[Charlie's Angels: Full Throttle]]''
| Father of Alex
|
|-
| ''[[Scorched (film)|Scorched]]''
| Local Millionaire
|
|-
| ''[[George of the Jungle 2]]''
| The voice of an ape named Ape
|
|-
|rowspan=2| 2004
| ''[[Shrek 2]]''
|King Harold
| Voice
|-
| ''[[Around the World in 80 Days (2004 movie)|Around the World in 80 Days]]''
| Grizzled Sergeant
|
|-
| 2005
| ''[[Valiant (film)|Valiant]]''
| Mercury, the captured pigeon
| Voice
|-
|rowspan=2| 2006
| ''[[Charlotte's Web (2006 film)|Charlotte's Web]]''
| Samuel the sheep
| Voice
|-
| ''[[Man About Town]]''
| Dr. Primkin
|
|-
|-
| Scotland || '''1971''' || [[University of St Andrews]] || Doctorate
| 2007
| ''[[Shrek the Third]]''
| King Harold
| Voice
|-
|-
| California, United States || '''1999''' || [[Pomona College]] || [[Doctor of Letters]] (D.Litt.)<ref>[https://www.pomona.edu/commencement/honorary-degree-recipients "Honorary Degree Recipients"]. Pomona College. Retrieved 13 June 2020.</ref>
|rowspan=2| 2008
| ''[[Igor (film)|Igor]]''
| Dr. Glickenstein
| Voice
|-
|-
| England || '''28 June 2016''' || [[University of Bath]] || [[Doctor of Clinical Psychology]]<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.bath.ac.uk/announcements/university-honours-john-cleese/|title=University honours John Cleese|website=Bath.ac.uk}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.bath.ac.uk/corporate-information/john-cleese-oration/|title=John Cleese: oration|website=Bath.ac.uk}}</ref>
| ''[[The Day the Earth Stood Still (2008 film)|The Day the Earth Stood Still]]''
| Dr. Barnhardt
|
|-
|-
| England || '''17 September 2016''' || [[Open University]] || [[Doctor of the University]] (D. Univ)<ref>[http://www.open.ac.uk/students/ceremonies/sites/www.open.ac.uk.students.ceremonies/files/files/Honorary_graduate_cumulative_list_2017.pdf "Honorary Graduate List"]. Open University. Retrieved 26 May 2019.</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IlU2d7XUxCI| archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211211/IlU2d7XUxCI| archive-date=11 December 2021 | url-status=live|title=John Cleese receives honorary degree at The Open University|publisher=I Am A Graduate |date=10 February 2017|via=[[YouTube]]}}{{cbignore}}</ref>
|rowspan=2| 2009
| ''[[The Pink Panther 2]]''
| Inspector Charles Dreyfus
|
|-
|-
| ''[[Planet 51]]''
| Professor Kipple
| Voice
|}
|}
{{Incomplete list|date=October 2018}}


== Published works ==
===Video game credits===
* ''The Rectorial Address of John Cleese'', Epam, 1971, 8 pages
* ''The Human Face'' (with [[Brian Bates (psychologist)|Brian Bates]]) (DK Publishing Inc., 2001, {{ISBN|978-0-7894-7836-8}})
* Foreword for ''Time and the Soul'', [[Jacob Needleman]], 2003, {{ISBN|1-57675-251-8}} (paperback)
* ''[[Superman: True Brit]]'', [[DC Comics]], 2004, {{ISBN|9781845760120}}
* {{Cite book |title=So, Anyway... |publisher=Crown Archetype |date=2014 |isbn=978-0-385-34824-9}} [[Memoir]].
* {{Cite book |title=Professor at Large: The Cornell Years |publisher=Cornell University Press | date=2018 |isbn=978-1-5017-1657-7}}
* ''Creativity: A Short and Cheerful Guide'', 2020, [[Crown Publishing Group|Crown]], {{ISBN|978-0385348270}}
* {{Cite book |title=The Golden Skits of Wing-commander Muriel Volestrangler, F.R.H.S. and Bar |publisher=Methuen | date=1984 |isbn=978-0413415608}}


=== Dialogues ===
*''[[Monty Python's Complete Waste of Time]]'' (1994) 7th Level
* ''[[Families and How to Survive Them]]'', w/[[Robin Skynner]], 1983. {{ISBN|0-413-52640-2}} (hardcover), {{ISBN|0-19-520466-2}} (paperback)
*''[[Monty Python & the Quest for the Holy Grail]]'' (1996) 7th Level
* ''[[Life and How to Survive It]]'', w/Robin Skynner, 1993. {{ISBN|0-413-66030-3}} (hardcover), {{ISBN|0-393-31472-3}} (paperback)
*''Monty Python's The Meaning of Life'' (1997) Panasonic
*''[[Starship Titanic]]'' (1998) Simon & Schuster Interactive (voice of the Bomb) &mdash; (Credited as Kim Bread)
*''[[007 Racing]]'' (2000) Electronic Arts
*''[[The World Is Not Enough (video game)]]'' (2000) Electronic Arts
*''[[James Bond 007: Everything or Nothing|Everything or Nothing]]'' (2004) Electronic Arts
*''[[Trivial Pursuit: Unhinged]]'' (2004) Atari
*''[[Jade Empire]]'' (2005) BioWare (as Sir Roderick Ponce von Fontlebottom the Magnificent Bastard)


==Awards==
== See also ==
* [[List of people who have declined a British honour]]
*[[Academy Awards]] -
**(1988) Nominated - [[Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay]] / ''A Fish Called Wanda'' (shared with [[Charles Crichton]])


== References ==
*[[Golden Globe Awards]] -
{{Reflist
**(1988) Nominated - [[Golden Globe Award for Best Actor - Motion Picture Musical or Comedy]] / ''A Fish Called Wanda''
| colwidth = 30em
| refs =
}}


== Further reading ==
*[[BAFTA Awards]] -
* ''Cleese Encounters: The Unauthorized Biography of Monty Python Veteran John Cleese'', Jonathan Margolis, St. Martin's Press, 1992, {{ISBN|0-312-08162-6}}
**(1970) Nominated - [[BAFTA Television Award]] for "Best Light Entertainment Performance" / ''Monty Python's Flying Circus''
**(1971) Nominated - BAFTA Television Award for "Best Light Entertainment Performance" / ''Monty Python's Flying Circus''
**(1976) Nominated - BAFTA Television Award for "Best Light Entertainment Performance" / ''Fawlty Towers''
**(1980) '''Won''' - BAFTA Television Award for "Best Light Entertainment Performance" / ''Fawlty Towers''
**(1989) Nominated - [[BAFTA Award for Best Original Screenplay]] / ''A Fish Called Wanda''
**(also 1989) '''Won''' - [[BAFTA Award for Best Actor in a Leading Role]]''

*[[Primetime Emmy Awards]] -
**(1987) '''Won''' - [[Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Guest Actor - Comedy Series]] / ''[[Cheers]]'' (as ''Dr. Simon Finch-Royce'')
**(1998) Nominated - Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Guest Actor - Comedy Series / ''[[3rd Rock from the Sun]]'' (as ''Dr. Liam Neesam'')
**(2002) Nominated - [[Primetime Emmy Award]] for "Outstanding Nonfiction Special" / ''[[The Human Face]]''
**(2004) Nominated - Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Guest Actor - Comedy Series / ''[[Will & Grace]]'' (as ''Lyle Finster'')

*[[Writers Guild of America]] -
**(1989) Nominated - [[Writers Guild of America Award for Best Original Screenplay]] / ''A Fish Called Wanda'' (shared with [[Charles Crichton]])

==Other credits==
* In 2003, John Cleese took part in [[Mike Oldfield]]'s re-recording of the 1973 hit ''[[Tubular Bells]]'', ''[[Tubular Bells 2003]]''. He took over the "Master of Ceremonies" duties in the ‘Finale’ part, in which he announced the various instruments eccentrically, from the late [[Vivian Stanshall]].<ref>[http://tubular.net/articles/03_07.shtml Mike Oldfield "Tubular Bells" reaches thirty years old...] (information about John Cleese is given towards the end of the second paragraph)</ref>
* Cleese recorded the voice of God for ''[[Spamalot]]'', the musical based on ''Monty Python and the Holy Grail.''
* Cleese narrated the audio version of [[C. S. Lewis]]'s ''[[The Screwtape Letters]]''.
* In the late-1990s Cleese appeared in a set of poorly-received commercials for the UK supermarket chain [[Sainsbury's]]. Around the same time, his ''Fawlty Towers'' co-star, [[Prunella Scales]], appeared in more well-received commercials for rival chain [[Tesco]].
* He has enunciated a set of directions for the [[TomTom]] in-car navigation system. This allows itself humorous notes at non-critical moments, for instance when asking for a U-turn and when signing off: "I'm not going to carry your baggage — from now on, you're on your own" and "Bear right..Beaver left."
* He plays the voice of Samuel the Sheep in the 2006 adaptation of ''[[Charlotte's Web]]''. Samuel keeps on telling the other sheep to be individuals, not sheep. This is a reference to ''Monty Python's Life of Brian''.
* He has a speaking part at the end of the [[Alan Parsons]] song "[[Chomolungma]]" from the album ''[[A Valid Path]]''.
*In 2008 John Cleese appeared in a humorous TV commercial in Poland advertising a bank loan.
*From 2006-2008 John Cleese has appeared in humorous TV commercials in [[Iceland]] advertising [[Kaupþing]].
*John Cleese is in the song title of "Reese's Pieces I don't Know who John Cleese is?" by the band [[I Set My Friends on Fire]].

==Honours and tributes==
{{wikinews|Rubbish tip named after comedian, John Cleese}}
* A species of [[lemur]], ''[[Bemaraha Woolly Lemur]]'' or the "Avahi cleesei", has been named in his honour. John Cleese mentioned this in television interviews. Also there is mention of this honour in "''New Scientist''"<ref>[http://www.newscientist.com/channel/life/mg18825252.400 "''New Scientist''"] comment about the lemur being named after John Cleese</ref>&mdash;and John Cleese's response to the honour.<ref>[http://www.newscientist.com/article.ns?id=mg18825280.400 "''New Scientist''"] and John Cleese's response to the honour</ref>
* An asteroid, [[9618 Johncleese]], is named in his honour.
* Cleese declined a [[CBE]] (Commander of The British Empire) in 1996.
* There is a municipal rubbish heap of 45 metres (148&nbsp;ft) in altitude that has been named Mt Cleese at the Awapuni [[landfill]] just outside [[Palmerston North]] after he dubbed the city "suicide capital of New Zealand".<ref>[http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/story/0,20867,21767448-1702,00.html Funnyman Cleese rubbishes NZ city]. The Australian, 21 May 2007</ref>
* "The Universal Language" skit from [[All in the Timing]], a collection of short plays by [[David Ives]], centers around a fictional language (Unamunda) in which the word for the English language is "johncleese".

==Bibliography==
*''The Rectorial Address of John Cleese'', Epam, 1971, 8 pages
*Foreword for ''Time and the Soul'', Jacob Needleman, 2003&nbsp;&nbsp;ISBN 1-57675-251-8 (paperback)
* ''The Human Face'' (with [[Brian Bates]]) (DK Publishing Inc., 2001, ISBN 978-0789478368)
====Scripts====
*''The Strange Case of the End of Civilisation As We Know It'', w/Jack Hobbs & Joseph McGrath, 1977&nbsp;&nbsp;ISBN 0-352-30109-0
*''Fawlty Towers'', w/Connie Booth, 1977 (The Builders, The Hotel Inspectors, Gourmet Night) &nbsp;&nbsp;ISBN 0-86007-598-2
*''Fawlty Towers: Book 2'', w/Connie Booth, 1979 (The Wedding Party, A Touch of Class, The Germans)
*''The Golden Skits of Wing Commander Muriel Volestrangler FRHS & Bar'', 1984&nbsp;&nbsp;ISBN 0-413-41560-0
*''The Complete Fawlty Towers'', w/Connie Booth, 1988&nbsp;&nbsp;ISBN 0-413-18390-4 (hardcover), ISBN 0-679-72127-4 (paperback)
*''A Fish Called Wanda: The Screenplay'', w/Charles Crichton, 1988&nbsp;&nbsp;ISBN 1-55783-033-9
*''Fawlty's Hotel: Sämtliche Stücke'', w/Connie Booth, (''The Complete Fawlty Towers'' in German), Haffmans Verlag AG Zürich, 1995
====Dialogues====
*''Families and How to Survive Them'', w/A.Robin Skynner, 1983&nbsp;&nbsp;ISBN 0-413-52640-2 (hardc.), ISBN 0-19-520466-2 (p/back)
*''Life and How to Survive It'', w/A.Robin Skynner 1993&nbsp;&nbsp;ISBN 0-413-66030-3 (hardcover), ISBN 0-393-31472-3 (paperback)

==See also==
*[[Declining a British honour]]

==References==
{{Reflist|2}}
<!-- Dead note "Broadwaygrail": [http://www.newyorkmetro.com/nymetro/arts/theater/11475/ Broadway "Grail" comment] -->

==External links==
{{wikiquote}}
{{commons}}
*[http://www.thejohncleese.com/ Official web site]
*[http://www.johncleesepodcast.co.uk/ Official Podcast]
*[http://twitter.com/JohnCleese John Cleese on Twitter]
*[http://www.news.com.au/heraldsun/story/0,21985,23304261-5006016,00.html Podcast to celebrate The Life of Brian (March 2008)]
*[http://www.dailyllama.com/news/2002/llama143.html Daily Llama: John Cleese Visits Lemurs at San Francisco Zoo]
*[http://www.museum.tv/archives/etv/C/htmlC/cleesejohn/cleesejohn.htm John Cleese] &mdash; Museum of Broadcast Communication website
*[http://www.bbc.co.uk/comedy/people/john_cleese_person_page.shtml John Cleese] &mdash; BBC Guide to Comedy
*{{imdb name|id=0000092|name=John Cleese}}
*{{ibdb name|id=79115|name=John Cleese}}


== External links ==
{{Wikiquote}}
{{Commons}}
* {{Official website|https://www.johncleese.com/}}
* [http://www.museum.tv/archives/etv/C/htmlC/cleesejohn/cleesejohn.htm John Cleese] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20051110090632/http://museum.tv/archives/etv/C/htmlC/cleesejohn/cleesejohn.htm |date=10 November 2005 }} at the [[Museum of Broadcast Communications]]
* [https://www.bbc.co.uk/comedy/people/john_cleese_person_page.shtml John Cleese] at the [[BBC]] Guide to Comedy
* {{IMDb name|id=0000092|name=John Cleese}}
* {{IBDB name}}
* {{Charlie Rose view|4275}}
* {{Guardian topic}}
* {{NYTtopic|people/c/john_cleese}}
* [http://www.news.com.au/heraldsun/story/0,21985,23304261-5006016,00.html Podcast to celebrate ''The Life of Brian'' (March 2008)] {{Webarchive|url=https://archive.today/20121230220735/http://www.news.com.au/heraldsun/story/0,21985,23304261-5006016,00.html |date=30 December 2012 }}
* [http://www.dailyllama.com/news/2002/llama143.html Daily Llama: John Cleese Visits Lemurs at San Francisco Zoo] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101216023151/http://dailyllama.com/news/2002/llama143.html |date=16 December 2010 }}
* [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6PJaHSovyZ4 John Cleese Speaking at the American School in London]
* [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8DqUlaDnmqQ A Conversation with John Cleese at Cornell University (September 2017)]
* [https://www.wishtv.com/news/entertainment-news/an-interview-with-barely-living-monty-python-co-founder-john-cleese/ John Cleese interview] on [[WISH-TV]]
{{sequence
|prev=[[Desmond Llewelyn]]
|next=[[Ben Whishaw]]<br>{{small|([[Skyfall|2012]])}}
|list=[[Q (James Bond)|Q]]<br><small>([[James Bond in film|James Bond films]])<br>2001–2002</small>}}
{{s-start}}
{{s-aca}}
{{s-bef|before=[[Learie Constantine|Learie Nicholas Constantine, <br>Baron Constantine, Kt.]]}}
{{s-ttl|title=[[Rector of the University of St Andrews]] | years=1970–1973}}
{{s-aft|after=[[Alan Coren]]}}
{{s-end}}
{{Monty Python}}
{{Rectors of the University of St Andrews}}
{{Navboxes
| title = Awards for John Cleese
| list =
{{BAFTA Award for Best Actor 1980–1999}}
{{British Academy Television Award for Best Entertainment Performance}}
{{EmmyAward ComedyGuestActor 1976-2000}}
{{EmmyAward ComedyGuestActor 1976-2000}}
}}
{{Monty Python}}
{{Authority control}}
{{At Last the 1948 Show}}
{{I'm Sorry, I'll Read That Again}}


{{Persondata
|NAME=Cleese, John Marwood
|ALTERNATIVE NAMES=Cleese, John
|SHORT DESCRIPTION=English [[Comedy|comedian]]
|DATE OF BIRTH=27 October 1939
|PLACE OF BIRTH=[[Weston-super-Mare]], North Somerset, England
|DATE OF DEATH=
|PLACE OF DEATH=
}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Cleese, John}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Cleese, John}}
[[Category:1939 births]]
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[[Category:20th-century English screenwriters]]
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[[Category:21st-century English memoirists]]
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[[Category:Alumni of Downing College, Cambridge]]
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[[Category:BAFTA winners (people)]]
[[Category:Best Actor BAFTA Award winners]]
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[[Category:English expatriates in the United States]]
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[[Category:Television show creators]]

[[bg:Джон Клийз]]
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[[he:ג'ון קליז]]
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[[no:John Cleese]]
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Latest revision as of 19:41, 7 December 2024

John Cleese
Cleese smiling
Cleese in 2023
Born
John Marwood Cleese

(1939-10-27) 27 October 1939 (age 85)
Alma materDowning College, Cambridge
Occupations
  • Actor
  • comedian
  • screenwriter
  • producer
  • presenter
Years active1961–present
Spouses
(m. 1968; div. 1978)
(m. 1981; div. 1990)
(m. 1992; div. 2008)
Jennifer Wade
(m. 2012)
Children2
Websitejohncleese.com

John Marwood Cleese (/ˈklz/ KLEEZ; born 27 October 1939) is an English actor, comedian, screenwriter, producer, and presenter. Emerging from the Cambridge Footlights in the 1960s, he first achieved success at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe and as a scriptwriter and performer on The Frost Report. In the late 1960s, he cofounded Monty Python, the comedy troupe responsible for the sketch show Monty Python's Flying Circus. Along with his Python costars Terry Gilliam, Eric Idle, Terry Jones, Michael Palin, and Graham Chapman, Cleese starred in Monty Python films, which include Monty Python and the Holy Grail (1975), Life of Brian (1979), and The Meaning of Life (1983).

In the mid-1970s, Cleese and first wife Connie Booth cowrote the sitcom Fawlty Towers, in which he starred as hotel owner Basil Fawlty, for which he won the 1980 British Academy Television Award for Best Entertainment Performance. In 2000, the show topped the British Film Institute's list of the 100 Greatest British Television Programmes, and in a 2001 Channel 4 poll, Basil was ranked second on its list of the 100 Greatest TV Characters.

Cleese costarred with Kevin Kline, Jamie Lee Curtis, and Michael Palin in A Fish Called Wanda (1988) and Fierce Creatures (1997), both of which he also wrote. For A Fish Called Wanda, he received Academy Award, BAFTA Award, and Golden Globe Award nominations. He has also starred in Time Bandits (1981), Clockwise (1986), and Rat Race (2001) and acted in Silverado (1985), Mary Shelley's Frankenstein (1994), two James Bond films (as R and Q), two Harry Potter films (as Nearly Headless Nick), and the last three Shrek films. He received a Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Guest Actor in a Comedy Series for Cheers (1987) and was nominated for 3rd Rock from the Sun (1998) and Will & Grace (2004).

Cleese has specialised in political and religious satire,[1] black comedy, sketch comedy, and surreal humour.[2] He was ranked the second best comedian ever in a 2005 Channel 4 poll of fellow comedians.[3] He cofounded Video Arts, a production company making entertaining training films as well as The Secret Policeman's Ball benefit shows to raise funds for the human rights organisation Amnesty International. Formerly a staunch supporter of the Liberal Democrats, in 1999, he turned down an offer from the party to nominate him for a life peerage. In 2023, he began presenting a talk show on GB News.

Early life and education

Cleese was born in Weston-super-Mare, Somerset, England, the only child of Reginald Francis Cleese (1893–1972), an insurance salesman, and his wife Muriel Evelyn (née Cross, 1899–2000), the daughter of an auctioneer.[4] His family's surname was originally Cheese, but his father had thought it was embarrassing and used the name Cleese when he enlisted in the Army during the First World War; he changed it officially by deed poll in 1923.[5][6] As a child, Cleese supported Bristol City and Somerset County Cricket Club.[7][8] Cleese was educated at St Peter's Preparatory School,[9] paid for by money his mother had inherited,[10] where he received a prize for English and did well at cricket and boxing. When he was 13, he was awarded an exhibition at Clifton College, an English public school in Bristol. By that age, he was more than 6 feet (1.83 m) tall.[11]

The biggest influence was The Goon Show. Kids were devoted to it. It was written by Spike Milligan. It also had Peter Sellers in it, who of course is the greatest voice man of all time. In the morning, we'd be at school and we'd discuss the whole thing and rehash the jokes and talk about it. We were obsessed with it.

—Cleese on his greatest comedic influence growing up, 1950s BBC Radio comedy The Goon Show.[12]

Cleese allegedly defaced the school grounds, as a prank, by painting footprints to suggest that the statue of Field Marshal Earl Haig had left its plinth and gone to the toilet.[13] Cleese played cricket in the First XI and did well academically, passing eight O-Levels and three A-Levels in mathematics, physics and chemistry.[14][15] In his autobiography So, Anyway, he says that discovering, aged 17, he had not been made a house prefect by his housemaster affected his outlook: "It was not fair and therefore it was unworthy of my respect... I believe that this moment changed my perspective on the world."[16]

Cleese could not go straight to the University of Cambridge, as the ending of National Service meant there were twice the usual number of applicants for places, so he returned to his prep school for two years[17] to teach science, English, geography, history, and Latin[18] (he drew on his Latin teaching experience later for a scene in Life of Brian, in which he corrects Brian's badly written Latin graffiti).[19] He then took up a place he had won at Downing College, Cambridge, to read law. He also joined the Cambridge Footlights. He recalled that he went to the Cambridge Guildhall, where each university society had a stall, and went up to the Footlights stall, where he was asked if he could sing or dance. He replied "no" as he was not allowed to sing at his school because he was so bad, and if there was anything worse than his singing, it was his dancing. He was then asked "Well, what do you do?" to which he replied, "I make people laugh."[17]

At the Footlights theatrical club, Cleese spent a lot of time with Tim Brooke-Taylor and Bill Oddie and met his future writing partner Graham Chapman.[17] Cleese wrote extra material for the 1961 Footlights Revue I Thought I Saw It Move,[17][20] and was registrar for the Footlights Club during 1962. He was also in the cast of the 1962 Footlights Revue Double Take![17][20] Cleese graduated from Cambridge in 1963 with an upper second. Despite his successes on The Frost Report, his father sent him cuttings from The Daily Telegraph offering management jobs in places such as Marks & Spencer.[21]

Career

1963–1968: Pre-Python

Cleese was a scriptwriter, as well as a cast member, for the 1963 Footlights Revue A Clump of Plinths.[17][20] The revue was so successful at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe that it was renamed Cambridge Circus and taken to the West End in London and then on a tour of New Zealand and Broadway, with the cast also appearing in some of the revue's sketches on The Ed Sullivan Show in October 1964.[17]

After Cambridge Circus, Cleese briefly stayed in America, performing on and off-Broadway. While performing in the musical Half a Sixpence,[17] Cleese met future Python Terry Gilliam as well as American actress Connie Booth, whom he married on 20 February 1968.[17] At their wedding at a Unitarian church in Manhattan, the couple attempted to ensure an absence of any theistic language. "The only moment of disappointment", Cleese recalled, "came at the very end of the service when I discovered that I'd failed to excise one particular mention of the word 'God'."[22] Later, Booth became a writing partner. Cleese was soon offered work as a writer with BBC Radio, where he worked on several programmes, most notably as a sketch writer for The Dick Emery Show. The success of the Footlights Revue led to the recording of a short series of half-hour radio programmes, called I'm Sorry, I'll Read That Again, which were so popular that the BBC commissioned a regular series with the same title that ran from 1965 to 1974. Cleese returned to Britain and joined the cast.[17] In many episodes, he is credited as "John Otto Cleese" (according to Jem Roberts, this may have been due to the embarrassment of his actual middle name, "Marwood").[23]

Also in 1965, Cleese and Chapman began writing on The Frost Report. The writing staff chosen for the programme consisted of a number of writers and performers who went on to make names for themselves in comedy.[24] They included co-performers from I'm Sorry, I'll Read That Again and future Goodies Bill Oddie and Tim Brooke-Taylor, and also Frank Muir, Barry Cryer, Marty Feldman, Ronnie Barker, Ronnie Corbett, and Dick Vosburgh and future Python members Eric Idle, Terry Jones, and Michael Palin.[24][25][26] While working on The Frost Report, the future Pythons developed the writing styles that would make their collaboration significant. Cleese's and Chapman's sketches often involved authority figures, some of whom were performed by Cleese, while Jones and Palin were both infatuated with filmed scenes that opened with idyllic countryside panoramas. Idle was one of those charged with writing David Frost's monologue. During this period Cleese met and befriended influential British comedian Peter Cook, eventually collaborating with Cook on several projects and forming a close friendship that lasted until Cook's death in 1995.[24][27]

It was as a performer on The Frost Report that Cleese achieved his breakthrough on British television as a comedy actor, appearing as the tall, upper class patrician figure in the classic "Class" sketch (screened on 7 April 1966), contrasting comically in a line-up with the shorter, middle class Ronnie Barker and the even shorter, working class Ronnie Corbett. The British Film Institute commented, "Its twinning of height and social position, combined with a minimal script, created a classic TV moment."[28] The series was so popular that in 1966 Cleese and Chapman were invited to work as writers and performers with Brooke-Taylor and Feldman on At Last the 1948 Show,[17] during which time the "Four Yorkshiremen sketch" was written by all four writers/performers (the "Four Yorkshiremen" sketch is now better known as a Monty Python sketch).[29]

Cleese and Chapman also wrote episodes for the first series of Doctor in the House (and later Cleese wrote six episodes of Doctor at Large on his own in 1971). These series were successful, and in 1969 Cleese and Chapman were offered their very own series. However, owing to Chapman's alcoholism, Cleese found himself bearing an increasing workload in the partnership and was, therefore, unenthusiastic about doing a series with just the two of them. He had found working with Palin on The Frost Report an enjoyable experience and invited him to join the series. Palin had previously been working on Do Not Adjust Your Set with Idle and Jones, with Terry Gilliam creating the animations. The four of them had, on the back of the success of Do Not Adjust Your Set, been offered a series for Thames Television, which they were waiting to begin when Cleese's offer arrived. Palin agreed to work with Cleese and Chapman in the meantime, bringing with him Gilliam, Jones, and Idle.[30]

1969–1983: Monty Python

Monty Python's Flying Circus ran for four series from October 1969 to December 1974 on BBC Television, though Cleese quit the show after the third. Cleese's two primary characterisations were as a sophisticate and a loony. He portrayed the former as a series of announcers, TV show hosts, and government officials (for example, "The Ministry of Silly Walks"). The latter is perhaps best represented in the "Cheese Shop" and by Cleese's Mr Praline character, the man with a dead Norwegian Blue parrot and a menagerie of other animals all named "Eric". He was also known for his working class "Sergeant Major" character, who worked as a Police Sergeant, Roman Centurion, etc. Cleese also appeared during some abrupt scene changes as a radio commentator (usually outfitted in a dinner suit) where, in a rather pompous manner, he would make the formal and determined announcement "And now for something completely different", which later became the title of the first Monty Python film.[31]

Partnership with Graham Chapman

He was the greatest sounding board I've ever had. If Graham thought something was funny, then it almost certainly was funny. You cannot believe how invaluable that is.

— Cleese on Chapman in The Pythons Autobiography by The Pythons (2003).[32]

Along with Gilliam's animations, Cleese's work with Graham Chapman provided Python with its darkest and angriest moments, and many of his characters display the seething suppressed rage that later characterised his portrayal of Basil Fawlty.

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

Their humour often involved ordinary people in ordinary situations behaving absurdly for no obvious reason. Like Chapman, Cleese's poker face, clipped middle class accent, and intimidating height allowed him to appear convincingly as a variety of authority figures, such as policemen, detectives, Nazi officers or government officials, which he then proceeded to undermine. In the "Ministry of Silly Walks" sketch (written by Palin and Jones), for example, Cleese exploits his stature as the crane-legged civil servant performing a grotesquely elaborate walk to his office. On the 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 laughable circuitousness of Whitehall is summed up in one balletic extension of his slender leg."[34]

"Argument Clinic" sketch with Palin (standing) at Monty Python Live (Mostly), in 2014

Chapman and Cleese also specialised in sketches wherein two characters conducted highly articulate arguments over completely arbitrary subjects, such as in the "cheese shop", the "dead parrot" sketch and "Argument Clinic", where Cleese plays a stone-faced bureaucrat employed to sit behind a desk and engage people in pointless, trivial bickering.[35] All of these roles were opposite Palin (who Cleese often claims is his favourite Python to work with)—the comic contrast between the towering Cleese's crazed aggression and the shorter Palin's shuffling inoffensiveness is a common feature in the series. Occasionally, the 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 series 3, Cleese was growing tired of dealing with Chapman's alcoholism. He felt, too, that the show's scripts had declined in quality. For these reasons, he became restless and decided to move on. Though he stayed for the third series, he officially left the group before the fourth season.[36] Cleese received a credit on three episodes of the fourth series which used material from these sessions, though he was officially unconnected with the fourth series. He remained friendly with the group, and all six began writing Monty Python and the Holy Grail. Much of his work on Holy Grail remains widely quoted, including the Black Knight scene.[37] Cleese returned to the troupe to 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 on Roman rule in Life of Brian–when he asks "What have the Romans ever done for us?", before being met with a string of benefits including sanitation, roads and public order–was ranked the seventh funniest line in film in a 2002 poll.[38] Since the last Python film (Meaning of Life in 1983) Cleese has participated in various live performances with the group over the years.[36]

1970–1979: Fawlty Towers

From 1970 to 1973, Cleese served as rector of the University of St Andrews.[39] His election proved a milestone for the university, revolutionising and modernising the post. For instance, the rector was traditionally entitled to appoint an "assessor", a deputy to sit in his place at important meetings in his absence. Cleese changed this into a position for a student, elected across campus by the student body, resulting in direct access and representation for the student body.[40]

Around this time, Cleese worked with comedian Les Dawson on his sketch/stand-up show Sez Les. The differences between the two physically (the tall, lean Cleese and the short, stout Dawson) and socially (the public school and the Cambridge-educated Cleese vs. the working class, self-educated Mancunian Dawson) were marked, but both worked well together from series 8 onwards until the series ended in 1976.[41][42]

Cleese appeared on a single, "Superspike", with Bill Oddie and a group of UK athletes, billed the "Superspike Squad", to fund the latter's attendance at the 1976 Summer Olympics in Montreal.[43]

Cleese starred in the low-budget spoof of the Sherlock Holmes detective series The Strange Case of the End of Civilization as We Know It (1977) as the grandson of the world's greatest consulting detective. In December 1977, Cleese appeared as a guest star on The Muppet Show.[44] Ranked one of the best guest stars to appear on the show, Cleese was a fan of The Muppet Show and co-wrote much of the episode.[45][46] In 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 1981 film The Great Muppet Caper and won the TV Times award for Funniest Man on TV – 1978–79.[47] In 1979, he starred in a TV special, To Norway, Home of Giants, produced by Johnny Bergh.

Throughout the 1970s, Cleese also produced and acted in a number of successful business training films, including Meetings, Bloody Meetings, and More Bloody Meetings. These were produced by his company Video Arts.[48]

Fawlty Towers

Cleese achieved greater prominence in the United Kingdom as the neurotic hotel manager Basil Fawlty in the two series of Fawlty Towers, first broadcast 1975 and 1979, which he co-wrote with his wife Connie Booth. The series won three BAFTA awards when produced, and in 2000 it topped the British Film Institute's list of the 100 Greatest British Television Programmes. In a 2001 poll conducted by Channel 4 Basil Fawlty was ranked second (behind Homer Simpson) on their list of the 100 Greatest TV Characters.[49][50] The series also featured Prunella Scales as Basil's acerbic wife Sybil, Andrew Sachs as the much abused Spanish waiter Manuel, and Booth as waitress Polly, the series' voice of sanity. Cleese based Basil Fawlty on a real person, Donald Sinclair, whom he had encountered in 1970 while the Monty Python team were staying at the Gleneagles Hotel in Torquay while filming inserts for their television series.[51] Reportedly, Cleese was inspired by Sinclair's mantra, "I could run this hotel just fine if it weren't for the guests." He later described Sinclair as "the most wonderfully rude man I have ever met," although Sinclair's widow has said her husband was totally misrepresented in the series. During the Pythons' stay, Sinclair allegedly threw Idle's briefcase out of the hotel "in case it contained a bomb," complained about Gilliam's "American" table manners, and threw a bus timetable at another guest after he dared to ask the time of the next bus to town.[51][52]

The first series was screened from 19 September 1975 on BBC 2, initially to poor reviews,[53] but gained momentum when repeated on BBC 1 the following year. Despite this, a second series did not air until 1979, by which time Cleese's marriage to Booth had ended, but they revived their collaboration for the second series. Fawlty Towers consisted of two seasons, each of only six episodes; Cleese and Booth both maintain that this was to avoid compromising the quality of the series. The popularity of Fawlty Towers has endured, and in addition to featuring high in greatest-ever television show polls it is often rebroadcast.[54] In a 2002 poll, Basil's "don't mention the war" comment (said to the waitress Polly about the German guests) was ranked the second funniest line in television.[38]

1980–1999

During the 1980s and 1990s, Cleese focused on film, though he did work with Peter Cook in his one-off TV special Peter Cook and Co. in 1980. In the same year, Cleese played Petruchio, in Shakespeare's The Taming of the Shrew in the BBC Television Shakespeare series. In 1981 he appeared in the Terry Gilliam-directed Time Bandits as Robin Hood. He also participated in Monty Python Live at the Hollywood Bowl (filmed 1980, released 1982) and starred in The Secret Policeman's Ball for Amnesty International. In 1985, Cleese had a small dramatic role as a sheriff in the American Western Silverado, which had an all-star cast that included Kevin Kline, with whom he starred in A Fish Called Wanda three years later. In 1986, he starred in the British comedy film Clockwise as an uptight school headmaster obsessed with punctuality and constantly getting into trouble during a journey to speak at the Headmasters' Conference. Written by Michael Frayn, the film was successful in the UK but not in the United States. It earned Cleese the 1987 Peter Sellers Award For Comedy at the Evening Standard British Film Awards.

Cleese appearing at the 61st Academy Awards in March 1989

In 1988, Cleese wrote and starred in A Fish Called Wanda as the lead, Archie Leach, along with Jamie Lee Curtis, Kevin Kline, and Michael Palin. Wanda was a commercial and critical success, becoming one of the top ten films of the year at the US box office, and Cleese was nominated for an Academy Award for his script. Kline won the Oscar for his portrayal of bumbling, violent, narcissistic ex-CIA agent Otto West in the film.

From 1988 to 1992, Cleese appeared in numerous television commercials for Schweppes Ginger Ale. Between 1992 and 1994, he also appeared in some television commercials for Magnavox.[55]

In 1989, Graham Chapman was diagnosed with throat cancer; Cleese, Michael Palin, Peter Cook, and Chapman's partner David Sherlock witnessed Chapman's death. Chapman's death occurred a day before the 20th anniversary of the first broadcast of Flying Circus, with Jones commenting that it was "the worst case of party-pooping in all history." Cleese gave a eulogy at Chapman's memorial service.[56]

Cleese later played a supporting role in Kenneth Branagh's adaptation of Mary Shelley's Frankenstein (1994) alongside Branagh himself and Robert De Niro. With Robin Skynner, the English psychiatrist, Cleese wrote two books on relationships: Families and How to Survive Them and Life and How to Survive It. The books are presented as a dialogue between Skynner and Cleese.

The follow-up to A Fish Called Wanda, Fierce Creatures—which again starred Cleese alongside Kevin Kline, Jamie Lee Curtis, and Michael Palin—was released in 1997, but was greeted with mixed reception by critics and audiences. Cleese has since often stated that making the second film had been a mistake. When asked by his friend, director and restaurant critic Michael Winner, what he would do differently if he could live his life again, Cleese responded, "I wouldn't have married Alyce Faye Eichelberger and I wouldn't have made Fierce Creatures."[57]

In 1999, Cleese appeared in the James Bond film The World Is Not Enough as Q's assistant, referred to by Bond as "R". In 2002, when Cleese reprised his role in Die Another Day, the character was promoted, making Cleese the new quartermaster (Q) of MI6. In 2004, Cleese was featured as Q in the video game James Bond 007: Everything or Nothing, featuring his likeness and voice.[58] Cleese did not appear in the subsequent Bond films, Casino Royale, Quantum of Solace and Skyfall; in the latter film, Ben Whishaw was cast in the role of Q.[59]

2000–2009

Cleese is Provost's visiting professor at Cornell University, after having been Andrew D. White Professor-at-Large from 1999 to 2006. He makes occasional well-received appearances on the Cornell campus. In 2001, Cleese was cast in the comedy Rat Race as the eccentric hotel owner Donald P. Sinclair, the name of the Torquay hotel owner on whom he had based the character of Basil Fawlty. That year he appeared as Nearly Headless Nick in the first Harry Potter film: Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone (2001), a role he would reprise in Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (2002).[60] In 2002, Cleese made a cameo appearance in the film The Adventures of Pluto Nash, in which he played "James", a computerised chauffeur of a hover car stolen by the title character (played by Eddie Murphy). The vehicle is subsequently destroyed in a chase, leaving the chauffeur stranded in a remote place on the moon. In 2003, Cleese appeared as Lyle Finster on the American sitcom Will & Grace. His character's daughter, Lorraine, was played by Minnie Driver. In the series, Lyle Finster briefly marries Karen Walker (Megan Mullally). In 2004, Cleese was credited as co-writer of a DC Comics graphic novel titled Superman: True Brit.[61] Part of DC's "Elseworlds" line of imaginary stories, True Brit, mostly written by Kim Howard Johnson, suggests what might have happened had Superman's rocket ship landed on a farm in Britain, not America.[61]

Cleese in 2008

From 10 November to 9 December 2005, Cleese toured New Zealand with his stage show John Cleese—His Life, Times and Current Medical Problems. Cleese described it as "a one-man show with several people in it, which pushes the envelope of acceptable behaviour in new and disgusting ways". The show was developed in New York City with William Goldman and includes Cleese's daughter Camilla as a writer and actor (the shows were directed by Australian Bille Brown). His assistant of many years, Garry Scott-Irvine, also appeared and was listed as a co-producer. The show then played in universities in California and Arizona from 10 January to 25 March 2006 under the title Seven Ways to Skin an Ocelot.[62] His voice can be downloaded for directional guidance purposes as a downloadable option on some personal GPS-navigation device models by company TomTom.

In a 2005 poll of comedians and comedy insiders, The Comedians' Comedian, Cleese was voted second to Peter Cook.[63][64] In 2006, Cleese hosted a television special of football's greatest kicks, goals, saves, bloopers, plays, and penalties, as well as football's influence on culture (including the Monty Python sketch "Philosophy Football"), featuring interviews with pop culture icons Dave Stewart, Dennis Hopper, and Henry Kissinger, as well as eminent footballers, including Pelé, Mia Hamm, and Thierry Henry. The Art of Soccer with John Cleese was released in North America on DVD in January 2009 by BFS Entertainment & Multimedia.[65] Also in 2006, Cleese released the song "Don't Mention the World Cup".[66][67]

Cleese lent his voice to the BioWare video game Jade Empire. His role was that of an "outlander" named Sir Roderick Ponce von Fontlebottom the Magnificent Bastard, stranded in the Imperial City of the Jade Empire. His character is essentially a British colonialist stereotype who refers to the people of the Jade Empire as "savages in need of enlightenment". His armour has the design of a fork stuck in a piece of cheese. In 2007, Cleese appeared in ads for Titleist as a golf course designer named "Ian MacCallister", who represents "Golf Designers Against Distance". Also in 2007, he was involved in filming of the sequel to 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 2008 on the text to the performance piece "The Ingenious Gentleman of La Mancha". Cleese, as narrator, and the LAGQ premiered the work in Santa Barbara. The year 2008 also saw reports of Cleese working on a musical version of A Fish Called Wanda with his daughter Camilla.

At the end of March 2009, Cleese published his first article as "Contributing Editor" to The Spectator: "The real reason I had to join The Spectator".[68] Cleese has also hosted comedy galas at the Montreal Just for Laughs comedy festival in 2006, and again in 2009. Towards the end of 2009 and into 2010, Cleese appeared in a series of television adverts for the Norwegian electric goods shop chain Elkjøp.[69] In March 2010 it was announced that Cleese would be playing Jasper in the video game Fable III.[70]

In 2009 and 2010, Cleese toured Scandinavia and the US with his Alimony Tour Year One and Year Two. In May 2010, it was announced that this tour, set for May 2011, would extend to the UK (his first tour there). The show is dubbed the "Alimony Tour" in reference to the financial implications of Cleese's divorce. The UK tour started in Cambridge on 3 May, visiting Birmingham, Nottingham, Salford, York, Liverpool, Leeds, Glasgow, Edinburgh, Oxford, Bristol and Bath (the Alimony Tour DVD was recorded on 2 July, the final Bath date).[71] Later in 2011 John took his Alimony Tour to South Africa. He played Cape Town on the 21 & 22 October before moving over to Johannesburg, where he played from 25 to 30 October. In January 2012 he took his one-man show to Australia, starting in Perth on 22 January and throughout the next four months visited Adelaide, Brisbane, Gold Coast, Newcastle, New South Wales, Melbourne, Sydney, and finished up during April in Canberra.

2010–present

In 2010, Cleese appeared in advertisements for The Automobile Association[72] and for the Canadian insurance company Pacific Blue Cross.[73][74]

In 2012, Cleese was cast in Hunting Elephants, a heist film comedy by Israeli filmmaker Reshef Levi. Cleese had to quit just prior to filming due to heart trouble and was replaced by Patrick Stewart.[75][76][77] Between September and October 2013, Cleese embarked on his first-ever cross-Canada comedy tour. Entitled "John Cleese: Last Time to See Me Before I Die tour", he visited Halifax, Ottawa, Toronto, Edmonton, Calgary, Victoria and finished in Vancouver, performing to mostly sold-out venues.[78] Cleese returned to the stage in Dubai in November 2013, where he performed to a sold-out theatre.[79]

Cleese (right) with the rest of Monty Python on stage at the O2 Arena, London, in July 2014

Cleese was interviewed and appears as himself in filmmaker Gracie Otto's 2013 documentary film The Last Impresario, about Cleese's longtime friend and colleague Michael White. White produced Monty Python and the Holy Grail and Cleese's pre-Python comedy production Cambridge Circus.[80] At a comic press conference in November 2013, Cleese and other surviving members of the Monty Python comedy group announced a reuniting performance to be held in July 2014.[81]

Cleese joined with Eric Idle in 2015 and 2016 for a tour of North America, Canada and the ANZUS nations, "John Cleese & Eric Idle: Together Again At Last ... For The Very First Time", playing small theatres and including interaction with audiences as well as sketches and reminisces.[82] In a Reddit Ask Me Anything interview, Cleese expressed regret that he had turned down the role played by Robin Williams in The Birdcage, the butler played by Anthony Hopkins in The Remains of the Day, and the bishop played by Peter Cook in The Princess Bride.[83]

In 2017, he wrote Bang Bang!, a new adaptation of Georges Feydeau's French play Monsieur Chasse!, for the Mercury Theatre, Colchester, before making its American premiere at the Shadowland Stages in Ellenville, New York, in 2018 followed by touring the UK in spring 2020.[84]

In 2021, Cleese cancelled an appearance at the Cambridge Union Society after learning that art historian Andrew Graham-Dixon had been blacklisted by the union for impersonating Adolf Hitler. His visit to the university was intended to be part of a documentary on wokeism. Cleese said he was "blacklisting myself before someone else does".[85]

In 2023, he starred in Roman Polanski's drama film The Palace.[86] In October, Cleese starting presenting a new show on GB News called The Dinosaur Hour which airs on Sunday evenings.[87]

Style of humour

Graffiti of Cleese in "The Ministry of Silly Walks" sketch in Monty Python—Leicester, 2007

In his Alimony Tour Cleese explained the origin of his fondness for black humour, the only thing that he inherited from his mother. Examples of it are the Dead Parrot sketch, "The Kipper and the Corpse" episode of Fawlty Towers, his clip for the 1992 BBC2 mockumentary "A Question of Taste", the Undertakers sketch, and his eulogy at Graham Chapman's memorial service which included the line, "Good riddance to him, the freeloading bastard! I hope he fries."[88] On his attitude to life he states, "I can take almost nothing seriously".[11]

Cleese has criticised political correctness, wokeism and cancel culture, saying that despite initial good intentions to "not be mean to people", they have become "a sort of indulgence of the most over-sensitive people in your culture, the people who are most easily upset [...] if you have to keep thinking which words you can use and which you can't, then that will stifle creativity." According to Cleese, "The main thing is to realise that words depend on their context [...] PC people simply don't understand this business about context because they tend to be very literal-minded", and that he imagined a "woke joke [...] might be heart-warming but it's not going to be very funny."[89] He has also argued that political correctness and wokeism are a threat to humour, creativity, and freedom of thought and expression.[1]

In 2020, following a controversy over the content of the Fawlty Towers episode "The Germans", Cleese criticised the BBC, saying "The BBC is now run by a mixture of marketing people and petty bureaucrats. It used to have a large sprinkling of people who'd actually made programmes. Not any more. So BBC decisions are made by persons whose main concern is not losing their jobs... That's why they're so cowardly and gutless and contemptible." He likened the style of humour in Fawlty Towers to the representation of Alf Garnett from another BBC sitcom, Till Death Us Do Part, saying "We laughed at Alf's reactionary views. Thus we discredited them, by laughing at him. Of course, there were people—very stupid people—who said 'Thank God someone is saying these things at last'. We laughed at these people too. Now they're taking decisions about BBC comedy."[90]

Activism and politics

Amnesty first started doing these fund-raising shows in 1976. The instigation came from John Cleese who wanted to help out. And he did it in the only way he knew how. Which was to put on a show with what he described as "a few friends". Who of course transpired to be his colleagues in Monty Python and other luminaries of British comedy.

Martin Lewis, co-founder of The Secret Policeman's Ball, on Cleese instigating the benefit show.[91]

Cleese (and the other members of Python) have contributed their services to charitable endeavours and causes—sometimes as an ensemble, at other times as individuals. The cause that has been the most frequent and consistent beneficiary has been the human rights work of Amnesty International via the Secret Policeman's Ball benefit shows. The idea of the Ball was conceived by Cleese, with Huffington Post stating "in 1976 he "friended" the then-struggling Amnesty International (according to Martin Lewis, the very notion of Human Rights was then not the domain of hipsters and students, but just of foreign-policy wonks) first with a cheque signed "J. Cleese" — and then by rounding up "a few friends" to put on a show."[91] Many musicians have publicly attributed their activism—and the organisation of their own benefit events—to the inspiration of the work in this field of Cleese and the rest of Python, such as Bob Geldof (organiser of Live Aid), U2, Pete Townshend, and Sting.[92] On the impact of the Ball on Geldof, Sting states, "he took the 'Ball' and ran with it."[91]

In 2022, Cleese spoke at the conference of the revival Social Democratic Party.[93] Previously, he was a long-standing supporter of the Liberal Democrats and before that was a supporter of the original SDP after their formation in 1981. During the 1987 general election he recorded a party 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 Liberal Democrats in the 1997 general election and narrated a radio election broadcast for the party during the 2001 general election.[95]

In 2008, Cleese expressed support for Barack Obama and his presidential candidacy, offering his services as a speech writer.[96] He was an outspoken critic of Republican Vice-Presidential candidate Sarah Palin, saying that "Michael Palin is no longer the funniest Palin".[97] The same year, he wrote a satirical poem about Fox News commentator Sean Hannity for Countdown with Keith Olbermann.[98]

In 2011, Cleese declared his appreciation for Britain's coalition government between the Conservatives and Liberal Democrats, saying: "I think what's happening at the moment is rather interesting. The Coalition has made everything a little more courteous and a little more flexible. I think it was quite good that the Liberal Democrats had to compromise a bit with the Tories." He also criticised the previous Labour government, commenting: "Although my inclinations are slightly left-of-centre, I was terribly disappointed with the last Labour government. Gordon Brown lacked emotional intelligence and was never a leader." Cleese also reiterated his support for proportional representation.[99]

In April 2011, Cleese said that he had declined a life peerage for political services in 1999. Outgoing leader of the Liberal Democrats Paddy Ashdown had put forward the suggestion shortly before stepping down, with the idea that Cleese would take the party whip and sit as a working peer, but the actor quipped that he "realised this involved being in England in the winter and I thought that was too much of a price to pay." Cleese had declined a CBE title in 1996 as he thought they were "silly".[100]

In an interview with The Daily Telegraph in 2014, Cleese expressed political interest about the UK Independence Party, saying that although he was in doubt as to whether he was prepared to vote for it, he was attracted to its challenge to the established political order and the radicalism of its policies on the United Kingdom's membership of the European Union. He expressed support for immigration, but also concern about the integration of immigrants into British culture.[101]

Talking to Der Spiegel in 2015, Cleese expressed a critical view on what he saw as a plutocracy that was unhealthily developing control of the governance of the First World's societies, stating that he had reached a point when he "saw that our existence here is absolutely hopeless. I see the rich have got a stranglehold on us. If somebody had said that to me when I was 20, I would have regarded him as a left-wing loony."[102]

In 2016, Cleese publicly supported Brexit in the referendum on leaving the European Union.[103] He tweeted: "If I thought there was any chance of major reform in the EU, I'd vote to stay in. But there isn't. Sad." Cleese said that "EU bureaucrats" had taken away "any trace of democratic accountability" and suggested they should "give up the euro, introduce accountability."[104]

During then-Republican nominee Donald Trump's run for the US presidency in 2016, Cleese described Trump as "a narcissist, with no attention span, who doesn't have clear ideas about anything and makes it all up as he goes along".[105] He had previously described the leadership of the Republican Party as "the most cynical, most disgracefully immoral people I've ever come across in a Western civilisation".[101]

In 2017, Cleese stated that he would not vote in that year's general election because "I live in Chelsea and Kensington, so under our present system my vote is utterly worthless."[106] In July 2018, Cleese said that he was leaving the UK to relocate to the Caribbean island of Nevis, partly over frustration around the standard of the Brexit debate, including "dreadful lies" by "the right" and a lack of reform regarding the press and the voting system.[107] He relocated to Nevis on 1 November 2018.[108]

In May 2019, Cleese repeated his previous statement that London was no longer an English city, saying "virtually all my friends from abroad have confirmed my observation. So there must be some truth in it... I note also that London was the UK city that voted most strongly to remain in the EU." London Mayor Sadiq Khan responded, "These comments make John Cleese sound like he's in character as Basil Fawlty. Londoners know that our diversity is our greatest strength. We are proudly the English capital, a European city and a global hub." Cleese added, "I suspect I should apologise for my affection for the Englishness of my upbringing, but in some ways I found it calmer, more polite, more humorous, less tabloid, and less money-oriented than the one that is replacing it."[109]

In 2020, Cleese opposed the BBC's removal of the Fawlty Towers episode "The Germans" from the UKTV streaming service after protests following the murder of George Floyd, stating that the program was mocking prejudice with its use of a character who uttered racial slurs. "If they can't see that, if people are too stupid to see that, what can one say," said Cleese.[110] UKTV later restored the episode with a disclaimer about its content.[111]

In November 2021, Cleese protested against perceived cancel culture by blacklisting himself over a Hitler impersonation controversy at the Cambridge Union.[112]

Anti-smoking campaign

In 1992, the UK Health Education Authority (subsequently the Health Development Agency, now merged into the 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 morbid humour about smoking and were designed to encourage adult smokers to quit. In a controlled study of regions of central and northern England (one region received no intervention) the PSAs were broadcast in two regions, and one region received both the PSAs, plus locally organised anti-tobacco campaigning. The study found:

After 18 months, 9.8% of successfully re-interviewed smokers had stopped and 4.3% of ex-smokers had relapsed. [...] There was no evidence of an extra effect of the local tobacco control network when combined with TV media [...] Applying these results to a typical population where 28% smoke and 28% are ex-smokers, and where there would be an equal number of quitters and relapsers over an 18 month period without the campaign, suggests that the campaign would reduce smoking prevalence by about 1.2%.[113]

Personal life

Cleese met Connie Booth in the US and they married in 1968.[53] In 1971, Booth gave birth to their only child, Cynthia Cleese, who went on to appear with her father in his films A Fish 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 finished and aired. Cleese and Booth are said to have remained close friends since. Cleese has two grandchildren through Cynthia's marriage to writer/director Ed Solomon. Cleese married American actress Barbara Trentham in 1981. Their daughter Camilla, Cleese's second child, was born in 1984. He and Trentham divorced in 1990. During this time, Cleese emigrated to Los Angeles.

In 1992, he married American psychotherapist Alyce Faye Eichelberger. They divorced in 2008; the divorce settlement left Eichelberger with £12 million in finance and assets, including £600,000 a year for seven years. Cleese said, "What I find so unfair is that if we both died today, her children would get much more 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 children, or a conversation".[114]

Less than a year later, he returned to the UK, where he has property in London and a home on the Royal Crescent in Bath, Somerset.[115][116] In August 2012, Cleese married English jewellery designer and former model Jennifer Wade in a ceremony on the Caribbean island of Mustique.[117]

In an interview in 2014, Cleese blamed his mother, who lived to the age of 101, for his problems in relationships with women, saying: "My ingrained habit of walking on eggshells when dealing with my mother dominated my romantic liaisons for many years." Cleese said that he had spent "a large part of my life in some form of therapy" over his relationships with women.[118] He has received treatment for depression.[119]

In March 2015, in an interview with Der Spiegel, he was asked if he was religious. Cleese stated that he did not think much of organised religion and said he was not committed to "anything except the vague feeling that there is something more going on than the materialist reductionist people think".[102]

Cleese has a passion for lemurs.[120][121] Following the 1997 comedy film Fierce Creatures, in which the ring-tailed lemur played a key role, he hosted the 1998 BBC documentary In the Wild: Operation Lemur with John Cleese, which tracked the progress of a reintroduction of black-and-white ruffed lemurs back into the Betampona Reserve in Madagascar. The project had been partly funded by Cleese's donation of the proceeds from the London premiere of Fierce Creatures.[121][122] Cleese said "I adore lemurs. They're extremely gentle, well-mannered, pretty and yet great fun ... I should have married one".[120]

The Bemaraha woolly lemur (Avahi cleesei), also known as Cleese's woolly lemur, is native to western Madagascar. The scientist who discovered the species named it after Cleese, mainly because of Cleese's fondness for lemurs and his efforts at protecting and preserving them. The species was first discovered in 1990 by a team of scientists from the University of Zurich led by Urs Thalmann but was not formally described as a species until 11 November 2005.[123]

Filmography

Awards and nominations

Year Association Category Nominated work Result
1988 Academy Award Original Screenplay A Fish Called Wanda Nominated
1988 Golden Globe Award Best Actor in a Motion Picture – Comedy of Musical Nominated
1988 BAFTA Film Award Best Actor Won
Best Original Screenplay Nominated
1971 BAFTA Television Award Best Entertainment Performance Monty Python’s Flying Circus Nominated
1976 Fawlty Towers Nominated
1980 Won
1987 Emmy Awards Outstanding Guest Actor in a Comedy Series Cheers Won
1998 3rd Rock from the Sun Nominated
2002 Outstanding Non-Fiction Special The Human Face Nominated
2004 Outstanding Guest Actor in a Comedy Series Will & Grace Nominated
1976 Grammy Awards Best Comedy Album The Monty Python Matching Tie and Handkerchief Nominated
1981 Monty Python's Contractual Obligation Album Nominated
1984 Monty Python’s The Meaning of Life Nominated
1989 Best Spoken Word Album The Screwtape Letters Nominated
1994 Best Spoken Word Album for Children Did I Ever Tell You How Lucky You Are? Nominated

Honours and tributes

  • A species of lemur, the Bemaraha woolly lemur (Avahi cleesei), has been named in his honour. John Cleese has mentioned this in television interviews. Also there is mention of this honour in "New Scientist"—and John Cleese's response to the honour.[124]
  • An asteroid, 9618 Johncleese, is named in his honour.
  • A municipal rubbish heap 45 metres (148 ft) high that has been named Mt Cleese at the Awapuni landfill just outside Palmerston North after he dubbed the city "suicide capital of New Zealand" after a stay there in 2005.[125][126]

Scholastic

University degrees
Location Date School Degree
England 1963 Downing College, Cambridge Law
Chancellor, visitor, governor, rector, and fellowships
Location Date School Position
Scotland 1970–1973 University of St Andrews Rector
Honorary degrees
Location Date School Degree
Scotland 1971 University of St Andrews Doctorate
California, United States 1999 Pomona College Doctor of Letters (D.Litt.)[127]
England 28 June 2016 University of Bath Doctor of Clinical Psychology[128][129]
England 17 September 2016 Open University Doctor of the University (D. Univ)[130][131]

Published works

  • The Rectorial Address of John Cleese, Epam, 1971, 8 pages
  • The Human Face (with Brian Bates) (DK Publishing Inc., 2001, ISBN 978-0-7894-7836-8)
  • Foreword for Time and the Soul, Jacob Needleman, 2003, ISBN 1-57675-251-8 (paperback)
  • Superman: True Brit, DC Comics, 2004, ISBN 9781845760120
  • So, Anyway... Crown Archetype. 2014. ISBN 978-0-385-34824-9. Memoir.
  • Professor at Large: The Cornell Years. Cornell University Press. 2018. ISBN 978-1-5017-1657-7.
  • Creativity: A Short and Cheerful Guide, 2020, Crown, ISBN 978-0385348270
  • The Golden Skits of Wing-commander Muriel Volestrangler, F.R.H.S. and Bar. Methuen. 1984. ISBN 978-0413415608.

Dialogues

See also

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Further reading

  • Cleese Encounters: The Unauthorized Biography of Monty Python Veteran John Cleese, Jonathan Margolis, St. Martin's Press, 1992, ISBN 0-312-08162-6
Preceded by
Desmond Llewelyn
Q
(James Bond films)
2001–2002
Succeeded by
Ben Whishaw
(2012)
Academic offices
Preceded by Rector of the University of St Andrews
1970–1973
Succeeded by