John Cleese

photo: https://prayingtodarwin.files.wordpress.com/2009/10/john_cleese_372x280.jpg


Biography

John Cleese was born in Weston-super-Mare, Somerset, England to Reginald Francis Cleese and Muriel Cross. His family's surname was previously "Cheese", but his father, an insurance salesman, changed his surname to "Cleese" upon joining the army in 1915 [1]

As a boy, Cleese was educated at Clifton College in Bristol, from which he was expelled for a humorous defacing of school grounds: he used painted footsteps to suggest that the school's statue of Field Marshal Douglas Haig had got down from his plinth and gone to the toilet. His talent for comedy progressed with his membership of the Cambridge Footlights Revue while he was studying for a law degree at Downing College at the University of Cambridge. Here he met his future writing partner Graham Chapman. As Cleese's comic reputation flourished, he was soon offered a position as a writer with BBC Radio, working on, among others, sketches 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 was so popular that the BBC commissioned a regular series with the same title). He then joined the Cambridge Revue, Cambridge Circus, for a tour of New Zealand and Broadway, and decided to stay on in America performing on and off-Broadway, including in the musical Half a Sixpence. It was during this time he met future Python Terry Gilliam and his future wife, American actress Connie Booth, whom he married on February 20, 1968. After his return to England, he started performing as a cast member of the highly successful BBC Radio show I'm Sorry, I'll Read That Again, which ran from 1965 to 1974. His fellow cast members were Tim Brooke-Taylor, Graeme Garden, Bill Oddie, David Hatch and Jo Kendall.

On his return to London in 1965, Cleese and Chapman began writing on The Frost Report, an important landmark in satire and British Comedy in the 1960s. The writing staff chosen for The Frost Report were, in many ways, the finest comedic minds of the 1960s United Kingdom, consisting of many writers and performers who would go on to make names for themselves in comedy. They included future 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 whilst working on The Frost Report, in fact, that the future Pythons developed their unique writing styles that would become so significant later. Cleese and Chapman's sketches often involved authority figures (some of which were performed by Cleese). Terry Jones and Michael Palin were both infatuated with filmed scenes that open with idyllic countryside panoramas. Eric Idle was one of those charged with writing David Frost's monologue. It was during this period that Cleese met and befriended influential British comedian Peter Cook.

John Cleese on The Muppet Show

Such was the popularity of the series that, in 1966, John Cleese and Graham Chapman were invited to work as writers and performers with Tim Brooke-Taylor and Marty Feldman on At Last the 1948 Show, 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 of Doctor in the House. These series were successful and, in 1969, Cleese and Chapman were offered their very own series. However, due 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 Michael 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 Eric Idle and Terry Jones, and Terry Gilliam doing 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 mean time, bringing with him Gilliam, Jones and Idle. This union led to the creation of Monty Python. Many have suggested that this important landmark in comedy was brought about by Cleese's desire to work with Palin, who Cleese has maintained is his favourite Python to work with. Monty Python's Flying Circus ran for four series from 1969 to 1974 on BBC. Cleese is particularly remembered for the "Cheese Shop", "The Ministry of Silly Walks", and "Dead Parrot" sketches. Though the programme lasted four series, by the start of series 3, Cleese — who was probably the most experienced and well known member of the group, was beginning to find working with Chapman an unfair strain and that the show's scripts were gradually declining in quality — began to become agitated, wanting to move on. Though he stayed for the third series, he did not appear in the fourth series, and received only a minor writing credit. This did not stop him, however, from writing for and starring in the Monty Python films Monty Python and the Holy Grail, Life of Brian and The Meaning of Life.

In 1971, Connie Booth gave birth to Cynthia Cleese, their only child.

Having left Python, Cleese went on to achieve possibly greater success in the United Kingdom as the awful hotel manager Basil Fawlty in Fawlty Towers, which he co-wrote with Connie Booth. The series won widespread critical acclaim and is still considered one of the finest examples of British comedy. The series also famously starred Andrew Sachs as the much abused Spanish waiter Manuel ("...he's from Barcelona"), Prunella Scales as Basil's fire-breathing dragon of a wife Sybil, and Booth as waitress Polly. Cleese based Basil Fawlty on a real character, Donald Sinclair, whom he encountered when he and the rest of the Monty Python team were staying at the Gleneagles hotel in Torquay whilst filming Monty Python's Flying Circus. During the Pythons' stay, Sinclair threw Eric Idle's briefcase out of the hotel "in case it contained a bomb", complained about Terry 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. The series portrayed stereotypical British attitudes towards sex, death, complaining, violence towards employees and unhappy marriages, often simultaneously embodied in Cleese's madcap physical performances. The first series began on 19 September 1975, and whilst not an instant hit, soon gained momentum. However, the second series did not appear until 1979, during which time Cleese's marriage to Booth had broken down. Despite this the two reprised their writing and performing roles in the second series. Fawlty Towers famously comprised only twelve episodes. Cleese and Booth both maintain that this was to prevent a gradual decline in the quality of the series.

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. He also rejoined the Pythons for Monty Python Live at the Hollywood Bowl (1982), and starred in The Secret Policeman's Ball for Amnesty International. He married Barbara Trentham on 15 February 1981. Their daughter Camilla was born 1984. In 1988 he wrote and starred in A Fish Called Wanda, along with Jamie Lee Curtis, Kevin Kline and fellow python Michael Palin. Wanda became the most successful British film ever. Cynthia Cleese starred as John's daughter. However, his marriage was in trouble and in 1990 he and Trentham divorced. On 28 December 1992 he married Alice Faye Eichelberger, his third blonde American actress wife.

Cleese gave a stirring eulogy at Graham Chapman's memorial service, in which he "became the first person ever at a British memorial service to say 'fuck'". Many considered this to be the perfect tribute to his friend and comic partner. [2]

Cleese also produced and acted in a number of successful business training films, including Meetings, Bloody Meetings and More Bloody Meetings about how to set up and run successful meetings. These were produced by his company Video Arts.

With Robin Skynner, 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 1996, Cleese declined the British honour of Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE). Cleese has been a strong supporter of the UK Liberal Democratic Party, and it is believed his refusal was politically motivated.

In 1999, Cleese appeared in the James Bond movie, The World Is Not Enough as Q's assistant, ironically 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.

He is currently an Andrew D. White Professor-at-Large at Cornell University, his term having been extended until 2006. Although he makes occasional, well-received appearances on the Cornell campus, he lives in the town of Montecito, California. From 1970 to 1973 Cleese was rector of St Andrews University.

In a 2005 poll of comedians and comedy insiders The Comedian's Comedian, Cleese's peers showed their appreciation of his talent when he was voted second only to Peter Cook. Also in 2005, a long-standing piece of internet humor, "The Revocation of Independence", was wrongly attributed to Cleese.

John 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 colonialist stereotype who refers to the people of the Jade Empire (effectively like the ancient Chinese) as a lot of savages in need of enlightenment. While perhaps a small role in John Cleese's respect, such lines as "half of you can't even grow a decent moustache" and "your idea of honour is outdated, too. (shoots player). PERCIVAL! My towel" were a welcome touch of humour.

He also had a cameo appearance in the computer game Starship Titanic as "The Bomb" (credited as "Kim Bread"), written by Douglas Adams. When the bomb is activated it tells you that, "The ship is now armed and preparing to explode. This will be a fairly large explosion, so you'd best keep back about 22 miles.".

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 "what if?" stories, True Brit, mostly written by Kim Howard Johnson, suggests what might have happened had Superman's rocket ship landed in Britain, not the US.

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 with William Goldman and includes Cleese's daughter Camilla as a writer and actor. The show will play in universities in California and Arizona from 10 January to 25 March 2006 under the title "Seven Ways to Skin an Ocelot" [3]

 
Radio credits

I'm Sorry, I'll Read That Again

 
Television credits

The Frost Report (1966)
Frost on Sunday
Do Not Adjust Your Set
At Last the 1948 Show
The Avengers (1968, guest appearance as Egg Clown-Face collector in the episode Look (Stop Me if You've Heard this One)...)
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)
How to Irritate People (1968) with Michael Palin, Graham Chapman, Connie Booth and Tim Brooke-Taylor
Monty Python's Flying Circus (1969–1974)
Fawlty Towers (1975, 1979)
The Taming of the Shrew, as Petruchio (1980)
Cheers, which he won an Emmy for best actor in a guest starring role.
3rd Rock from the Sun (1998–2001) as recurring character Dr. Liam Neesam.
Wednesday 9:30 (8:30 Central) (2002) as Red
Will & Grace (2003-2004) as recurring character Lyle Finster.
Monty Python's Personal Bests, John Cleese's Personal Best (At the beginning of the episode, the show was dedicated to "Mr. John Cleese, who has recently died". A lot of Monty Python fans were saddened for his demise. It turned out it was just part of a skit; John Cleese was portraying himself as a 97-year-old, senile, old man who is being interviewed by a newswoman before succumbing to a heart attack.
Numerous commercials, including for supermarket chain Sainsbury's, snack firm Planters and a British government Stop Smoking campaign
Party political broadcasts for the Liberal Democrats and predecessor, the SDP-Liberal Alliance

 
Filmography

The Magic Christian (1969)
The Best House in London (1969)
The Rise and Rise of Michael Rimmer (1970) (writer and actor)
Romance with a Double Bass (1974) (writer and actor)
Monty Python and the Holy Grail (1974) (writer and actor: Sir Lancelot, Tim the Enchanter, swallow obsessed guard #2, Peasant #1, the Black Knight, French Taunter)
The Life of Brian (1979) (writer and actor: various roles including Reg)
The Secret Policeman's Ball (1980)
The Great Muppet Caper (1981)
Time Bandits (1981) (as a gormless Robin Hood)
Privates on Parade (1982) (Major Giles Flack)
Monty Python's The Meaning of Life (1983) (writer and actor) (various roles)
Silverado (1985) (plays Langston an English sheriff in a town in the western USA. His first line, as he walks in to a bar to break up a brawl, is, "What's all this, then?")
Clockwise (1986) (as Mr. Stimpson, a school headmaster)
A Fish Called Wanda (1988) (writer and actor) (as lawyer Archie Leach (Cary Grant's real name))
Erik the Viking (1989) (as Halfdan the Black)
Bullseye! (1990) (as Man on the Beach in Barbados Who Looks Like John Cleese)
An American Tail: Fievel Goes West (1991) (Cat R. Waul)
Splitting Heirs (1993) (Raoul P. Shadgrind)
Mary Shelley's Frankenstein (1994)
Rudyard Kipling's The Jungle Book (1994) (Dr. Julien Plumford)
Fierce Creatures (1996) (as Rollo Lee, manager of an English zoo; the novelization suggests that he is actually the twin brother of Archie Leach from A Fish Called Wanda, with a slight change of surname)
The Out-of-Towners (1999)
The World Is Not Enough (1999) (a James Bond film) (as Q's assistant, nicknamed R by Bond)
Quantum Project (2001) (as father of Steven Dorf's chracter)
Rat Race (2001) (as eccentric millionaire Donald P. Sinclair)
Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone (2001) ("Nearly Headless Nick")
Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (2002) ("Nearly Headless Nick")
Die Another Day (2002) (second appearance in a James Bond film; replaces Desmond Llewelyn as Q in the series)
Charlie's Angels: Full Throttle (2003) (Father of Alex)
Shrek 2 (2004) (voice of Princess Fiona's father, King Harold)
Around the World in 80 Days (2004) (Grizzled Sergeant)
Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (2007) ("Nearly Headless Nick") (expected)
Shrek 3 (2007) (King Harold)

 
Video game credits

Starship Titanic (1998) Simon & Schuster Interactive (voice of the Bomb) — (Credited as Kim Bread)
007 Racing (2000) Electronic Arts
The World Is Not Enough (video game) (2000) Electronic Arts
Agent Under Fire (video game) (2001) Electronic Arts
Everything or Nothing (video game) (2003) Electronic Arts
Trivial Pursuit: Unhinged (2004) Atari
Jade Empire (2005) Bioware

 
Trivia

In 2003, John Cleese took part in Mike Oldfield's re-release of the original 1973 version of Tubular Bells, in album Tubular Bells 2003. He took over the ‘Master of Ceremonies’ part, in which he announced the various instruments eccentrically, from the late Vivian Stanshall. [4]

A species of lemur, Avahi cleesei, has been named in his honour. John Cleese mentioned this in television interviews. Also there is mention of this honour in "The New Scientist" [5] — and John Cleese's response to the honour. [6]

In the radio series I'm Sorry, I'll Read That Again, Cleese (even though he is credited as "John Cleese") is referred to at the close of every episode as "John Otto Cleese". His real middle name is "Marwood", not "Otto". It appears that John Cleese just liked the name. There were various characters named "Otto" in episodes of "Monty Python's Flying Circus", and there is also an "Otto" (played by Kevin Kline) in the film "A Fish Called Wanda" (which was written by John Cleese). John Cleese's mother once stated that her son called himself "Otto", rather than his second name of "Marwood", but she did not know why he called himself "Otto", or where the name "Otto" came from [7].

An asteroid, 9618 Johncleese, is named in his honour.

Cleese recorded the voice of God for Spamalot, the musical based on Monty Python and the Holy Grail.
Height: 6'4 3/4" (1.95 meters)
 
See also

List of people who have declined a British honour

 
References

^  Cleese John Cleese's father
^  Memorial eulogy by John Cleese for Graham Chapman
^  Playbill
^  Broadway "Grail" comment
^  Mike Oldfield "Tubular Bells" reaches thirty years old... (information about John Cleese is given towards the end of the second paragraph)
^  "The New Scientist" comment about the lemur being named after John Cleese
^  "The New Scientist" and John Cleese's response to the honour
^  From Fringe to Flying Circus — 'Celebrating a Unique Generation of Comedy 1960–1980' — Roger Wilmut, Eyre Methuen Ltd, 1980, ISBN 0413469506.

 
Further reading

Further information about John Cleese can be found in the book:

Footlights! — 'A Hundred Years of Cambridge Comedy' — Robert Hewison, Methuen London Ltd, 1983, ISBN 0413511502.