John Cleese - Details

Biography

John CleeseJOHN CLEESE needs little or no introduction, having entertained the world for 40 years as a comedian, actor, writer, author, director, producer and generally very funny person.

It was perhaps in 1969 and the first series of Monty Python's Flying Circus that Cleese first shot to fame. The Pythons' unique brand of humour was to spawn three hit series, a UK and Canadian stage tour, a stage show at the Theatre Royal, Drury Lane and at City Center, New York as well as a show at the Hollywood Bowl.

The team made their first film in 1971 And Now For Something Completely Different, followed two years later by Monty Python and the Holy Grail and in 1978 by Life of Brian.

In 1975 he created what was to similarly become a worldwide phenomenon, the television series Fawlty Towers. This was followed with a second series in 1979.
Cleese wrote, produced and starred in Fish Called Wanda, a (1988), co-starring Kevin Kline, Jamie Lee Curtis and Michael Palin which was released in 1988.

The film received an Academy Award nomination, an Italian Oscar and a Writers Guild of America nomination for Best Screenplay and Cleese received a BAFTA Award for Best Actor with the film being further nominated for Best Screenplay.
Other film credits include: Clockwise (1986); Romance With a Double Bass (1974); World is Not Enough, the (1999); and Rat Race (2001).

In addition, Cleese organized the first Amnesty Concert A Poke in the Eye (directed by Jonathan Miller) in 1975 and directed The Secret Policeman's Ball again for Amnesty on stage in 1979.

Events

  • 27th October 1939 - Birth