Other meanings of John Cleese
Comedy & Entertainment
John Cleese is an English actor, comedian, and co-founder of the comedy troupe Monty Python, known for his distinctive physical comedy, sharp wit, and roles in Fawlty Towers and A Fish Called Wanda.
John Marwood Cleese was born on 27 October 1939 in Weston-super-Mare, Somerset, England, to Reginald Francis Cleese, an insurance salesman, and Muriel Evelyn Cross. He attended Clifton College in Bristol, where he excelled academically and developed an interest in comedy, influenced by the Goon Show and Peter Sellers. He later studied law at Downing College, Cambridge, where he joined the Footlights, the university's amateur comedy club, and met future collaborator Graham Chapman.1
Cleese co-founded Monty Python in 1969, writing and performing in Monty Python's Flying Circus (1969–1974) and the subsequent films Monty Python and the Holy Grail (1975), Life of Brian (1979), and The Meaning of Life (1983). His characters, such as the Ministry of Silly Walks official and the dead parrot shopkeeper, became iconic. After leaving the series in 1973, he co-created Fawlty Towers (1975, 1979) with his then-wife Connie Booth, playing the perpetually exasperated hotel owner Basil Fawlty. The show is often ranked among the greatest British sitcoms.2
Cleese achieved international film success with A Fish Called Wanda (1988), which he co-wrote and starred in, earning a BAFTA for Best Actor and an Academy Award nomination for Best Original Screenplay. He also appeared in the James Bond films The World Is Not Enough (1999) and Die Another Day (2002) as Q. His later work includes voice roles in Shrek 2 (2004) and the Harry Potter films (2001–2005) as Nearly Headless Nick. He has also written books on creativity and psychology, such as Life and How to Survive It (1993) with Robin Skynner.3
Beyond his famous roles, Cleese has a deep interest in psychology and has lectured on creativity at universities. He co-wrote the 1979 film Life of Brian despite personal doubts about its religious satire. He holds the record for the longest-running one-man show on Broadway for John Cleese: So, Anyway... (2014). He has also been a vocal critic of political correctness, which has sparked controversy. Additionally, he provided the voice for the computer game Starship Titanic (1998) and appeared in a 2014 New Zealand tourism advertisement that became a viral hit.
Cleese's influence extends across comedy, with many performers citing him as an inspiration. His work with Monty Python has been recognized with a BAFTA Fellowship in 2001 and a Kennedy Center Honor in 2019. He has also received an Emmy Award for Cheese Shop sketch in 1972. His writing on humor, such as the 2008 book The Human Face, reflects his academic approach to comedy. Cleese continues to perform and write, maintaining a presence in popular culture.4
John Cleese's career spans over five decades, and he remains a defining figure in British comedy.
Help improve the encyclopedia. Reports go straight to the site manager.