John Cleese Did Not Enjoy Filming Monty Python and the Holy Grail

John Cleese explains why filming Monty Python and the Holy Grail was so horrible, reveals who saved Monty Python's Life of Brian and reviews his favorite questions audiences have asked him.
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John Cleese Did Not Enjoy Filming Monty Python and the Holy Grail- Late Night with Seth Meyers
• John Cleese Did Not En...
Late Night with Seth Meyers
/ latenightseth

[@ionceateapinecone]

I love that in the end, Life of Brian is basically a movie made for George Harrison that we all got to watch too

[@avgjoe-cz7cb]

We all miss George. Gone too soon.

[@grogery1570]

So while it could have been the most ever paid to watch a movie, it turned out to make enough money for a Beatle to notice!

[@lauramalek3128]

"I want to see the movie". New affection for George Harrison this very minute.

[@jamesscully529]

Handmade Films was George's company. It made 23 films, a lot of them featuring various Pythons, before being sold to Paragon.

[@BrianJNelson]

Makes it even funnier for me, because when I was in school my friends would do the line: "Brian is NOT the Messiah, he's a very NAUGHTY BOY." And now I have George Harrison to thank for that joke.

[@roberthill3207]

He paid for my groceries 20 years ago when I was in college and came up short will in line... i didn't know he was behind me in line. Stammered a thank you and stood there in amazement and disbelief. A very nice man.

[@anthonybrogan390]

Sweet

[@j_freed]

Hell of a nice talk show host!

[@undersolo]

Blessed are the Cleesemakers!

[@captainp.2721]

That's sweet, but I couldn't have accepted it. Too embarrassing. Why did you buy so much stuff if you didn't have enough many? You don't count the total in your cart?

[@roberthill3207]

@@captainp.2721 sometimes your debits card dosen't work even though you have money in your account and you where not carrying enough cash. The situation is not unusual i will throw cash on the counter if someone is short.

[@Shakes-Off-Fear]

That castle in Scotland that Cleese is talking about, he actually managed to damage it. In the French taunting scene, he swung his sword at the outside wall and managed to take a chunk out of the brick work, about the size of a tennis ball, and they were scared shitless that they’d need to pay to repair it but I’m pretty sure they mounted a plaque underneath it saying “Improved by John Cleese”

[@kratal122]

I remember him mentioning that in a DVD special, where they went back to the locations they filmed at.

[@Oddballkane]

Would have been funny if it had said tis but a scratch.

[@joostvhts]

@@Oddballkane a flesh wound

[@pathologicaldoubt]

Improved 🤣🤣🤣

[@Zealant]

@@Oddballkane this is funnier and more original than a self-reference

[@tubekulose]

Interesting fact: The German title of this movie is "Die Ritter der Kokosnuss", which means "The Knights of the Coconut".

[@kobainage]

They converted Horrible Bosses into another English title...Kill the Boss. They’re a weird people

[@blakevonsanden1099]

That makes that movie even funnier!! Still makes me laugh after all this time!!!

[@tubekulose]

@@blakevonsanden1099 😄😄😄

[@thisismagacountry1318]

African or European?

[@tubekulose]

@@thisismagacountry1318 😁😄😂👍

[@davedee7521]

Bob Dylan (in a song): "everybody must get stoned" John Cleese: "No one is to stone anyone until I blow this whistle"

[@user-ok8gs1tk1n]

Argh! The multi-versatility!!"@fiive

[@tafua_a]

Even if they *do* say Jehovah!

[@TheLarch]

Oh! You've just said Jehovah!

[@therabbit101]

*looks around* Is anyone here a woman?!

[@jacobjorgenson9285]

“If you engage in gay sex, you must be stoned” The Bible

[@sonidojamon]

Seeing John Cleese laughing brings joy to my life

[@WildPhotoShooter]

Yes he has a very natural infectious laugh when he genuinely find something funny or remembers a funny moment.

[@nietzschesghost8529]

It does the same for me, especially as it buffers the pain that comes from having to see him getting old.

[@AdrianaFraga977]

What a sweet comment 💖

[@AlystrZelland]

*wheeeeeeeze*

[@RudalPL]

Imagine how much less funny The Holy Grail would be if they had real horses in it? :D

[@medexamtoolsdotcom]

Indeed, horses are not funny at all, they're constantly cracking terrible puns and dad jokes.

[@cdorman11]

The single horse was used to great effect.

[@mikeg3439]

Palin is a genius.

[@markusschmidt9260]

Horses seem to be still cheaper than cows. They had cast one in "And Now for Something Completely Different". kzbin.info/www/bejne/eWK2qGOGecx7i5Y

[@sonicsupa99]

Seeing some people passionately gesture riding horses had to be some of the funniest content for me

[@Custerd1]

I highly recommend visiting Doune Castle - the self-guided tour is narrated by Terry Jones. It's absolutely worth every pence.

[@lusterTJ]

RIP To this legend Terry Jones

[@billbogg3857]

Penny for your thoughts

[@jarvisfamily3837]

I refuse to visit England until: A) the Act of Union is repealed, and Scotland (land of at least some of my ancestors) frees England (land of a pile of my *other* ancestors) from bondage. B) Wales (more ancestors - do you sense a trend here?) defeats England and Scotland in a three-way football tournament, and C) the wrong-headed and foolish decimal pound is abolished, and the shilling returns to take its rightful place amongst the currencies of no-longer-Great Britain. If money was supposed to be easy to figure out, people would have more of it.

[@thisismagacountry1318]

@Tim Loves Bacon "How about Ham, Sausage, Egg, and Spam? That's not got much Spam in it."

[@Courtesyflush52]

@@jarvisfamily3837 luckily for you, the castle is in Scotland. Crisis averted!

[@01Mary02]

Wait till Biggus Dickus hears of this!!!

[@Cjnw]

...and Incontinentia Buttocks

[@anunusualironiccircumstanc2246]

🤭🤭🤭🤭😂😂😂😂😂

[@alanorange9376]

Your not human if that scene didn't make you laugh.

[@tayeb7031]

He has a wife you know?

[@DustGamezX]

@Jay May What iz yer name, JEW?

[@TakeThisification]

"I want to see the movie." - George Harrison

[@SeeMick1]

George even has a cameo!

[@gpwnedable]

He's not dead, he's just resting !

[@elias_xp95]

God bless

[@Chayaen]

George Harrison > John Lennon

[@4reptar207]

Just another reason to love George Harrison

[@chrismaddock5790]

"I'm putting the money up." "Why?" "I want to see the movie." - George Harrison Best. Beatle. Ever

[@markroffe3967]

Always was...

[@infinitesession5439]

I found more hilarious that he had to ask him why lol.

[@NZWarriors1995]

Thats the most expensive movie ticket Ive ever heard of.

[@chrismaddock5790]

@@NZWarriors1995 But totally worth it

[@EitherEndofAugust]

@@NZWarriors1995 I think Harrison himself made that joke in an interview.

[@dalekelly7639]

Holy Grail was funded in part by Pink Floyd, Led Zeppelin and Genesis, per IMDB. Python was well connected!

[@seed_drill7135]

Tull helped fund it, too.

[@Swiatlocien]

Well, no wonder, they were the most famous comedian group of Britain's 70's.

[@schlitzie72]

that's because those bands were fans of Monty Python. Imagine all these musicians fangirling over getting a Monty Python movie funded!

[@hoofie2002]

A lot of the funding was used to try and get round UK taxes which were absolutely penal in the 70s

[@malcolmtudor8039]

That is a pretty sweet list of connections.

[@marcusstar9995]

this made George Harrison the coolest Beatles that ever lived.

[@CommissionerSleer]

It does, even without Time Bandits.

[@ze_rubenator]

He already was.

[@JezQuayle]

He's in my top 5 of the coolest Beatles ...that ever lived ...as well those who didn't make it

[@ptcrusa]

He has such a fantastic singing voice, the Beatles didn't utilize his voice as much as they should have. Probably because Paul McCartney was the best rock singing voice of the 60s and he happened to be in the same band

[@Picnicl]

'that ever lived' - either a deliberately or accidentally superfluous embellishment or you're implying that perhaps Stu Sutcliffe had been the coolest ever Beatle until George put in 2 million for the second or third best Python movie in my book.

[@JimFortune]

"I want to see the movie." What a fantastic reason to fund a movie!

[@Argumemnon]

Absolutely. I wish filthy rich people would do that more often. We'd get a few originals from time to time.

[@orange70383]

Fund a movie are you 12.

[@Mom-yg1rt]

Call me dumb but I can’t think of a better reason

[@scotcarr3390]

I hope the late Mr. Harrison got premium reserved seats, at least...😁 Seriously, I think he was a good sport. And that he funded a Python movie is a legacy I wish I had!...🙃 But, he produced an earworm of earworms, even if the song WAS pretty cool sounding. And for THAT, Sir George, I can't forgive ye...🤣

[@scotcarr3390]

@@Argumemnon Unless they're DEEPLY eccentric, they won't. More's the pity. You can argue his spiritual life was a tad extreme, but he didn't give a damn what people thought. It took a loon (in a good way) like him to finance a movie that noone else had that kind of "don't give a shite" attitude. As I'm an American loon (unfortunately, I'm not rich like he was), I find that admirable!

[@hardikchoubey8232]

"HELP, HELP, I'M BEING REPRESSED" -Dennis the Constitutional Peasant

[@jirojhasuo2ndgrandcompany745]

Anarcho-Communist Peasant*

[@bobjones2187]

@@jirojhasuo2ndgrandcompany745 Anarcho-syndicalist peasant*

[@matthewhendricks4308]

Sounds like a modern day Sovereign Citizen right there!

[@tylerlyons4943]

Odd how relevant 1974 politics still is.....scary too

[@Hirnlego999]

@@matthewhendricks4308 Nah, not fat enough

[@tl4340]

3:17 for some reason, this brought a tear to my eye. The most heartfelt gesture to the late George Harrison I've seen.

[@seriousyak4734]

"The male marital position, that's the man flat on his back, with his wallet wide open" - that killed me XD

[@kurtsudheim825]

Yassaka I'm store outta nearly killed a lit of blokes!?

[@Maesterful]

@@kurtsudheim825 What...?

[@MalteWilsen]

It is so funny, because it's true.

[@lindathetford3776]

@@kurtsudheim825 wat..o.0

[@darthXreven]

@@Maesterful I think he meant I'm sure it killed a lot of blokes, meaning it killed lots of guys lol

[@5jerry1]

~ The George Harrison imitation was _spot_ _on._

[@antonnym214]

My favorite scene in Life of Brian was when the man gets caught doing grafitti and the Roman soldier has to correct his grammar! TOO FUNNY!

[@T1hitsTheHighestNote]

Or the one with the People's Front of Judea, Judean People's Front, and Judean Popular People's Front.

[@RhymesWithCarbon]

ROMANES EUNT DOMUS?? Those called Romanes they go the house?

[@kelman727]

Romani Ite Domum.

[@annalieff-saxby568]

I agree. Absolutely the best gag in the film.

[@andreadeagon2301]

I sometimes show this to my Latin students …

[@iamalpharius9483]

This man is a treasure. Comedic Royalty. If there was a living master of Straight Man Comedy, ladies and gentlemen, John Cleese is the best there is, was, will ever will be.

[@curtishammer748]

His and Palin's renditions of the Dead Parrot sketch are hysterical. Typically Cleese is flawlessly deadpan and Palin is barely holding it together. Both are amazing!

[@coreyskuse9387]

Imagine if John Cleese and Nelson (his first name escapes me right now, guy from Airplane) had ever met.

[@daniele5133]

@@coreyskuse9387 Leslie Nielsen?

[@coreyskuse9387]

Daniele Yes! That’s the one!

[@Nat_the_Chicken]

Well I think Chapman was the best at being the straight man specifically. He always looked so bemused. (R.I.P. Graham, we miss you.)

[@shark180]

I did not like the "The Life of Brian" it did not portray my life correctly at all.

[@Zentauri77]

You're living in the past. There are great things to come!

[@SgtZaqq]

I agree, the movie doesn't even mention AC/DC!

[@AnnoyingAsianWitch]

Always look on the bright side of life!

[@MrUndersolo]

You’re a naughty boy!

[@thomjones9719]

In CORONA Quarantäne right now....you made me burst out laughing like MP did when I was 14....THANK YOU!

[@DravenGal]

I've met John Cleese. Helped him find an encyclopedia when I worked at Borders. No celebrity attitude at all, he's just the nicest guy. Like meeting a friend's Dad. Had a funny incident another time when I was at the main info desk, and Cleese and his lovely wife came in. They talked to me for a couple minutes, then Mr. Cleese told his wife he'd be over at the coffee bar and walked away. So I'm still helping and chatting with his wife, also such a nice lady. Anyway, seconds after Cleese walked away this dude comes rushing up to the info desk, stands right next to Mrs. Cleese and starts going off "Was that John Cleese? OHMYGOD!!! I LOVE HIM! HE'S SO AWESOME! HE'S THE FUNNIEST GUY!" and so on, and in the meantime, Mrs. Cleese and I are just looking at each other, eyes kinda locked on each other, both biting our lips trying not to laugh as this guy, unknowingly is fangirling BIG TIME about how awesome Mr.Cleese is (which is true, to be fair), and standing right next to his wife! She and I both had a good laugh when the star-struck young man walked off, and I asked her "Does that happen often?" and she said "All. The. Time." She was pretty awesome too. And quite pretty as well, if I recall.

[@drdre4397]

DravenGal great story

[@rbeck3200tb40]

You should have said to him " I told you once" when he came up to the information desk .Then start arguing with him

[@DravenGal]

It was his wife asking the question, whom I had not met before, and why would I want to be mean to nice people?

[@DravenGal]

Thanks Themightyinvader!

[@TeamKuukiFoodGames]

I ddn't know Borders still lived xD

[@Christopheromoan]

“What is your name enchanter, who can summon fire without flint and tinder?” “There are some who call me...... Tim.”

[@medexamtoolsdotcom]

If we were wizards, we'd all just be standing around, shooting fireballs and such too. That's probably just what they do, stand around and do that.

[@harry9560]

I remember seeing a clip where John Cleese was describing how the Enchanter actually was given some exotic name, but after the camera started rolling, he couldn't remember it. He just blurted out Tim because that's all he could come up with.

[@chriskiefer7493]

"Did the Queen kill Diana?" "Certainly not with her bare hands." That is called masterfully speaking.

[@jeaniebird999]

And here we complain about having to pay $13.50 to see a movie; George Harrison paid 2 million!

[@chrisarseneault5617]

Lol!! That's a good one.

[@kalmonsalmon1946]

which, in pounds, in the 70's, was worth a shitload more than it is now!

[@capncheeks]

Something tells me 2 million to George would have been about the same as $13 to us.

[@Celtic_Amy]

That's about $7 million with inflation

[@TonyEnglandUK]

I'm a Brit so I don't really know this Seth Meyers interviewer but goodness me, isn't it nice to watch an interviewer who lets the GUEST do all the talking.

[@ntr10me]

"Most certainly not with her bare hands" I'll never have wit like that even if I lived a million life times

[@corbeau-_-]

reminds me of a joke sometimes attributed to Churchill: On one of the recent warm days a sour-visaged, fussy lady got on one of the smoking seats on an open car in the subway. Next her sat a man who was smoking a cigar. More than that, the lady, sniffing, easily made out that the man had been eating onions. Still more than that, she had the strongest kind of suspicion that he had been drinking beer. The lady fussed and wriggled, and grew angrier, and looked at the man scornfully. Presently she could endure it no longer. She looked squarely at him and said: ‘If you were my husband, sir, I’d give you a dose of poison!’ The man looked at her. ‘If I were your husband,’ said he, ‘I’d take it!’

[@jarvisfamily3837]

@@corbeau-_- the version I've heard of this held that the lady in question was Nancy Astor, who had a long-standing dislike of Churchill. And the wording of the joke is: Astor: Winston, if you were my husband, I'd put poison in your tea! Churchill: Madam, if you were my wife - I would drink it!

[@IrishCarney]

We all have it - the key issue is timing. Can you come up with it in one second and have the guts to say it and the skill not to flub it? Or do you only think of it much later when the moment has passed, or even if you do, do you stumble over it? The vast majority of us are in the latter category

[@IrishCarney]

@@corbeau-_- Yeah, this was Lady Astor who said she'd poison his tea, and he said he would drink it. The New York Times reported it in 1949 (without naming Astor), and a book in 52 named her, but it apparently was already an old joke by then and it had been in print in other contexts with other participants

[@gdj6298]

I don't know if it was Lady Astor who was involved with the other Churchill classic- "Mr Churchill, you are drunk" "Madam, you are ugly - but I shall be sober in the morning "

[@paulsimmons5726]

George Harrison, "I want to see the movie..." Classic!

[@papagrounds]

"Certainly not with her bare hands" 😂😂😂 I almost lost my phone under the bus because of that one! 😅

[@mattjohnston2]

I'm not sure which part I loved more...George saying "well, I want to see the movie!" or John's infectious laugh!

[@Steambull1]

I was screaming on the floor laughing when I watched Monty Python and the Holy Grail for the first time. Lancelot's charge scene just broke me. I rarely laugh at comedies (doesn't mean I don't enjoy them or find them funny) or anything, really, so when a film gets that classic witch laugh of mine out, I am grateful.

[@brandonhicks9926]

The charge scene is the best

[@jeffmartin9212]

My guts hurt for days

[@kenwilliams8067]

you touched a nerve with this comment. I'm into senior years now, given to bouts of reflection about the too hastily passed past. And I do remember with great fondness a treasured moment when, along with a few good friends, we saw Holy Grail at the movie theatre. We all succumbed to the deepest belly laughter and weeping, breathless loss of control throughout the movie... Though I do not know you Steambull1, I have a feeling we'd have gotten along just fine, seeing how we had this in common. What a great memory that is!

[@MegaHariboboy]

While the Holy Grail is good, it has absolutely nothing on the Life of Brian

[@mikeg3439]

Right? I thought I discovered a new planet, when I first watched it.

[@BlueNoteJunkie5150]

John has the best sense of humour ever. Nothing is off limits and he plays along with anybody.

[@snarkycharlies]

Basil beating his car remain one of the funniest bits I've ever seen. Love this man!

[@nancymesek]

Wow, I never knew George Harrison was responsible for Life of Brian.

[@KosiWick]

He's actually in the movie. Small cameo.

[@TheStockwell]

Eric Idle (I think) said that by funding the film, Harrison entered the record books as the person who spent the most money to buy a ticket to see a film.

[@TheStockwell]

Mine, too! Usually, people get into fights over John or Paul, but George did more with his Beatle status than all the others. Frank Sinatra started off hating rock music and The Beatles but he eventually met them and thought they weren't all that bad. Sinatra's favorite Beatle? George. Harrison and Patty Boyd dropped by a Sinatra recording session in 1968. There's a photo of them on the back of Sinatra's "Cycles" album - it's pretty cool, and you can tell they're talking, not just posing for a photo. Have a great weekend, wherever you're having it. :)

[@blindriv3r]

yeah that is great, I remembered Time Bandits as well, looked up in IMDB.com and he has 28 total producer credits!

[@bryancooper9581]

Hand Made Films. Started with 'Life of Brian', and then: 'Long Good Friday', 'Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels' 'Withnail and I'... Hand Made. Thank you George!

[@T3hArchAngelG]

Just seeing John Cleese remember something funny and laughing makes me giggle.

[@martinputt6421]

ArchAngel_G Have you ever listened to his Audiobook So Anyway it's absolutely brilliant and he narrates it himself.

[@ComicBookGuy420]

Not just Monty python, but also Fawlty Towers lol

[@MegaVikingen]

George freaking Harrison of the Beatles gave his friend and the friend's comedy troupe £2 million because he "wanted to see the movie". What a bloody legend! This interview is so damn good too, John Cleese has a very pleasant voice, a great way of telling stories and drops solid jokes in such a natural, fluid way. John Cleese is forever brilliant. All of the Monty Python crew and ceeations was and still remains brilliant. George Harrison was brilliant, and still is, where ever he may be.

[@franceleeparis37]

£2M was not a small amount.. probably equivalent to £10M+ in 2020… you could buy a house in London for a few thousand pounds and a new car cost less than £700 …. Yep George Harrison was a rich man and now he is a legend..🙂

[@roelvinckens5553]

Brian: "You're all different!" Crowd: "YES! WE ARE ALL DIFFERENT!" One man: "I'm not." 2 000 000 £ well spend. Thank you George Harrison!

[@medexamtoolsdotcom]

Honestly I don't understand how their budgets were even as large as they were? The only thing in Monty Python and the Holy Grail that I can think of that should have cost much money at all was that trojan rabbit. Life of Brian used literally nothing except costumes.

[@briannaamore1383]

Actually Brian says "You're all individuals!"

[@chantalfinn6173]

Location

[@faerefolke]

Holy Grail was a work of genius

[@richrockefeller3331]

Best movie ever.

[@treywar25]

George Pearson for sure

[@SeanVito]

Accidental genius it seems haha

[@ElleMotorbreath]

THE BEST!!

[@Transformania]

'Tis but a flesh wound!

[@kevboard]

that's crazy to think that they almost didn't use coconuts... especially if you are from germany, since the movie's german title is "Ritter der Kokosnuss" which translates to "Kights of the Coconut"

[@TheWho1231]

that's awesome hahaha

[@BeeMarzipan]

genius

[@sitbone3]

Saw Holy Grail in Westwood, CA on opening night. As we walked in the lobby, everyone was being given a coconut out of huge crates. We didn’t know why until the opening scene.

[@Z-Ack]

You can tell seth is in pure admiration and is trying hard to keep things from going awkward while trying not to say the wrong thing and piss off john .. because john can be an intimidating interview, especially if either he doesnt like you or you ask a dumb question.. he's always been quick and able to make somebody eat their own words..

[@Spanky_McWaffleson]

"Well, not with her bare hands..." PRICELESS!

[@SavageGreywolf]

I mean it does say something about his sense of humor that 30,000 people were shocked and appalled and he was laughing his ass off XD

[@AbsoluteAbsurd]

Lmao XD

[@AbsoluteAbsurd]

SavageGreywolf its English humour xD

[@Thunderbolt_1000_Siren]

@@SavageGreywolf I'd be laughing with him and it'd be multiplied after his answer XD

[@Stonedead1991]

I could listen to Mr. Cleese talk for hours and hours. Such a fantastic and funny man.

[@chrismanuel9768]

He made Fable 3 fantastic just by his voice existing in it

[@icebraining]

You can! He read the audiobook version of his autobiography, "So, Anyway". it's pretty great :)

[@ElDuderinoh]

@@chrismanuel9768 what ???!?! Who did he play as ?

[@coachgoltzbizpro23]

Studios: We can't back this project. George Harrison: Hold my 🎸

[@user-zh1di5ni3m]

“My favorite is the married man; flat on his back with his wallet open” Eric you are literally a comedy god bless your funny old heart.

[@PabloRuizMega]

rest in peace queen elizabeth

[@tilaNmanx]

3:40 "Hint hint." Oh god he's brilliant xD he just has this whole feeling of delightfulness and light-heartedness about him, I can feel my stress levels decreasing just by listening to him

[@cigarboxguitar9519]

He's definitely mellowed in his later years.

[@NorwegianDean]

That moment was so damn good.

[@beardy2799]

I fart in your general direction! - Best line ever lol.

[@AlmostEthical]

When John C said the castle had become a tourist attraction, I imagined Python tragics standing up at the wall, day after day, year after year, each yelling that line down at anyone who is below :)

[@djbigleg3228]

@@AlmostEthical i just farted & its down wind so brace yourself for the impact...

[@j_freed]

DJ big leg - I'm a sailor and I know upwind from downwind, mr fartypamts.

[@vicinvesta8349]

Jeez, This is *very* common French taunt. They just lifted it for the film.

[@stigohara6593]

I think this is perfect example of why most British jokes do not translate well ( if at all) into a popular "Foreign Languages" like French or German etc. Even though as native English speakers we all speak a modern variant of a 1000+ year old Proto-Germanic language Saxon the French and German tongue has changed so much. Yes they have jokes too some very funny but translate them to modern English and the become "I Fart...)

[@couragew6260]

Using coconuts instead of horses due to budget is an example of life giving you lemons and you make lemonade.

[@thewrustywrench21]

Should be retitled: John Cleese felt physically uncomfortable filming Monty Python and The Holy Grail.

[@thebrazilianatlantis165]

He didn't enjoy it.

[@RyushiroX]

This man right here is a legend.

[@kasag37]

he is a treasure

[@madnessbydesign1415]

He's a national treasure - for every nation.

[@mailman2310]

Madness by Design soooo an international treasure?

[@AhNee]

World treasure. Universal treasure.

[@michaelfarrell4824]

He's a racist bigoted homophobic sexist pig, his work is great though

[@zeBorat420]

+Michael Farrell (wakeupyouresleeping) lol far from it. He’s actually very liberal

[@alftupper9359]

Michael Farrell Could you please substantiate your claim that he is racist or homophobic. The bigoted bit is redundant.

[@LB-br8hn]

"We are now no longer the Knights Who Say Ni. We are now the Knights Who Say Ekke-ekke-ekke-ekke-ptang-zoo-boing."

[@magicthegavining]

L B we are knnnnnnnnnnights

[@juniorballs6025]

And we demand a Shrubbery

[@AtlasBlizzard]

"....ni!"

[@oenrn]

It.

[@samarvora7185]

Alright, knights who till recently said 'ni!'.

[@Puschit1]

One of the reasons Cleese (and the other Pythons for that matter) is his openness for situations, people and opinions. As he said in this interview he loves it when he doesn't know what will happen. Getting in touch with as many different things, people and situations helps growing as a person but as we can see also with doing comedy. The Python's sketches were anarchic, chaotic, all over the place because their minds weren't stuck in small worlds. I would love to hang around with any of the Pythons but especially Cleese, one could have a heavy argument about politics one minute and discuss life insurance rates for mayflies the next minute.

[@michaelalfano1712]

One should never underestimate the sheer brilliance of Python simplicity.

[@EyesOfByes]

The worlds most expensive movie ticket 😁

[@jacobjorgenson9285]

GundeLeunnéberya Harrison got paid back in full

[@BruceWayne-us3kw]

That doesn't mean it wasn't expensive.

[@jonnysongs]

You shouldn't steal jokes without attribution

[@googlesucks7840]

@@jonnysongs "Oh, yes you should" - British Music Hall tradition from 1800's to present day.

[@JazzJackrabbit]

Wikipedia: Monty Python's Life of Brian Budget $4 million[2] Box office $20 million[3] Safe to say, I think George made a profit on that one.

[@eponymous_graphics]

George Harrison ... wow. just wow. You know he (George Harrison) wrote one of the most beautiful and coolest contemporary songs dedicated to the Creator; it's no wonder he was interested in a story about a character finding his purpose for his Creator. George came back to help Monty Python in the 80s with TIME BANDITS and made their theme song, or at least the ending track. Final thoughts: Monty Python, John Cleese, Michael Palin, Terry Gilliam, Eric Idle, Graham Chapman and Terry Jones ... all Heaven Sent. Thanks for sharing this clip. Thumbs up .

[@TheStapleGunKid]

Well if he didn't like filming Quest for the Holy Grail, I'm glad he decided to stick with it anyway. The world is a better place for it.

[@fifthbusiness1678]

Dunno bout the world, but it made me laugh a lot.

[@regularstan6212]

John Cleese has more comedic genius in one hair, then half the people on TV. That's including SNL also.

[@michaelmcdonald8452]

Bold, bruh...

[@Amadeus-ni3et]

Snl is still going strong. Monty Python is just a memory.

[@propjoe1060]

He does, yes. Cleese is one of the greatest ever.

[@bwebb90]

@@Amadeus-ni3et Yeah and Mozart is dead, Justin Bieber is still going strong. See American humour sometimes lacks a bit of intelligence. Haha didn't realise your name is Amadeus as well, perfect.

[@slappy8941]

Then half the people... did what?

[@BeauStephenson]

Wow, when he sent that kiss up to the sky for George, I got the tingles and little tear in my eye. Cue "All Things Must Pass."

[@JohnD640]

George was a big fan of George Formby-the thirties, British ukelele-player and film star. At George's funeral, Joe Brown (60's pop star) serenaded him with 'I'll see you in my dreams' on the uke.

[@peterhoeller7811]

I love John- he has always had such a beautiful love of comedy. I just love that HE still loves to laugh so much.

[@vengeance2825]

"He's got an attitude a mile wide, he can jump this... , look at the BONES!!!"

[@Kiltem]

I love that he actively laughs at his thoughts. You can literally see the comedy growing in his brain.

[@hijodelaisla275]

I don't think that word means what you think it means.

[@Kiltem]

@@hijodelaisla275 excuse me?

[@hijodelaisla275]

@@Kiltem You can't literally see comedy. It's a concept. You can (figuratively) see comedy growing in his brain.

[@JurgenErhard]

@@hijodelaisla275 I can literally see you ripping yourself apart like Rumpelstiltskin when you see me literally using "literally" in this "wrong" (but has been correct for ages) sense.

[@hijodelaisla275]

​@@JurgenErhard If you'd like to imagine as your brand of amusement that your witless comment is of deep significance to me, then have at it.

[@Beatlesfanish]

Here I thought I couldn't possibly love the Beatles more XD Thank you George for financing one of my favourite movies. God bless him and R.I.P.

[@trentbrown500]

John Cleese looks like he's hiding Terry Gilliam in his shirt.

[@crazydavec3861]

@@antennawilde someone's feeding him, that's for sure!

[@Nat_the_Chicken]

Ah you just _dream_ of having that kind of manly paunch

[@sgtsavage2011]

I think what ended up being holy grails greatest charm was the budget being so low. They made some of the cutbacks the funniest part. Goes to show you could have millions in making a comedy but it can still be bad but if you get the right writers and actors money doesn't matter. They will always be absolute legends.

[@Bramble451]

I've been to Doune Castle. They have coconuts in the gift shop that you can bang together.

[@hyang3044]

Yeah I've been there too. I followed my brother around banging the coconuts together

[@cornellwaters9089]

Bramble451 The funniest thing I've read today, Thank You 😁

[@glennrobbins2372]

Been there as well. Awesome place. It was amazing to see the areas where they filmed.

[@KitchenerLeslie2]

Helen Y how’d you come up with that bit?

[@KitchenerLeslie2]

Cornell Waters slow day, huh?

[@BraceDeville]

What a genuine pleasure to see Seth clearly enjoying the interview. As much a fan of John as we are.

[@jeremypitotti1227]

This man is a comic genius, if something will bring a smile to my face on my death bed it will be this man, in his role as a hotel manager in a Torquay hotel!!!!

[@vsGoliath96]

I've always loved that budget limitations gave birth to one of the best running gags in comedy history. Can only afford one horse for about 5 seconds of filming? Coconuts it is!

[@angelainamarie9656]

I almost cried. Harrison was such a beautiful soul.

[@MythicTyrant]

I see John Cleese and I click.

[@alanfrost75]

Same :)

[@dnrob7]

That gut though..

[@rkheno]

I See a comment 'I see John Cleese and i click.' I click anyway

[@ajonetto]

Dan Rob it could be carried by an African swallow

[@JohnD640]

His 'thank you' speech for 'A Fish Called Wanda' is worth a look!

[@whodathunkitwhodathunkit8532]

A comedy God. It saddens me to see Terry Jones gone (with, ofc, Graham Chapman dying far, far too young) and know that Palin and Idle are 78, Gilliam is 79, and Cleese is 80. These gentlemen have brought me more joy through their humor than anyone I can think oif.

[@Chapps1941]

There is Shaun Micallef in Australia. He has some exceptionally funny stuff and I'm sure Cleese, Idle, Palin would be in awe of him.

[@mrgoat3774]

I love his George Harrison impression.

[@Thunderbolt_1000_Siren]

"I'm putting the money up"

[@Nat_the_Chicken]

@@Thunderbolt_1000_Siren "I want to see the movie"

[@jirojhasuo2ndgrandcompany745]

what is up with your picture

[@mrgoat3774]

@@jirojhasuo2ndgrandcompany745 it’s cos I’m really edgy

[@Nat_the_Chicken]

@@mrgoat3774 As a Jew, I'm not offended, but using swastikas just to be edgy is not recommended. Maybe use a symbol that's not connected to genocide

[@AslanW]

This man is so admirable and intriguing that nobody can interrupt him. You just wanna keep listening to him talking.

[@georgecano5356]

The scene with the Black Knight "It's just a flesh wound" LOL

[@Ericwvb2]

I'll bite your kneecaps off!

[@studywithmay5872]

John Cleese's wheezing is amazing 😂

[@vinceniederman]

Wish I Would Do That Just Like John Cleese Hahahahaha!

[@studywithmay5872]

@@vinceniederman you know, wheezing is hard that it'll make your throat hurts. i wheeze when i laugh and i once wheeze so hard and i ended up hurting my throat 🤣🤣

[@vinceniederman]

@@studywithmay5872 True and Dang Also John Cleese is So Hysterical!

[@johngreco1680]

I grew up watching them on pbs in nyc as a kid the wit an humor the cerebral humor is what makes it so hysterical love them all 👏

[@ViscariaASMR]

Oh my gosh, what a delightful interview. I’ve been a fan of John Cleese my entire life.

[@Skyprince27]

Viscaria ASMR I saw him on stage in 1973. Still remember every second of it...

[@JohnD640]

'The Strange Case of the End of Civilization As We Know It' is worth a watch.

[@Lia-A-Eastwood]

It's good to know that there are still people out there to spread dignity and decency while being comically rude. John Cleese is just a gem. I actually am reading his autobiography "So, anyway..." at the moment. Worth a read. :)

[@jennylee9278]

It should have been named "And now for something completely different."

[@jenwhitesides]

+Jenny Lee There is already a Python book with that title - otherwise, yeah he may have thought of it.

[@michaelkadunce3155]

Lia A. Eastwood.

[@Lia-A-Eastwood]

Michael Kadunce: ermmm, what?

[@iakatat2]

Amazing read. I just finished it. Love it.

[@exidy-yt]

Life of Brian was far and away the best of the Monty Python movies, and while I was never a Beatles fan (too young) I have mad respect for George Harrison for both financing Life of Brian and forming the Travelling Wilburys. May he be rockin' in Paradise, whatever it may be.

[@Chapps1941]

The Holy Grail was better. It was a better series of jokes

[@exidy-yt]

@@Chapps1941 definately a matter of perspective. When I was younger I thought Holy Grail was the funniest thing I'd ever seen. And then I saw the Life of Brian. I still love Holy Grail, but I definately feel Life of Brian was the superior movie, both far better then the Meaning of Life. (which was still good)

[@thichinhphan4010]

@@exidy-yt I thought The Meaning of Life is much more subtle and insightful, so it's quite an experience. Life of Brian has some childish jokes (they are good though) which are quite similar to Holy Grail as they are enjoyable for both young and old people. So I never understand when someone says getting older = seeing LoB is better than HG. Just because one gets old doesn't mean one's self becomes mature. That claim only makes the opposite impression.

[@exidy-yt]

@@thichinhphan4010 Getting older dosen't always mean one matures, but there's often a correlation, you can't deny that. MoL as I said was a great movie and had some hard hitting skits, but others were far more purile, even archaic at the time the movie was made. (the British upper-class stiff upper lip in the leg removal bit, for example) And I just feel LoB was the strongest of the three movies overall for consistant funny AND hard-hitting humor with far fewer missed bits then either of the other two movies. But as they say, opinions are like assholes. No two are alike, but all can make noise.

[@billgee02]

"Holy Grail" and "Life of Brian" are 2 of my fave movies of ANY description - long live these wonderful movies

[@zsk8301]

"I want to see the movie." :)

[@DougHNuts-ee3vn]

Here is the other one Holy Grail... kzbin.info/www/bejne/baiomISVZZaWjq8

[@EvilPaladin11]

The simplest and purest reason to fund a film. You just want to watch it. LOL!

[@ringodingo]

Come on over. We have the Special Edition DVD!

[@malipo7773]

shlibber I haven't known that George was in the movie. Thank you!!! 😊

[@tompaul2591]

malipo 777 for a split second being ushered through the crowd by John Cleese. Look close. You'll see it

[@maskeno]

It makes me so happy to hear John say life of Brian is his favorite. I've always felt it was their absolute best film too.

[@Oliver-jz1en]

Man's grown so old from how I've always remembered him. Hope he stays well

[@TheMeta141]

the man paid 2 MILLION$ because he wanted to see the movie. THAT is the kind of love and dedication that we need for the entertainment industry NOW.

[@samdugan3511]

I think that the fact that the film looks like it's about to rain all the time is on of its strong points; they are in the middle of an epic medieval adventure on a dreary sunday morning.

[@entr3_nou5]

John Cleese’s George Harrison impression is great

[@franktaylor7617]

"and the counting shall be 3" ".... may we blow our enemies to bits......"

[@Thanos-tx4ub]

FIVE

[@jamessloanofficial]

In Thy mercy...

[@sergeantmarcusstackerM1903]

Thanos THREE SIR

[@loriryde5437]

The Holy Hand grenade of anti och

[@EricaGamet]

This was delightful! Other than the fact that I was in the audience at the El Paso show and we loved having them in town!!

[@ZesPak]

Cleese and Atkinson are both grand maesters of comedy and should be treasured for as long as they are with us.

[@Allprezz]

they call me..................Tim!

[@rwuttke]

One brilliantly forgotten line

[@mattlufcy1254]

There are some who call me........ Tim?

[@timc9893]

Oh, wicked, bad, naughty Zoot! She has been setting alight to our beacon, which, I have just remembered, is grail-shaped. It's not the first time we've had this problem.

[@urzathehappy72]

*BOOM BOOM BOOM*

[@j_freed]

(Tim is casting fiery explosions and scaring his visitors...) SIR ARTHUR: Uh, you're a busy man.... (Tim faces him) TIM: you seek... A GRAAAILLLL?

[@pollock8000]

Endlessly thanked to you John Cleese. You put a smile in my face for oh so many times...always looking for that one laugh that makes life a gift. I'm already preparing my silly-crying for the moment you leave earth. All my love from Argentina.

[@alexaales7937]

years ago on our scotland trip we visited the afore mentioned castle. we booked the audio tour narrated by Terry Jones (RIP, you are sorely missed), it was effing brilliant, we had such a good time!

[@bhbluebird]

"flat on his back with his wallet wide open"... LOL

[@AndreideLosSantos]

God, George Harrison was such an important human!

[@jaiguru9538]

What a pant load. Harrison reduced his music to the Buddhist equivalent of christian rock. The Beatles made pretty good music. They're not important, and all those claiming the contrary are just those trying to boost their own self importance by publicly noting how clever they are for having "noticed". So kindly stuff it up an orifice of your own chosing.

[@dobypilgrim6160]

Jai Guru The Beatles weren't important to rock music you say? That is about as funny a comment as anything Monty Python did. And trust me, that's saying a lot! Lol.

[@dobypilgrim6160]

Oh and just for clarification, last I checked, Krishna has nothing to do with Buddhism. You're on a roll, Jai Guru! Hahahahahahaha!

[@dobypilgrim6160]

Michael Faircloth You don't know what he's talking about? That's OK. Neither does Jai Guru. For a guru, he sure is ignorant. He thinks Harrison's music was preseletyzing Buddhism, lol. Buddhism isn't even a religion. But Jai Guru is maybe the only "guru" in the world who doesn't know that.

[@sirduggins]

Jai Guru yet you are here publicly denouncing them to boost your own self-importance. It's just sad

[@TheCheermeister]

Love Cleese and all the Pyythons. Holy Grail is one of my all time favorite films. HILLARIOUS

[@AvielMannBallo]

god I LOVE how funny he thought the Princess Diana question was

[@leahyoung7129]

I love the story about the woman asking if the Queen killed Diana. He was laughing so hard! 😂

[@fhhfgj]

She did.

[@10Raccoon]

I was laughing so hard just hearing him tell the story. Had I been there,I can imagine laughing so hard I'm not sure I would have had the breath to even give the answer he did.

[@docsavage8640]

Diana chose a lifestyle that directly led to what happened. Tabloid media was just the weapon.

[@flwrfan1752]

@@docsavage8640-WTF!

[@zachesherman]

Only in Florida…

[@samuelrobinson1992]

If George Harrison wasn't already a legend, which he obviously was, then this makes him an even bigger one. Imagine a world without Life of Brian, it doesn't bear thinking about! We wouldn't have that hilarious debate between Clease & Palin against those idiot clergy dudes!

[@littlewoodimp]

*That* had a bigger effect on me than the actual film! The film was funny, but that was on the 'serious' TV channel so carried more weight for me. That was when I realised, at 14, that it was not only ok not to believe in this God character, but also ok to regard the whole thing as really very silly. I wasn't raised massively religious, but went to Chapel (Welsh) and Sunday School and got fed it like it was sweet. That debate showed me how foolish & limiting the upper tier of religions were. Even watching it felt like a subversive act since I snuck downstairs after everyone had gone to bed.

[@Ericwvb2]

I wasn't allowed to watch Monty Python at my grandparents' house (who had a nice TV) because they were religious and considered it offensive so watching it became an act of rebellion. I loved how the Pythons pointed out that the Church was telling people not to go see a movie with the central theme being think for yourselves and don't just blindly follow religious authorities, and that the ban made it so successful. What I remember most about the debate you refer to is the Catholic priest or bishop or whatever his title was who had on a resplendent purple dress and my gaydar went to 11 watching him speak.

[@joshdean9105]

i like george even more now!!!!!!

[@quasarsphere]

And if it wasn't for Sir David Attenborough, we wouldn't have Monty Python at all.

[@Orlor]

He's not a Beatle! He's a very naughty boy!

[@BrianHAviation]

I saw John and Eric at a live performance and they were wonderful. They both are very funny. If they do the tour again you should go. It is worth it.

[@deanb4799]

Seth is like a little kid in the presence of his idol. Love it.