birthday Whether Monty Python or "Fawlty Towers": John Cleese turns 85

As a member of Monty Python, he revolutionized the comedy genre and became a cult figure. Few have shaped British humor as much as John Cleese. On Sunday, the British actor and comedian turns 85.

Sometimes all it takes is a keyword or the name of one of the legendary Monty Python sketches in which John Cleese took part. It's enough to make insiders burst out laughing. "Dead Parrot", "The Ministry of Silly Walks" or the Black Knight from the film "Monty Python and the Holy Grail" are great moments of British humor. Hardly anyone has had such a lasting influence on this humor as John Cleese.

Political sideswipes

Born in 1939 in Weston-super-Mare, England, Cleese showed his talent for humor at an early age. The law student joined the comedy group Monty Python, which launched its television series "Monty Python's Flying Circus" in 1969. The mixture of surreal humor, absurd sketches and political sideswipes changed British television forever and is considered visionary. Cleese's dry, often angry style quickly made him a distinctive figure in the troupe.

In "Dead Parrot", he argues with the owner of a pet shop who tries to convince him that the dead parrot he has just bought is only sleeping. His curious walk in "The Ministry of Silly Walks" is one of Monty Python's most famous scenes, as is the black knight who loses all his limbs in a fight and still refuses to give in. "All right, let's settle for a draw."

After the end of the TV series, several Monty Python films were released, including the most famous: "Monty Python's Life of Brian". The satire revolves around a man who was born on the same day as Jesus and is mistakenly worshipped as the Messiah due to a series of misunderstandings.

The film caused controversy when it was released in 1979 and was misunderstood as blasphemous by religious groups. However, "Monty Python's Life of Brian" is not a criticism of religion, but a satire on political movements and religious sects. Some cinemas boycotted the film. Today it enjoys cult status.

"Don't mention the war!"

In addition to Monty Python, Cleese is best known for his role in the series "Fawlty Towers", which was broadcast on the BBC in 1975. In it, he plays the hotel owner Basil Fawlty, whose choleric temperament provides many comic moments. Cleese wrote the scripts with his first wife Connie Booth, who had already worked on "Monty Python's Flying Circus" and played the chambermaid Polly in "Fawlty Towers".

Fawlty's line "Don't mention the war!" (Don't mention the war!) from the episode "The Germans" is still jokingly quoted in the UK today when referring to Germany and the Second World War.

In the 1980s, Cleese took on small and large roles in feature films. His best-known roles include the fantasy film "Time Bandits" (1981), directed by Monty Python colleague Terry Gilliam, "Clockwise" (1986) and the cult comedy "A Fish Called Wanda" (1987), which also stars Monty Python's Michael Palin.

Cleese took on numerous speaking roles and guest appearances during his career, such as a man who looks like John Cleese in the comedy "Bullseye". At the end of the 1990s, he played the successor to Armsmaster Q in two James Bond films with Pierce Brosnan and the Gryffindor house ghost in two Harry Potter films.

Against political correctness

After bringing "Fawlty Towers" to the theater stage in London this year, albeit without playing himself, he is now working with daughter Camilla on a reboot for television. Cleese wants to bring Basil Fawlty into the present day - with everything that annoys him. The fact that he was criticized for this on social media left him cold.

He has been annoyed by political correctness and sensitivities for years. "I don't think people with little sense of humor should dictate what people with a sense of humor are allowed to enjoy."

Just last year, John Cleese, who rejected the accolade he was given as "silly", went on a major world tour. The title: "Last chance to see me before I die" - "the last chance to see me before I die". Most recently, he was busy with "Monty Python's Life of Brian Brian".

Four marriages and two daughters

Why is he still working so much at over 80? "Well, it's the divorce, darling," Cleese recently said with his characteristic sarcasm on the British TV talk show "Lorraine". "If it wasn't for that, I'd be lying in the sun." He was referring to his divorce from his third wife Alyce in 2008, when a court in California ruled that he had to pay her around 20 million US dollars. He tongue-in-cheek called his subsequent stand-up tour the "Alimony Tour".

The comedian was married to Connie Booth from 1968 to 1978. They continued to work together on "Fawlty Towers" when they were already separated and are still friends today. The marriage produced their daughter Cynthia. His marriage to US actress Barbara Trentham, Camilla's mother, lasted from 1981 to 1990.

The British comedy star has been married to ex-model and jewelry designer Jennifer Wade since 2012. The age difference of 31 years doesn't matter because they both have a similar quirky sense of humor. "We are kindred spirits," John Cleese told the magazine "Hello". "When people see us together, they notice it immediately."

SDA