The Cast

Graham Chapman:


Graham Chapman was a British comedian, actor, writer and physician. He was originally learning to become a doctor but later turned to acting when he joined a theatre group. He did finish his education in the medical field and became a full licensed doctor. Chapman graduated from Cambridge University

Monty Python Career:
Chapman is well known for playing the lead roles in the two popular Monty Python movies called Monty Python and the Holy Grail and The Life of Brian. He was also a co writer with John Cleese, another Member of the Pythons and coming up with one of their most famous sketches, The "dead Parrot" sketch.

Chapman's character is usually a very serious sophisticate or of some authoritative figure. He also plays characters such as police constable-

Death:
Chapman is he only member of the Pythons who is currently deceased. His passing has ceased any further reunions of the group. Like Idle has said "Monty Python is like the Beatles, if John Lennon were to come back from the dead there isn't any hope for another reunion."
Chapman was pronounced dead in 1992 because of a rare spinal cancer condition. He died at the age of 47.



John Cleese:


John Cleese is an Cambridge graduate like Chapman and also was his co-writer when producing the screen plays for the Flying Circus. He grew up with his parents wanting to give him a good education so he was sent to private schools and eventually ending up at Cambridge University. As he grew up he was ridiculed for his height, growing to be six feet when reaching the age of twelve. But realizing that humor could deflect aggressive behavior he began to create an interest in comedy. He began to enjoy humor in itself, collected jokes and dreamed to aspire like the legendary comedians every Briton knew when they were young on "The Goon Show".

Monty Python Career:
John Cleese and his character on the show would usually be either a sophisticate or just a crazy person. Rarely as a normal person. Played roles such as being a TV show host, announcers, or government officials. When playing as a crazy individual it would be people who were ordinary looking people but with suppressed rage that would burst out between sketches. Cleese was very well known for the vary vulgar and loud argument-like parts that he played.



Terry Gilliam:


Terry Gilliam is very well know for his iconic animations for Monty Python's Flying Circus. He is also a director and screenplay writer as well, having produced a series of films in the past.

Monty Python:
Terry Gilliam is the one responsible for the collage like animations for the show Flying Circus. They are also the trademark for the show and it also what Gilliam is known for today. Other than making animations, he also did appear on some sketches for the show such as the "Spanish Inquisition Sketch". He would normally play parts that no one else would really want to play such as wearing lots of make up or donning knight's armor.

After Monty Python:
After the movies with the Monty Python crew, Gilliam went on to make and produce films. A few of his films required a very high budget and they also didn't do to well with ticket sales. One movie that Gilliam intends to revive is "The Man Who Killed Don Quixote" with star Johnny Depp. Successful movies by Gilliam are "The Brothers Grimm", "12 Monkeys", "The Fisher King", and "Time Bandits". Most of the movies have been nominated and also won academy awards.


(a still from one of Gilliam's Animations for Monty Python's Flying Circus)







Eric Idle:


Monty Python Career:
Eric Idle was also a writer for the Monty Python Flying Circus crew. He would write alone and Cleese stated that this seemed unfair since the crew would vote on it and he would have one vote where the others would have paired up and have normally two votes instead. But Idle worked alone at his own pace despite the one less vote.

Many of Idle's character usually involve him having verbal peculiarities. Such as the man who speaks only in anagrams or the man who only speaks ends of words. Idle was also one of the younger members of the team also having graduated from Cambridge (a year behind Chapman and Cleese). He was also the one who was closest to the people who made up the fan base for the Monty Python shows.










Terry Jones:


Monty Python Career:
Jones was known for playing as a middle aged woman or a bowler hated man in the street. He was also Palin's co-writer when it came to writing up bits for the Monty Python Flying Circus show. He was also very memorable for his very gifted Chaplinesque style of comedy portrayed in a sketch like the "Undressing in Public" sketch.












Michael Palin:


Monty Python Career:
Palin was the youngest member to ever join the Monty Python cast. He worked with Terry Jones when writing up sketches for the show. His character tended to be the "straight man" or someone who was social inept. he is also known for playing as the It's" man int eh opening sequences of the show and is ranked among the list of "top 50 Comedians" along with Cleese and Idle.