Latest news with #JohnCleese
The Sun
14-07-2025
- Entertainment
- The Sun
Eric Idle reignites Monty Python feud as he brands co-star ‘a hypocrite' for ‘turning down $30m' reunion
COMEDY royalty Eric Idle appears to have refuelled the financial fire between his former Monty Python co-stars. LA-based Eric, 82, previously said he is still having to work as he receives only a fraction of the millions the legendary comedy team have made in the past. 6 6 The trailblazing Pythons included Idle, John Cleese, Michael Palin, Terry Gilliam and the late Terry Jones - and were responsible for films Life of Brian, hit stage show Spamalot and the original Flying Circus BBC TV series. The 82-year-old told The Big Issue: "Michael [Palin] said he was sad to see us break up? He was the first to leave! He's such a hypocrite. "I mean in some ways we split up immediately before The Holy Grail. "John didn't want to do a fourth series. After that we decided to just stick to films. "After Life of Brian, we actually did The Meaning of Life, which was our last film together. "Graham died shortly after that. Also, I think, when you've done religion and then the meaning of life, there are very few subjects left." He continued: "I can't believe Michael said he was sad. He turned down the opportunity to do it in America, in Australia, in South Africa. He turned down $30 [£22] million!" In 2024, Idle revealed the surviving Pythons were locked in a feud over finances. In messages on X, Idle previously wrote: 'I don't know why people always assume we're loaded. "I have to work for my living. I never dreamed that at this age the income streams would tail off so disastrously. 'Like a Monty Python skit' - Incredible jockey running race goes viral as fans hail 'greatest thing ever seen' 'I have been working and earning for Pythons since 1995. And now no more.' He added: 'I guess if you put a Gilliam child [Holly] in as your manager you should not be so surprised. 'One Gilliam is bad enough. Two can take out any company.' Despite the success of 1975's Monty Python and the Holy Grail, Life of Brian had funding issues and was almost canned - but was saved by a Beatle. In a Letter To My Younger Self for The Big Issue, the Monty Python star said: 'I got lucky, because I had to. I survived pancreatic cancer. "So I feel that since 2019 I've had a reprieve. I don't know or care what people say about me, I'm lucky every single day.' He said: 'For a while we had no money. [Media proprietor] Lew Grade read it and just went nuts. He said, we can't possibly make this. I went to America to find money. 'I had been talking to George Harrison who was a huge fan, and he said, 'I'll phone you in the morning, don't worry'. And I thought, well, nobody's got four and a half million dollars. 'But finally, when everybody turned us down, there was a call from him saying, 'I've got you the money'. 'He had mortgaged his house and his business and raised the cash and put it all on a Python film. The most extraordinary thing to do.' 6 6 6
The Advertiser
12-07-2025
- Entertainment
- The Advertiser
Eric Idle slams 'ungrateful' Monty Python co-stars
Eric Idle has blasted his Monty Python co-stars for being "miserable and horrible and bitchy" about royalty payments. The 82-year-old comic wrote stage show Spamalot, which is based on his 1975 movie Monty Python and the Holy Grail, and he thinks the rest of the comedy troupe - whose surviving members are John Cleese, Terry Gilliam, and Michael Palin - should be more "grateful" for the money they receive from the production. Asked if the other Pythons receive royalty payments, he told The Guardian newspaper: "They got more f***ing money than they've ever been grateful for. They got f***ing millions and they're miserable and horrible and bitchy about it. "I spent 20 years working for Python and then two years on the O2 show. They were there for two weeks. "I'm not really motivated by money, to be honest. Anyway, the producers get all the f***ing money and divide it up according to the contract. "Someone sued us for years, saying I was paying the Pythons money from my back pocket. And I said: why would I risk going to an American jail to give John Cleese more money?" Idle admitted there was a "lot of arguing and fights" between the Monty Python stars but he thinks that was good for their work. He said: "Some things in Python were very enjoyable and some were not. Holy Grail was cold and miserable. Sometimes that makes it funny. One of the worst things you can have in comedy is enough money. "Python was quite a lot of arguing and fights and good work is often like that. The best thing about showbiz is when it's over. I think if you're enjoying yourself, then you're not acting or giving, you're just having a good time. Well, that's not funny." Eric Idle has blasted his Monty Python co-stars for being "miserable and horrible and bitchy" about royalty payments. The 82-year-old comic wrote stage show Spamalot, which is based on his 1975 movie Monty Python and the Holy Grail, and he thinks the rest of the comedy troupe - whose surviving members are John Cleese, Terry Gilliam, and Michael Palin - should be more "grateful" for the money they receive from the production. Asked if the other Pythons receive royalty payments, he told The Guardian newspaper: "They got more f***ing money than they've ever been grateful for. They got f***ing millions and they're miserable and horrible and bitchy about it. "I spent 20 years working for Python and then two years on the O2 show. They were there for two weeks. "I'm not really motivated by money, to be honest. Anyway, the producers get all the f***ing money and divide it up according to the contract. "Someone sued us for years, saying I was paying the Pythons money from my back pocket. And I said: why would I risk going to an American jail to give John Cleese more money?" Idle admitted there was a "lot of arguing and fights" between the Monty Python stars but he thinks that was good for their work. He said: "Some things in Python were very enjoyable and some were not. Holy Grail was cold and miserable. Sometimes that makes it funny. One of the worst things you can have in comedy is enough money. "Python was quite a lot of arguing and fights and good work is often like that. The best thing about showbiz is when it's over. I think if you're enjoying yourself, then you're not acting or giving, you're just having a good time. Well, that's not funny." Eric Idle has blasted his Monty Python co-stars for being "miserable and horrible and bitchy" about royalty payments. The 82-year-old comic wrote stage show Spamalot, which is based on his 1975 movie Monty Python and the Holy Grail, and he thinks the rest of the comedy troupe - whose surviving members are John Cleese, Terry Gilliam, and Michael Palin - should be more "grateful" for the money they receive from the production. Asked if the other Pythons receive royalty payments, he told The Guardian newspaper: "They got more f***ing money than they've ever been grateful for. They got f***ing millions and they're miserable and horrible and bitchy about it. "I spent 20 years working for Python and then two years on the O2 show. They were there for two weeks. "I'm not really motivated by money, to be honest. Anyway, the producers get all the f***ing money and divide it up according to the contract. "Someone sued us for years, saying I was paying the Pythons money from my back pocket. And I said: why would I risk going to an American jail to give John Cleese more money?" Idle admitted there was a "lot of arguing and fights" between the Monty Python stars but he thinks that was good for their work. He said: "Some things in Python were very enjoyable and some were not. Holy Grail was cold and miserable. Sometimes that makes it funny. One of the worst things you can have in comedy is enough money. "Python was quite a lot of arguing and fights and good work is often like that. The best thing about showbiz is when it's over. I think if you're enjoying yourself, then you're not acting or giving, you're just having a good time. Well, that's not funny."
Perth Now
12-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Perth Now
Eric Idle blasts Monty Python co-stars
Eric Idle has blasted his Monty Python co-stars for being ungrateful The 82-year-old star – who wrote the musical Spamalot – lashed out at surviving Monty Python members John Cleese, Terry Gilliam and Michael Palin and said they should be grateful for the millions they have made in royalty payments from the musical, which is based on the 1975 film Monty Python and the Holy Grail. He told The Guardian: 'They got more f****** money than they've ever been grateful for. They got f****** millions and they're miserable and horrible and b***** about it. I spent 20 years working for Python and then two years on the O2 show. They were there for two weeks. 'I'm not really motivated by money, to be honest. Anyway, the producers get all the f****** money and divide it up according to the contract. Someone sued us for years, saying I was paying the Pythons money from my back pocket. And I said: 'why would I risk going to an American jail to give John Cleese more money?'' Meanwhile, Idle also claimed that his co-stars Cleese and the late Graham Chapman were 'very nasty to Miriam Margolyes'. He said: 'I think some of them were scared of women. John Cleese and Graham Chapman were very nasty to Miriam Margolyes and she's hated them ever since. I always have to remind her that we were friends and I stayed at her apartment. It wasn't all of us. But most of that generation were terribly cruel.' Eric also admitted 'Python was quite a lot of arguing and fights'. He explained: 'Some things in Python were very enjoyable and some were not. Holy Grail was cold and miserable. Sometimes that makes it funny. One of the worst things you can have in comedy is enough money. 'Python was quite a lot of arguing and fights and good work is often like that. The best thing about showbiz is when it's over. I think if you're enjoying yourself, then you're not acting or giving, you're just having a good time. Well, that's not funny.'
Daily Mail
11-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
Monty Python's Eric Idle blasts 'ungrateful' co-stars for being 'miserable' making 'f***ing millions' from royalty payments - after declaring he was forced to sell his house and work past retirement age
Monty Python star Eric Idle has blasted his former co-stars for being so 'ungrateful' over the millions they made in royalty payments. The 82-year-old comedian, who famously wrote stage show Spamalot, has spoken out about how he thinks surviving members John Cleese, Terry Gilliam and Michael Palin should be more 'grateful' for the money they continue to receive from the production. It comes after back in February, Eric revealed there was a rift in the Monty Python troupe and confessed the show was a financial 'disaster'. They were all part of the comedy troupe where they came to prominence in the BBC show Monty Python's Flying Circus, which aired from 1969 to 1974. He told The Guardian newspaper: 'They got more f***ing money than they've ever been grateful for. They got f****** millions and they're miserable and horrible and b****y about it.' Adding to his frustration, Eric continued: 'I spent 20 years working for Python and then two years on the O2 show. They were there for two weeks. 'I'm not really motivated by money, to be honest. Anyway, the producers get all the f***ing money and divide it up according to the contract.' 'Someone sued us for years, saying I was paying the Pythons money from my back pocket. And I said: why would I risk going to an American jail to give John Cleese more money?' Eric also added that the group would often 'fight and argue' but he thinks it was good for their work. 'Some things in Python were very enjoyable and some were not,' he shared. 'Holy Grail was cold and miserable. Sometimes that makes it funny. One of the worst things you can have in comedy is enough money.' 'Python was quite a lot of arguing and fights and good work is often like that. The best thing about showbiz is when it's over. I think if you're enjoying yourself, then you're not acting or giving, you're just having a good time. Well, that's not funny.' The actor then went on to say he 'doesn't trust' AI and that it 'worries' him, including the likes of ChatGPT. Eric added: 'I don't trust AI. I mean, look at how many times you have to correct a word. It completely misreads you. ChatGPT writing essays really bothers me. The point is to find out what we think, not what a machine thinks.' Earlier this year, Eric revealed there was a rift in the Monty Python troupe. He explained that he's struggling financially and was forced to sell his house and continue working well past retirement age. He took aim at Holly Gilliam, the TV lawyer daughter of fellow Python Terry Gilliam, on social media. She took over the Python brand in 2013 as part of HDG Projects Ltd, and in a new tweet Eric wrote: 'I don't know why people always assume we're loaded. 'I have to work for my living. I never dreamed that at this age the income streams would tail off so disastrously. I have been working and earning for Pythons since 1995. And now no more.' In a dig at Holly, he continued: 'I guess if you put a Gilliam child in as your manager you should not be so surprised. One Gilliam is bad enough. Two can take out any company.' Eric's daughter Lily publicly stood by her father by penning on X: 'I'm so proud of my dad for finally finally finally starting to share the truth. 'He has always stood up to bullies and narcissists and absolutely deserves reassurance and validation for doing so.' His co-star John seemingly hit back with the backing of Holly. Cleese said in a post on X, formerly Twitter: 'I have worked with Holly for the last ten years, and I find her very efficient, clear-minded, hard- working, and pleasant to have dealings with.' He continued: 'Michael Palin has asked me to to make it clear that he shares this opinion. Terry Gilliam is also in agreement with this.'
Perth Now
11-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Perth Now
Eric Idle slams ungrateful Monty Python co-stars
Eric Idle has blasted his Monty Python co-stars for being "miserable and horrible and b****y" about royalty payments. The 82-year-old comic wrote stage show Spamalot, which is based on his 1975 movie Monty Python and the Holy Grail, and he thinks the rest of the comedy troupe - whose survivng members are John Cleese, Terry Gilliam, and Michael Palin - should be more "grateful" for the money they receive from the production. Asked if the other Pythons receive royalty payments, he told The Guardian newspaper: "They got more f****** money than they've ever been grateful for. They got f****** millions and they're miserable and horrible and b****y about it. "I spent 20 years working for Python and then two years on the O2 show. They were there for two weeks. "I'm not really motivated by money, to be honest. Anyway, the producers get all the f****** money and divide it up according to the contract. "Someone sued us for years, saying I was paying the Pythons money from my back pocket. And I said: why would I risk going to an American jail to give John Cleese more money?" Eric admitted there was a "lot of arguing and fights" between the Monty Python stars but he thinks that was good for their work. He said: "Some things in Python were very enjoyable and some were not. Holy Grail was cold and miserable. Sometimes that makes it funny. One of the worst things you can have in comedy is enough money. "Python was quite a lot of arguing and fights and good work is often like that. The best thing about showbiz is when it's over. I think if you're enjoying yourself, then you're not acting or giving, you're just having a good time. Well, that's not funny." Meanwhile, Eric is also concerned they didn't do enough to "protect" their image amid the rise of AI technology. He said: " I always felt that we ought to protect our images after I saw that tacky advert with Fred Astaire and the vacuum cleaner. I felt very bad about that. So I felt that we Pythons ought to have done something to protect our image in a way that's appropriate. But I don't think there is a way that's appropriate. "I have had my image done in one of those extraordinary machines where 40 cameras capture you from every angle. It was for a film they wanted to make sure they could finish. "But it worries me. I don't trust AI. I mean, look at how many times you have to correct a word. It completely misreads you. ChatGPT writing essays really bothers me. The point is to find out what we think, not what a machine thinks."
