John Cleese, an English child actor, comedian, screenwriter and producer, was born on October 27, 1939 in Weston-super-Mare, Somerset, England.

Cleese happened to be the only child of Reginald Francis Cleese, who worked as an insurance agent, and Muriel Evelyn Cross.

Cleese attended St Peter’s Preparatory School, where he excelled at cricket and boxing and won an English prize, paying for his education with money inherited from his mother. At the age of 13, he won an exhibition at Clifton College in Bristol, an English public school.

Cleese excelled academically, achieving eight O-levels and three A-levels in mathematics, physics and chemistry. He also played cricket for the First XI.

His autobiography states: Regardless, he claims that learning at the age of 17 that he had not been made house prefect by his caretaker had a negative impact on his attitude.

Due to the end of the national service scheme, there have been twice as many applicants for places at Cambridge as usual. As a result, Cleese returned to his prep school for two years to teach science, English, geography, history and Latin.

John Cleese’s career

Cleese first gained popularity at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival and as a playwright and actor on The Frost Report after leaving the Cambridge Footlights in the 1960s. In the late 1960s he helped found the Monty Python, the comic book group behind Monty Python’s Flying Circus.

Cleese appeared in several Monty Python films, including Monty Python and the Holy Grail (1975), The Life of Brian (1979) and The Meaning of Life (1979), alongside Terry Gilliam, Eric Idle, Terry Jones, Michael Palin. and Graham Chapman (1983).

The sitcom Fawlty Towers, in which Cleese played hotelier Basil Fawlty and won the British Academy Television Award for Best Entertainment Performance in 1980, was co-written by him and his first wife Connie Booth in the mid-1970s.

In a Channel 4 poll in 2001, Basil was ranked second on British Film’s list of the 100 greatest television characters, while in 2000 the series topped British Film’s list of the 100 greatest British television programs Institute.

In the films “A Fish Called Wanda” (1988) and “Fierce Creatures” (1997), which he also wrote, Cleese starred alongside Kevin Kline, Jamie Lee Curtis and Michael Palin, a former cast member of Python comedy. He received an Academy Award nomination for Best Original Screenplay for “A Fish Called Wanda.”

In addition to his starring roles in Time Bandits (1981) and Rat Race (2001), he also appeared in many other films such as Silverado (1985), Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein (1994), two James Bond films (as A and Q), two Harry Potter films (like Almost Headless Nick), and the last three Shrek films.

Cleese is an expert in dark humor, sketch comedy, political and religious satire, and surreal humor. In a 2005 Channel 4 poll of other comedians, he was ranked the second best comedian of all time.

Along with Yes Ministry author Antony Jay, he founded Video Arts, a production company that produces fun training films. Cleese co-founded the charity event The Secret Policeman’s Ball in 1976 to support Amnesty International.

A former staunch member of the Liberal Democrats, he declined the party’s invitation in 1999 to recommend him for a life peerage. He joined the resurgent Social Democratic Party in 2022 and gave a speech at his party conference this year.

Who are John Cleese’s children?

Cleese has two daughters; Camilla Cleese and Cynthia Cleese.

John Cleese Children: Camilla Cleese

Camilla Cleese was born on January 24, 1984 in the United Kingdom and is the daughter of John Cleese and Barbara Trentham, the late American model and actress. The British-born American actress, writer and producer has appeared on The One Show as well as the American television shows @Midnight and Bachelorette Weekend.

John Cleese Children: Cynthia Cleese

Cynthia Cleese was born on February 17, 1971 in Croydon, Surrey, England, United Kingdom. She is an actress, known for A Fish Called Wanda (1988), Fierce Creatures (1997) and I’m on Fire (1998).