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Coordinates	56°09′″N40°25′″N
{{infobox aircraft begin |name	Fixed-wing aircraft |image Image:Tarom.b737-700.yr-bgg.arp.jpg |caption A Boeing 737 airliner - an example of a fixed-wing aircraft }}

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A fixed-wing aircraft is an aircraft capable of flight using forward motion that generates lift as the wing moves through the air. Fixed-wing aircraft are distinct from rotary-wing aircraft in which wings rotate about a fixed mast and ornithopters in which lift is generated by flapping wings.

A powered fixed-wing aircraft that is propelled forward by thrust from a jet engine or propeller is typically called an aeroplane, airplane, or simply plane. Other types of powered fixed-wing aircraft include powered paragliders and ground effect vehicles. Unpowered fixed-wing aircraft, including gliders, paragliders, hang gliders and kites, can use rising air to gain height.

Most fixed-wing aircraft are flown by a pilot on board the aircraft, but some are designed to be remotely or computer-controlled.

Etymology

First attested in English in late 19th century, the word ''aeroplane'' derives from the French ''aéroplane'', which comes from the Greek ἀήρ (''aēr''), "air" + πλάνος (''planos''), "wandering". An ancient Greek term coined from these two words was ἀερόπλανος (''aeroplanos''), "wandering in air".

In the United Kingdom and most of the Commonwealth, the term "aeroplane" is used. In the United States, the term "airplane" is applied to these aircraft. The form "aeroplane" is the older of the two, dating back to the mid- to late-19th century. The spelling "airplane" was first recorded in 1907.

History

Many stories from antiquity involve flight, such as the Greek legend of Icarus and Daedalus, and the Vimana in ancient Indian epics. Around 400 BC in Greece, Archytas was reputed to have designed and built the first artificial, self-propelled flying device, a bird-shaped model propelled by a jet of what was probably steam, said to have flown some 200 m. This machine may have been suspended for its flight.

Some of the earliest recorded attempts with gliders were those by the 9th-century poet Abbas Ibn Firnas and the 11th-century monk Eilmer of Malmesbury; both experiments injured their pilots. Leonardo da Vinci researched the wing design of birds and designed a man-powered aircraft in his ''Codex on the Flight of Birds'' (1502).

In 1799, Sir George Cayley set forth the concept of the modern aeroplane as a fixed-wing flying machine with separate systems for lift, propulsion, and control. Cayley was building and flying models of fixed-wing aircraft as early as 1803, and he built a successful passenger-carrying glider in 1853. In 1856, Frenchman Jean-Marie Le Bris made the first powered flight, by having his glider ''"L'Albatros artificiel"'' pulled by a horse on a beach. In 1883, the American John J. Montgomery made a controlled flight in a glider. Other aviators who made similar flights at that time were Otto Lilienthal, Percy Pilcher, and Octave Chanute.

Sir Hiram Maxim built a craft that weighed 3.5 tons, with a 110-foot (34-meter) wingspan that was powered by two 360-horsepower (270-kW) steam engines driving two propellers. In 1894, his machine was tested with overhead rails to prevent it from rising. The test showed that it had enough lift to take off. The craft was uncontrollable, which Maxim, it is presumed, realized, because he subsequently abandoned work on it.

In the 1890s, Lawrence Hargrave conducted research on wing structures and developed a box kite that lifted the weight of a man. His box kite designs were widely adopted and became the prevalent type of aircraft until 1909. Although he also developed a type of rotary aircraft engine, he did not create and fly a powered fixed-wing aircraft.

The Wright brothers flights in 1903 are recognised by the ''Fédération Aéronautique Internationale'' (FAI), the standard setting and record-keeping body for aeronautics, as "the first sustained and controlled heavier-than-air powered flight". By 1905, the Wright Flyer III was capable of fully controllable, stable flight for substantial periods.

In 1906, Alberto Santos Dumont made what has been claimed as the first airplane flight unassisted by catapult and set the first world record recognised by the Aéro-Club de France by flying in less than 22 seconds. This flight was also certified by the FAI.

An early aircraft design that brought together the modern monoplane tractor configuration was the Bleriot VIII design of 1908. It had movable tail surfaces controlling both yaw and pitch, a form of roll control supplied either by wing warping or by ailerons and controlled by its pilot with a joystick and rudder bar. It was an important predecessor of his later Bleriot XI Channel-crossing aircraft of the summer of 1909.

World War I served as a testbed for the use of the aircraft as a weapon. Initially seen by the generals as a "toy", aircraft demonstrated their potential as mobile observation platforms, then proved themselves to be machines of war capable of causing casualties to the enemy. The earliest known aerial victory with a synchronised machine gun-armed fighter aircraft occurred in 1915, by German Luftstreitkräfte ''Leutnant'' Kurt Wintgens. Fighter aces appeared; the greatest (by number of air victories) was Manfred von Richthofen.

Following WWI, aircraft technology continued to develop. Alcock and Brown crossed the Atlantic non-stop for the first time in 1919. The first commercial flights took place between the United States and Canada in 1919.

Aircraft had a presence in all the major battles of World War II. They were an essential component of the military strategies of the period, such as the German Blitzkrieg or the American and Japanese aircraft carrier campaigns of the Pacific.

The first jet aircraft was the German Heinkel He 178, which was tested in 1939. In 1943, the Messerschmitt Me 262, the first jet fighter aircraft, went into service in the German Luftwaffe. In October 1947, the Bell X-1 was the first aircraft to exceed the speed of sound.

In 1948-49, aircraft transported supplies during the Berlin Blockade. New aircraft types, such as the B-52, were produced during the Cold War.

The first jet airliner, the de Havilland Comet, was introduced in 1952. The Boeing 707, the first widely successful commercial jet, was in commercial service for more than 50 years, from 1958 to 2010. The Boeing 747 was the world's biggest passenger aircraft from 1970 until it was surpassed by the Airbus A380 in 2005.

Overview

Structure

The most common configuration of a fixed-wing aircraft includes:

A ''fuselage'', a long, thin body, often cylindrical, and usually with tapered or rounded ends to make its shape aerodynamically smooth. The fuselage contains whatever flight crew, passengers, cargo, and payload the aircraft is designed to carry. In some designs, the fuselage also carries fuel and engine components. The pilots of manned aircraft operate them from a ''cockpit'' located at the front or top of the fuselage and equipped with windows, controls, and instruments.

A large horizontal ''wing'' with an airfoil cross-section shape. The wing deflects air downward as the aircraft moves forward, generating lifting force to support the aircraft in flight. The wing also stabilises the aircraft's roll (tilt left or right), and the wing-mounted ailerons control rotation about the roll axis. A wide variety of wing configurations (e.g., multiplane aircraft and delta wing planform) have been used.

A ''vertical stabiliser'' or fin, a vertical surface typically mounted at the rear of the aircraft and protruding above it. The vertical stabilizer stabilises the aircraft's yaw (turn left or right) and controls its rotation along that axis.

A ''horizontal stabiliser'' or tailplane, mounted at the back of the aircraft, either just below or at the top of the vertical stabilizer. The horizontal stabilizer is used to stabilise the aircraft's pitch (tilt up or down). Some aircraft use a front-mounted canard instead of a rear-mounted horizontal stabilizer

Powered aircraft have one or more ''engines'' that provide thrust to push the aircraft forward through the air. The most common propulsion units are propellers (powered by reciprocating or turbine engines) and jet engines (which provide thrust directly from the engine and usually also from a large fan mounted within the engine).

''Landing gear,'' a set of wheels, skids, or floats that support the aircraft while it is on the surface. On some aircraft the landing gear retract during flight to reduce drag.

Most aircraft are largely symmetrical along a plane of symmetry.

Some aircraft operate with different configurations. An aircraft may have two or more fuselages, or additional pods or booms. Some aircraft have more than one horizontal or vertical stabilizer, while V-tail aircraft combine the horizontal and vertical stabilizers into a pair of diagonal surfaces.

A ''flying wing'' aircraft has no discernible fuselage structure and horizontal or vertical stabilizers, though it may have small blisters or pods. The opposite of this is a ''lifting body'' which has no wings, though it may have small stabilising and control surfaces.

Controls

A number of controls allow pilots to direct aircraft in the air. The controls found in a typical fixed-wing aircraft are as follows:

A ''yoke'' or ''joystick,'' which controls rotation of the aircraft about the pitch and roll axes. A yoke resembles a kind of steering wheel, and a control stick is just a simple rod with a hand grip. The pilot can pitch the aircraft downward by pushing on the yoke or stick, and pitch the aircraft upward by pulling on it. Rolling the aircraft is accomplished by turning the yoke in the direction of the desired roll, or by tilting the control stick in that direction. Pitch changes are used to adjust the altitude and speed of the aircraft; roll changes are used to make the aircraft turn. Control sticks and yokes are usually positioned between the pilot's legs; however, a ''sidestick'' is a type of control stick that is positioned on either side of the pilot (usually the left side for the pilot in the left seat, and vice versa, if there are two pilot seats).

''Rudder pedals,'' which control rotation of the aircraft about the yaw axis. There are two pedals that pivot so that when one is pressed forward the other moves backward, and vice versa. The pilot presses on the right rudder pedal to make the aircraft yaw to the right, and on the left pedal to make it yaw to the left. The rudder is used mainly to balance the aircraft in turns, or to compensate for winds or other effects that tend to turn the aircraft about the yaw axis.

A ''thrust lever'' for each engine. These control the power produced by the engines and thus the thrust and hence airspeed.

''Brakes,'' used to slow and stop the aircraft on the ground, and sometimes for turns on the ground.

Other controls can include:

''Flap levers,'' which are used to control the position of flaps on the wings.

''Spoiler levers,'' which are used to control the position of spoilers on the wings, and to arm their automatic deployment in aircraft designed to deploy them upon landing.

''Trim controls,'' which usually take the form of knobs or wheels and are used to adjust pitch, roll, or yaw trim. These are often connected to small airfoils on the trail edge of the control surfaces called 'trim tabs'.

A ''tiller,'' a small wheel or lever used to steer the aircraft on the ground (in conjunction with or instead of the rudder pedals).

A ''parking brake,'' used to prevent the aircraft from rolling when it is parked on the ground.

The controls may allow full or partial automation of flight, such as an autopilot, a wing leveler, or a flight management system. Pilots adjust these controls to select a specific attitude or mode of flight, and then the associated automation maintains that attitude or mode until the pilot disables the automation or changes the settings. In general, the larger and/or more complex the aircraft, the greater the amount of automation available to pilots.

On an aircraft with a pilot and copilot, or instructor and trainee, the aircraft is made capable of control without the crew changing seats. The most common arrangement is two complete sets of controls, one for each of two pilots sitting side by side, but in some aircraft (military fighter aircraft, some taildraggers and aerobatic aircraft) the dual sets of controls are arranged one in front of the other (in tandem). A few of the less important controls may not be present in both positions, and one position is usually intended for the pilot in command (e.g., the left "captain's seat" in jet airliners). Some small aircraft use controls that can be moved from one position to another, such as a single yoke that can be swung into position in front of either the left-seat pilot or the right-seat pilot (e.g., Beechcraft Bonanza).

Aircraft that require more than one pilot usually have controls and displays intended to suit each pilot position, but still with sufficient duplication so that any of the pilots can fly the aircraft alone in an emergency. For example, in jet airliners, the controls on the left (captain's) side include both the basic controls and those normally manipulated by the pilot in command, such as the tiller, whereas those of the right (first officer's) side include the basic controls again and those normally manipulated by the copilot, such as flap levers. The unduplicated controls that are required for flight are positioned so that they can be reached by either pilot, but they are often designed to be more convenient to the pilot who manipulates them under normal conditions.

An unmanned aircraft is controlled remotely or via means such as gyroscopes or other forms of autonomous control.

Instruments

''Instruments'' provide information to the pilot and the co-pilot. ''Flight instruments'' provide information about the aircraft's speed, direction, altitude, and orientation. ''Powerplant instruments'' provide information about the status of the aircraft's engines and APU. ''Systems instruments'' provide information about the aircraft's other systems, such as fuel delivery, electrical, and pressurisation. ''Navigation and communication instruments'' include all the aircraft's radios. Instruments may operate mechanically or electrically, requiring 12VDC, 24VDC, or 400 Hz power systems. An aircraft that uses computerised CRT or LCD displays almost exclusively is said to have a ''glass cockpit.''

Basic instruments include:

An ''airspeed indicator,'' which indicates the speed at which the aircraft is moving through the surrounding air.

An ''altimeter,'' which indicates the altitude of the aircraft above mean sea level.

A ''heading indicator,'' (sometimes referred to as a "directional gyro (DG)"), which indicates the magnetic compass heading that the aircraft's fuselage is pointing towards. The actual direction the aircraft is flying towards is affected by the wind conditions.

An ''attitude indicator,'' sometimes called an ''artificial horizon,'' which indicates the exact orientation of the aircraft about its pitch and roll axes.

Other instruments might include:

A ''turn coordinator,'' which helps the pilot maintain the aircraft in a coordinated attitude while turning.

A ''vertical speed indicator,'' which shows the rate at which the aircraft is climbing or descending.

A ''horizontal situation indicator,'' shows the position and movement of the aircraft as seen from above with respect to the ground, including course/heading and other information.

Instruments showing the status of each engine in the aircraft (operating speed, thrust, temperature, and other variables).

Combined display systems such as ''primary flight displays'' or ''navigation displays.''

Information displays such as on-board ''weather radar'' displays.

Design and construction

Most aircraft are constructed by companies with the objective of producing them in quantity for customers. The design and planning process, including safety tests, can last up to four years for small turboprops, and up to 12 years for aircraft with the capacity of the A380.

During this process, the objectives and design specifications of the aircraft are established. First the construction company uses drawings and equations, simulations, wind tunnel tests and experience to predict the behavior of the aircraft. Computers are used by companies to draw, plan and do initial simulations of the aircraft. Small models and mockups of all or certain parts of the aircraft are then tested in wind tunnels to verify the aerodynamics of the aircraft.

When the design has passed through these processes, the company constructs a limited number of these aircraft for testing on the ground. Representatives from an aviation governing agency often make a first flight. The flight tests continue until the aircraft has fulfilled all the requirements. Then, the governing public agency of aviation of the country authorises the company to begin production of the aircraft.

In the United States, this agency is the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), and in the European Union, Joint Aviation Authorities (JAA). In Canada, the public agency in charge and authorising the mass production of aircraft is Transport Canada.

In the case of the international sales of aircraft, a license from the public agency of aviation or transports of the country where the aircraft is also to be used is necessary. For example, aircraft from Airbus need to be certified by the FAA to be flown in the United States and vice versa, aircraft of Boeing need to be approved by the JAA to be flown in the European Union.

Quieter aircraft are becoming more and more needed due to the increase in air traffic, particularly over urban areas, as aircraft noise pollution is a major concern.

Small aircraft can be designed and constructed by amateurs as homebuilts. Other homebuilt aircraft can be assembled using pre-manufactured kits of parts that can be assembled into a basic aircraft and must then be completed by the builder.

There are few companies that produce aircraft on a large scale. However, the production of an aircraft for one company is a process that actually involves dozens, or even hundreds, of other companies and plants, that produce the parts that go into the aircraft. For example, one company can be responsible for the production of the landing gear, while another one is responsible for the radar. The production of such parts is not limited to the same city or country; in the case of large aircraft manufacturing companies, such parts can come from all over the world.

The parts are sent to the main plant of the aircraft company, where the production line is located. In the case of large aircraft, production lines dedicated to the assembly of certain parts of the aircraft can exist, especially the wings and the fuselage.

When complete, an aircraft is rigorously inspected to search for imperfections and defects. After approval by inspectors, the aircraft is put through a series of flight tests to assure that all systems are working correctly and that the aircraft handles properly. Upon passing these tests, the aircraft is ready to receive the "final touchups" (internal configuration, painting, etc.), and is then ready for the customer.

Safety

When risk is measured by deaths per passenger kilometer, air travel is approximately 10 times safer than travel by bus or rail. However, when using the deaths per journey statistic, air travel is significantly more dangerous than car, rail, or bus travel. Air travel insurance is relatively expensive for this reason- insurers generally use the deaths per journey statistic. There is a significant difference between the safety of airliners and that of smaller private aircraft, with the per-mile statistic indicating that the former is 8.3 times safer than the latter.

Environmental impact

Aircraft types (by method of propulsion)

Fixed-wing aircraft can be sub-divided according to the means of propulsion they use.

Unpowered fixed-wing aircraft

Gliders are fixed-wing aircraft that are intended primarily for unpowered flight. Sailplanes, hang gliders, and paragliders are gliders used mainly for recreation. After launch, further energy is obtained through the skillful exploitation of rising air in the atmosphere. Gliders that are used for the sport of gliding have high aerodynamic efficiency. The highest lift-to-drag ratio is 70:1, though 50:1 is more common. Glider flights of thousands of kilometres at average speeds over 200 km/h have been achieved. The glider is most commonly launched by a tow-plane or by a winch. Some gliders, called motor gliders, are equipped with engines (often retractable), and some are capable of self-launching. The most numerous unpowered aircraft are hang gliders and paragliders. These are foot-launched and are in general slower, smaller, and less expensive than sailplanes. Hang gliders most often have flexible wings given shape by a frame, though some have rigid wings. Paragliders have no frames in their wings. Military gliders have been used in war to deliver assault troops, and specialised gliders have been used in atmospheric and aerodynamic research. Rocket-powered aircraft and spaceplanes have also made unpowered landings.

Propeller aircraft

Smaller and older propeller aircraft make use of reciprocating internal combustion engines that turns a propeller to create thrust. They are quieter than jet aircraft, but they fly at lower speeds, and have lower load capacity compared to similar-size jet-powered aircraft. However, they are significantly cheaper and much more economical than jets, and in general are the best option for people who need to transport a few passengers and/or small amounts of cargo. They are also the aircraft of choice for pilots who wish to own an aircraft.

Turboprop aircraft are a halfway point between propeller and jet: They use a turbine engine similar to a jet to turn propellers. These aircraft are popular with commuter and regional airlines, as they tend to be more economical on shorter journeys.

Jet aircraft

Jet aircraft make use of turbines for the creation of thrust. These engines are much more powerful than a reciprocating engine. As a consequence, they have greater weight capacity and fly faster than propeller driven aircraft. One drawback, however, is that they are noisy; this makes jet aircraft a source of noise pollution. However, turbofan jet engines are quieter, and they have seen widespread usage partly for that reason.

Most wide-body aircraft can carry hundreds of passengers and several tons of cargo, and are able to travel for distances up to 17,000 km.

Jet aircraft possess high cruising speeds (700 to 900 km/h, or 400 to 550 mph) and high speeds for take-off and landing (150 to 250 km/h). Due to the speed needed for takeoff and landing, jet aircraft make use of flaps and leading edge devices for the control of lift and speed, as well as thrust reversers to direct the airflow forward, slowing down the aircraft upon landing.

Supersonic aircraft, such as military fighters and bombers, use turbines (often with afterburners), to generate the power needed for flight faster than the speed of sound. Flight at supersonic speed creates sonic booms so is in general prohibited in areas of heavier population density. Supersonic airliners (e.g., Concorde) are no longer in use.

Solar-powered aircraft

A solar-powered aircraft generates the needed energy by means of solar cells. On 8 July 2010, the manned Solar Impulse became the first solar-powered aeroplane to fly through an entire night.

Rocket-powered aircraft

In World War II, the Germans deployed the Me 163 Komet rocket-powered aircraft. The first fixed-wing aircraft to break the sound barrier in level flight was a rocket plane – the Bell X-1. The later North American X-15 broke many speed and altitude records and laid much of the groundwork for later aircraft and spacecraft design. Rocket aircraft are not in common usage today, although rocket-assisted take offs are used for some military aircraft. Current rocket aircraft include the SpaceShipOne and the XCOR EZ-Rocket.

Ramjet aircraft and scramjet aircraft

A ramjet is a form of jet engine that contains no major moving parts and can be particularly useful in applications requiring a small and simple engine for high-speed use, such as missiles. The D-21 Tagboard was an Mach 3+ reconnaissance drone that was cancelled in 1971. The SR-71's engines ran 80% as ramjets at high speeds.

Scramjet aircraft are in the experimental stage. A scramjet has a very simple engine design. It works by air being forced into one side of a tube-like engine. That air is ignited by fuel, causing it to come out hotter and faster on the other side. This engine requires high speed in order to work, but it is suitable for the speeds at which it travels. The NASA X-43 is an experimental unmanned scramjet with a world speed record for a jet-powered aircraft – Mach 9.7, nearly at an altitude of about . The X-43A set the flight speed record in 2004.

See also

Aircraft flight mechanics

Airliner

Aviation

Aviation history

Fuel efficiency

List of altitude records reached by different aircraft types

Maneuvering speed

Rotorcraft

Notes

References

In 1903, when the Wright brothers used the word "aeroplane," it meant wing, not the whole aircraft. See text of their patent. U.S. Patent 821,393 – Wright brothers' patent for "Flying Machine"

Blatner, David. ''The Flying Book : Everything You've Ever Wondered About Flying On Airplanes''. ISBN 0-8027-7691-4

External links

The Aeroplane centre

Airliners.net

Aerospaceweb.org

How Airplanes Work – Howstuffworks.com

Category:Aeronautics Category:Aircraft configurations

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Coordinates	56°09′″N40°25′″N
birth date	July 24, 1947
birth place	Bethesda, Maryland, U.S.
othername	Robert B. Hays
occupation	Actor, producer, director
yearsactive	1975–present
spouse	Cherie Currie (1990-1997; 1 child }}

Robert Hays (born July 24, 1947) is an American actor and is arguably most well known for his role in the movie ''Airplane!''

Life and career

Hays has starred in several short-lived television series, including the 1978 production ''The Young Pioneers'' on ABC, the 1979 series ''Angie'', ''Starman'', on which he played the title character, and ''FM''. He played the role of 'Bud', the man thought to be Hyde's dad, in several episodes of ''That '70s Show''. Hays has also directed and produced for films and television.

He has also performed in many television movies and has done voice work such as the title character on the Marvel Comic adaptation of ''Iron Man''.

Filmography

Television programs and television movies

''The Initiation of Sarah'' (1978)

''Angie'' (TV series) (1979–1980)

''The Girl, the Gold Watch & Everything'' (TV) (1980)

''Starman'' (TV series) (1986–87)

''Murder by the Book'' (TV movie) (1987)

''FM'' (1989–1990) - 13 episodes

''Running Against Time'' (TV movie) (1990)

''Iron Man'' (TV series) (1994–1996) - 26 episodes (voice)

''Vanished (TV movie) (1995)

''Unabomber: the True Story'' (TV) (1996)

''The Incredible Hulk'' (TV) (1996) - 1 episode (voice)

''Spider-Man'' (TV) (1996 - 1997) - 6 episodes (voice)

''30 Years to Life'' (TV Movie) (1998)

''Kelly Kelly'' (TV) (1998) - 7 episodes

''The Outer Limits'' (TV series) (1999) - 1 episode

''That '70s Show'' (TV) (2000) - 2 episodes

''Bette'' (TV) (2001) - 2 episodes

Films

''Airplane!'' (1980)

''Take This Job and Shove It'' (1981)

''Utilities'' (1981)

''Airplane II: The Sequel'' (1982)

''Trenchcoat'' (1983)

''Touched'' (1983)

''Scandalous'' (1984)

''Cat's Eye'' (1985)

''Honeymoon Academy'' (1990)

''Fifty/Fifty (1992)

''Homeward Bound: The Incredible Journey'' (1993)

''No Dessert, Dad, Till You Mow the Lawn'' (1994)

''Raw Justice'' (1994)

''Cyber Bandits'' (1995)

''Homeward Bound II: Lost in San Francisco'' (1996)

''Christmas Every Day'' (1996)

''Dr. T & the Women'' (2000)

''An American Tail: The Mystery of the Night Monster'' (2000)

''The Santa Trap'' (2002)

''Freezerburn'' (2005)

''Superhero Movie'' (2008)

Produced and directed

''Starman'' (TV series) (1986) (Director)

''Kelly Kelly'' (TV series) (1998) (co-producer)

References

External links

Category:1947 births Category:American film actors Category:American television actors Category:American voice actors Category:Living people Category:Actors from Maryland Category:People from Bethesda, Maryland

de:Robert Hays fr:Robert Hays it:Robert Hays he:רוברט הייז pl:Robert Hays fi:Robert Hays

Coordinates	56°09′″N40°25′″N
name	John Cleese
birth name	John Marwood Cleese
birth date	October 27, 1939
birth place	Weston-super-Mare, Somerset, England
nationality	British
medium	Film, television, radio,stand-up
genre	Surreal comedy, Dark comedy, Physical comedy
active	1961–present
influences	Stephen Leacock, Spike Milligan, The Goons, William Shakespeare
spouse	(divorced) (divorced) (divorced)
domesticpartner	Barbie Orr (2008–2009)Jennifer Wade (2010–present)
website	TheJohnCleese.com }}

Lord John Marwood Cleese, Baron Cleese (born 27 October 1939) is an English actor, comedian, writer and film producer. He achieved success at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe, and as a scriptwriter and performer on ''The Frost Report''. In the late 1960s he became a member of Monty Python, the comedy troupe responsible for the sketch show ''Monty Python's Flying Circus'' and the four Monty Python films: ''And Now for Something Completely Different'', ''Holy Grail'', ''Life of Brian'' and ''The Meaning of Life''.

In the mid 1970s, Cleese and his first wife Connie Booth, co-wrote and starred in the British sitcom ''Fawlty Towers''. Later, he co-starred with Kevin Kline, Jamie Lee Curtis and former Python colleague Michael Palin in ''A Fish Called Wanda'' and ''Fierce Creatures''. He also starred in ''Clockwise'', and has appeared in many other films, including two ''James Bond'' films, two ''Harry Potter'' films, and three ''Shrek'' films.

With ''Yes Minister'' writer Antony Jay he co-founded the production company Video Arts, responsible for making entertaining training films.

Early life

Cleese was born in Weston-super-Mare, Somerset, the only child of Muriel (née Cross), an acrobat, and Reginald Francis Cleese (b. 1894), who worked in insurance sales. His family's surname was previously "Cheese", but his father changed it to "Cleese" in 1915 upon joining the Army.

Cleese was educated at St Peter's Preparatory School where he was a star pupil, receiving a prize for English studies and doing well at sport including cricket and boxing. At 13 he received an exhibition to Clifton College, an English public school in Bristol. He was tall as a child and was well over 6 ft when he arrived there. While at the school he is said to have defaced the school grounds for a prank by painting footprints to suggest that the school's statue of Field Marshal Earl Haig had got down from his plinth and gone to the toilet. Cleese played cricket for the first team, and after initial indifference he did well academically, passing 8 O-Levels and 3 A-Levels in mathematics, physics and chemistry.

After leaving school, he went back to his prep school to teach science before taking up a place he had won at Downing College, Cambridge, where he studied Law and joined the Cambridge Footlights. There he met his future writing partner Graham Chapman. Cleese wrote extra material for the 1961 Footlights Revue ''I Thought I Saw It Move'', and was Registrar for the Footlights Club during 1962, as well as being one of the cast members for the 1962 Footlights Revue ''Double Take!'' He graduated from Cambridge in 1963 with a 2:1 classification in his degree. Despite his successes on The Frost Report, his father would send him cuttings from the ''Daily Telegraph'' offering management jobs in places like Marks and Spencer.

Career

Pre-Python

Cleese was one of the script writers, as well as being a member of the cast, for the 1963 Footlights Revue, ''A Clump of Plinths'', which was so successful during the Edinburgh Festival Fringe that it was renamed ''Cambridge Circus'' and taken to the West End in London and then on a tour of New Zealand and Broadway, with the cast also appearing in some of the revue's sketches on ''The Ed Sullivan Show'' in September 1964.

After ''Cambridge Circus'', Cleese briefly stayed in America, performing on and Off-Broadway. While performing in the musical ''Half a Sixpence'', Cleese met future Python Terry Gilliam, as well as American actress Connie Booth, whom he married on 20 February 1968.

He was soon offered work as a writer with BBC Radio, where he worked on several programmes, most notably as a sketch writer for ''The Dick Emery Show''. The success of the Footlights Revue led to the recording of a short series of half-hour radio programmes, called ''I'm Sorry, I'll Read That Again'', which were so popular that the BBC commissioned a regular series with the same title which ran from 1965 to 1974. Cleese returned to England and joined the cast. In many episodes, he is credited as "John Otto Cleese".

Also in 1965, Cleese and Chapman began writing on ''The Frost Report''. The writing staff chosen for ''The Frost Report'' consisted of a number of writers and performers who would go on to make names for themselves in comedy. They included co-performers from ''I'm Sorry, I'll Read That Again'' and future Goodies Bill Oddie and Tim Brooke-Taylor, and also Frank Muir, Barry Cryer, Marty Feldman, Ronnie Barker, Ronnie Corbett, Dick Vosburgh and future Python members Eric Idle, Terry Jones and Michael Palin. It was while working on ''The Frost Report'', in fact, that the future Pythons developed the writing styles that would make their collaboration significant. Cleese and Chapman's sketches often involved authority figures, some of which were performed by Cleese, while Jones and Palin were both infatuated with filmed scenes that open with idyllic countryside panoramas. Idle was one of those charged with writing David Frost's monologue. It was during this period that Cleese met and befriended influential British comedian Peter Cook.

It was as an actual performer on the Frost Report that Cleese achieved his breakthrough on British television as a comedy actor, appearing as the tall, patrician figure on the classic class sketch, contrasting comically in a line-up with the shorter, middle-class Ronnie Barker and the shortest, working-class Ronnie Corbett. Such was the popularity of the series that in 1966 Cleese and Chapman were invited to work as writers and performers with Brooke-Taylor and Feldman on ''At Last the 1948 Show'', during which time the ''Four Yorkshiremen sketch'' was written by all four writers/performers (the Four Yorkshiremen sketch is now better known as a Monty Python sketch). Cleese and Chapman also wrote episodes for the first series of ''Doctor in the House'' (and later Cleese wrote six episodes of ''Doctor at Large'' on his own in 1971). These series were successful, and in 1969 Cleese and Chapman were offered their very own series. However, owing to Chapman's alcoholism, Cleese found himself bearing an increasing workload in the partnership, and was therefore unenthusiastic about doing a series with just the two of them. He had found working with Palin on ''The Frost Report'' an enjoyable experience, and invited him to join the series. Palin had previously been working on ''Do Not Adjust Your Set'', with Idle and Jones, with Terry Gilliam creating the animations. The four of them had, on the back of the success of ''Do Not Adjust Your Set'', been offered a series for Thames Television, which they were waiting to begin when Cleese's offer arrived. Palin agreed to work with Cleese and Chapman in the meantime, bringing with him Gilliam, Jones and Idle.

Monty Python

''Monty Python's Flying Circus'' ran for four seasons from October 1969 to December 1974 on BBC Television, though with only limited participation of Cleese in the last six shows. Cleese's two primary characterisations were as a sophisticate and a stressed-out loony. He portrayed the former as a series of announcers, TV show hosts, government officials (for example, "The Ministry of Silly Walks"). The latter is perhaps best represented in the "Cheese Shop", and by Cleese's Mr Praline character, the man with a dead Norwegian Blue parrot and a menagerie of other animals all named "Eric". He was also known for his working-class "Sergeant Major" character, who worked as a Police Sergeant, Roman Centurion, etc. he is also seen as the opening announcer, with the now famous line: "And now for something completely different", although in its premiere in the sketch "Man with Three Buttocks", the phrase was spoken by Eric Idle.

Partnership with Graham Chapman

Along with Gilliam's animations, Cleese's work with Chapman provided Python with its darkest and angriest moments, and many of his characters display the seething suppressed rage that later characterised his portrayal of Basil Fawlty.

Unlike Palin and Jones, Cleese and Chapman actually wrote together—in the same room; Cleese claims that their writing partnership involved him sitting with pen and paper, doing most of the work, while Chapman sat back, not speaking for long periods, then suddenly coming out with an idea that often elevated the sketch to a different level. A classic example of this is the "Dead Parrot" sketch, envisaged by Cleese as a satire on poor customer service, which was originally to have involved a broken toaster, and later a broken car (this version was actually performed and broadcast, on the pre-Python special ''How To Irritate People''). It was Chapman's suggestion to change the faulty item into a dead parrot, and he also suggested that the parrot be specifically a ''Norwegian Blue'', giving the sketch a surreal air which made it far more memorable.

Their humour often involved ordinary people in ordinary situations behaving absurdly for no obvious reason. Like Chapman, Cleese's poker face, clipped middle-class accent and imposing height allowed him to appear convincing as a variety of authority figures, such as policemen, detectives, Nazi officers, or government officials—which he would then proceed to undermine. Most famously, in the "Ministry of Silly Walks" sketch (actually written by Palin and Jones), Cleese exploits his stature as the crane-legged civil servant performing a grotesquely elaborate walk to his office.

Chapman and Cleese also specialised in sketches where two characters would conduct highly articulate arguments over completely arbitrary subjects, such as in the "cheese shop", the "dead parrot" sketch and "The Argument Sketch", where Cleese plays a stone-faced bureaucrat employed to sit behind a desk and engage people in pointless, trivial bickering. All of these roles were opposite Palin (who Cleese often claims is his favourite Python to work with)—the comic contrast between the towering Cleese's crazed aggression and the shorter Palin's shuffling inoffensiveness is a common feature in the series. Occasionally, the typical Cleese-Palin dynamic is reversed, as in "Fish Licence", wherein Palin plays the bureaucrat with whom Cleese is trying to work.

Though the programme lasted four series, by the start of series 3, Cleese was growing tired of dealing with Chapman's alcoholism. He felt, too, that the show's scripts had declined in quality. For these reasons, he became restless and decided to move on. Though he stayed for the third series, he officially left the group before the fourth season. Despite this, he remained friendly with the group, and all six began writing ''Monty Python and the Holy Grail''; Cleese received a credit on episodes of the fourth series which used material from these sessions, and even makes a brief appearance in one episode as the voice of a cartoon in the "Hamlet" episode, though he was officially unconnected with the fourth series. Cleese returned to the troupe to co-write and co-star in the Monty Python films ''Monty Python and the Holy Grail'', ''Monty Python's Life of Brian'' and ''Monty Python's The Meaning of Life'', and participated in various live performances over the years.

Post-Python

From 1970 to 1973, Cleese served as rector of the University of St Andrews. His election proved a milestone for the University, revolutionising and modernising the post. For instance, the Rector was traditionally entitled to appoint an "Assessor", a deputy to sit in his place at important meetings in his absence. Cleese changed this into a position for a student, elected across campus by the student body, resulting in direct access and representation for the student body for the first time in over 500 years. This was one of many changes that Cleese brought in.

Cleese achieved greater prominence in the United Kingdom as the neurotic hotel manager Basil Fawlty in ''Fawlty Towers'', which he co-wrote with his wife Connie Booth. The series won three BAFTA awards when produced and in 2000, it topped the British Film Institute's list of the 100 Greatest British Television Programmes. The series also featured Prunella Scales as Basil's acerbic wife Sybil, Andrew Sachs as the much abused Spanish waiter Manuel ("...he's from Barcelona"), and Booth as waitress Polly, the series' voice of sanity. Cleese based Basil Fawlty on a real person, Donald Sinclair, whom he had encountered in 1970 while the Monty Python team were staying at the Gleneagles Hotel in Torquay while filming inserts for their television series. Reportedly, Cleese was inspired by Sinclair's mantra, "I could run this hotel just fine, if it weren't for the guests." He later described Sinclair as "the most wonderfully rude man I have ever met," although Sinclair's widow has said her husband was totally misrepresented in the series. During the Pythons' stay, Sinclair allegedly threw Idle's briefcase out of the hotel "in case it contained a bomb," complained about Gilliam's "American" table manners, and threw a bus timetable at another guest after they dared to ask the time of the next bus to town.

The first series was screened from 19 September 1975 on BBC 2, initially to poor reviews, but gained momentum when repeated on BBC 1 the following year. Despite this, a second series did not air until 1979, by which time Cleese's marriage to Booth had ended, but they revived their collaboration for the second series. ''Fawlty Towers'' consisted of only twelve episodes; Cleese and Booth both maintain that this was to avoid compromising the quality of the series.

In December 1977, Cleese appeared as a guest star on ''The Muppet Show''. Cleese was a fan of the show, and co-wrote much of the episode. He appears in a "Pigs in Space" segment as a pirate trying to hijack the spaceship Swinetrek, and also helps Gonzo restore his arms to "normal" size after Gonzo's cannonball catching act goes wrong. During the show's closing number, Cleese refuses to sing the famous show tune from ''Man of La Mancha'', "The Impossible Dream". Kermit The Frog apologises and the curtain re-opens with Cleese now costumed as a Viking trying some Wagnerian opera as part of a duet with Sweetums. Once again, Cleese protests to Kermit, and gives the frog one more chance. This time, as pictured opposite this text, he is costumed as a Mexican maraca soloist. He has finally had enough and protests that he is leaving the show, saying "You were supposed to be my host. How can you do this to me? Kermit – I am your guest!". The cast joins in with their parody of "The Impossible Dream", singing "This is your guest, to follow that star...". During the crowd's applause that follows the song, he pretends to strangle Kermit until he realises the crowd loves him and accepts the accolades. During the show's finale, as Kermit thanks him, he shows up with a fictional album, his own new vocal record ''John Cleese: A Man & His Music'', and encourages everyone to buy a copy.

This would not be Cleese's final appearance with The Muppets. In their 1981 movie ''The Great Muppet Caper'', Cleese does a cameo appearance as Neville, a local homeowner. As part of the appearance, Miss Piggy borrows his house as a way to impress Kermit The Frog.

Cleese won the ''TV Times'' award for Funniest Man On TV – 1978 / 1979.

1980s and 1990s

During the 1980s and 1990s, Cleese focused on film, though he did work with Peter Cook in his one-off TV special ''Peter Cook and Co.'' in 1980. In the same year Cleese played Petruchio, in Shakespeare's ''The Taming of the Shrew'' in the BBC Television Shakespeare series. In 1981 he starred with Sean Connery and Michael Palin in the Terry Gilliam-directed ''Time Bandits'' as Robin Hood. He also participated in ''Monty Python Live at the Hollywood Bowl'' (1982), and starred in ''The Secret Policeman's Ball'' for Amnesty International. In 1985, Cleese had a small dramatic role as a sheriff in ''Silverado'', which had an all-star cast that included Kevin Kline, with whom he would star with in ''A Fish Called Wanda'' three years later. In 1986, he starred in ''Clockwise'' as an uptight school headmaster obsessed with punctuality and constantly getting in to trouble during a journey to a headmaster's conference.

Timed with the 1987 UK elections, he appeared in a video promoting proportional representation.

In 1988, he wrote and starred in ''A Fish Called Wanda'', as the lead, Archie Leach, along with Jamie Lee Curtis, Kevin Kline and Michael Palin. ''Wanda'' was a commercial and critical success, and Cleese was nominated for an Academy Award for his script. Cynthia Cleese starred as Leach's daughter.

Chapman was diagnosed with throat cancer in 1989; Cleese, Michael Palin, Peter Cook and Chapman's partner David Sherlock, witnessed Chapman's death. Chapman's death occurred a day before the 20th anniversary of the first broadcast of ''Flying Circus'', with Jones commenting, "the worst case of party-pooping in all history." Cleese's eulogy at Chapman's memorial service—in which he "became the first person ever at a British memorial service to say 'fuck'"—has since become legendary.

Cleese would later play a supporting role in Kenneth Branagh's adaptation of Mary Shelley's ''Frankenstein'' alongside Branagh himself and Robert De Niro. He also produced and acted in a number of successful business training films, including ''Meetings, Bloody Meetings'' and ''More Bloody Meetings''. These were produced by his company Video Arts.

With Robin Skynner, the group analyst and family therapist, Cleese wrote two books on relationships: ''Families and How to Survive Them'', and ''Life and How to Survive It''. The books are presented as a dialogue between Skynner and Cleese.

In 1996, Cleese declined the British honour of Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE). The follow-up to ''A Fish Called Wanda'', ''Fierce Creatures''—which again starred Cleese alongside Kevin Kline, Jamie Lee Curtis and Michael Palin—was also released that year, but was greeted with mixed reception by critics and audiences. Cleese has since often stated that making the second movie had been a mistake. When asked by his friend, director and restaurant critic Michael Winner, what he would do differently if he could live his life again, Cleese responded, "I wouldn’t have married Alyce Faye Eichelberger and I wouldn’t have made ''Fierce Creatures''."

In 1999, Cleese appeared in the James Bond movie, ''The World Is Not Enough'' as Q's assistant, referred to by Bond as "R". In 2002, when Cleese reprised his role in ''Die Another Day'', the character was promoted, making Cleese the new quartermaster (Q) of MI6. In 2004, Cleese was featured as Q in the video game ''James Bond 007: Everything or Nothing'', featuring his likeness and voice. Cleese did not appear in the subsequent Bond films, ''Casino Royale'' and ''Quantum of Solace''.

2000 to present

Cleese is currently Provost's Visiting Professor at Cornell University, after having been Andrew D. White Professor-at-Large from 1999–2006. He makes occasional, well-received appearances on the Cornell campus, but he lives in the town of Montecito, California.

In 2001, Cleese was cast in the comedy ''Rat Race'' as the eccentric hotel owner Donald P. Sinclair, the name of the Torquay Hotel owner that Cleese had based the character of Basil Fawlty.

In a 2005 poll of comedians and comedy insiders ''The Comedian's Comedian'', Cleese was voted second only to Peter Cook. Also in 2005, a long-standing piece of Internet humour, "The Revocation of Independence of the United States", was wrongly attributed to Cleese.

In 2006, Cleese hosted a television special of football’s greatest kicks, goals, saves, bloopers, plays and penalties, as well as football’s influence on culture (including the famous Monty Python sketch, “Philosophy Football”), featuring interviews with pop culture icons Dave Stewart, Dennis Hopper and Henry Kissinger, as well as football greats including Pelé, Mia Hamm and Thierry Henry. ''The Art of Soccer with John Cleese'' was released in North America on DVD in January 2009 by BFS Entertainment & Multimedia.

Cleese recently lent his voice to the BioWare video game ''Jade Empire''. His role was that of an "outlander" named Sir Roderick Ponce von Fontlebottom the Magnificent Bastard, stranded in the Imperial City of the Jade Empire. His character is essentially a British colonialist stereotype who refers to the people of the Jade Empire as savages in need of enlightenment. His armour has the design of a fork stuck in a piece of cheese.

He also had a cameo appearance in the computer game ''Starship Titanic'' as "The Bomb" (credited as "Kim Bread"), designed by Douglas Adams. When the bomb is activated it tells the player that "The ship is now armed and preparing to explode. This will be a fairly large explosion, so you'd best keep back about ". When the player tries to disarm the bomb, it says "Well, you can try that, but it won't work because ''nobody likes a smart-arse''!"

In 2002, Cleese made a cameo appearance in the movie ''The Adventures of Pluto Nash'', where he played "James", a computerised chauffeur of a hover car stolen by the title character (played by Eddie Murphy). The vehicle is subsequently destroyed in a chase, leaving the chauffeur stranded in a remote place on the moon.

In 2003, Cleese also appeared as Lyle Finster on the US sitcom ''Will & Grace''. His character's daughter, Lorraine, was played by Minnie Driver. In the series, Lyle Finster briefly marries Karen Walker (Megan Mullally).

In 2004, Cleese was credited as co-writer of a DC Comics graphic novel entitled ''Superman: True Brit''. Part of DC's "Elseworlds" line of imaginary stories, ''True Brit'', mostly written by Kim Howard Johnson, suggests what might have happened had Superman's rocket ship landed in Britain, not America.

From 10 November to 9 December 2005, Cleese toured New Zealand with his stage show, ''John Cleese—His Life, Times and Current Medical Problems''. Cleese described it as "a one-man show with several people in it, which pushes the envelope of acceptable behaviour in new and disgusting ways." The show was developed in New York with William Goldman and includes Cleese's daughter Camilla as a writer and actor (the shows were directed by Australian Bille Brown). His assistant of many years, Garry Scott-Irvine, also appeared, and was listed as a co-producer. It then played in universities in California and Arizona from 10 January to 25 March 2006 under the title "Seven Ways to Skin an Ocelot". His voice can be downloaded for directional guidance purposes as a downloadable option on some personal GPS-navigation device models by company TomTom.

In June 2006, while promoting a football song in which he was featured, entitled ''Don't Mention the World Cup'', Cleese appears to have claimed that he decided to retire from performing in sitcoms, instead opting to writing a book on the history of comedy and to tutor young comedians. This was an erroneous story, the result of an interview with ''The Times'' of London (the piece was not fact checked before printing).

In 2007, Cleese appeared in ads for Titleist as a golf course designer named "Ian MacCallister", who represents "Golf Designers Against Distance".

In 2007, he started filming the sequel to ''The Pink Panther'', titled ''The Pink Panther 2'', with Steve Martin and Aishwarya Rai.

On 27 September 2007, The Podcast Network announced it had signed a deal with Cleese to produce a series of video podcasts called HEADCAST to be published on TPN's website. Cleese released the first episode of this series in April 2008 on his own website, headcast.co.uk

In 2008, Cleese collaborated with Los Angeles Guitar Quartet member William Kanengiser on the text to the performance piece "The Ingenious Gentleman of La Mancha". Cleese, as narrator, and the LAGQ premiered the work in Santa Barbara.

According to recent reports, Cleese is currently working on a musical version of ''A Fish Called Wanda'' with his daughter Camilla. He also said that he is working on a new film screenplay for the first time since 1996's ''Fierce Creatures''. Cleese collaborates on it with writer Lisa Hogan, under the current working title "A Taxing Time". According to him, it is "about the lengths to which people will go to avoid tax. [...] It's based on what happened to me when I cashed in my UK pension and moved to Santa Barbara."

At the end of March 2009, Cleese published his first article as 'Contributing Editor' to ''The Spectator'': "The real reason I had to join ''The Spectator''".

On 6 May 2009, he appeared on ''The Paul O'Grady Show''. Cleese has also hosted comedy galas at the Montreal Just for Laughs comedy festival in 2006, and again in 2009. He had to cancel the 2009 appearance due to prostatitis, but hosted it a few days later.

Towards the end of 2009 and into 2010, Cleese appeared in a series of television adverts for the Norwegian electric goods shop chain, Elkjøp.

In March 2010 it was announced that Cleese would be playing Jasper in the video game "Fable III".

In 2009 and 2010, Cleese toured Scandinavia and the US with his Alimony Tour Year One and Year Two. In May 2010, it was announced that this tour would extend to the UK (his first tour in UK), set for May 2011 – The show is dubbed the 'Alimony Tour' in reference to the financial implications of Cleese's recent divorce. The UK tour starts in Cambridge on 3 May visiting Birmingham, Salford, Liverpool, Oxford, Leeds, Edinburgh and finishing in Palmerston North, New Zealand.

In October 2010 Cleese was featured in the launch of an advertising campaign by The Automobile Association for a new home emergency response product. Cleese appeared as a man who believed the AA couldn't help him during a series of disasters, including water pouring through his ceiling, with the line, “The AA? For faulty showers?”

Personal life

1960s to 1980s

Cleese met Connie Booth in the US during the late 1960s and the couple married in 1968. In 1971, Booth gave birth to Cynthia Cleese, their only child. With Booth, Cleese wrote the scripts for and co-starred in both series of the TV series ''Fawlty Towers'', even though the two were actually divorced before the second series was finished and aired. Cleese and Booth are said to have remained close friends since.

Cleese married American actress Barbara Trentham in 1981. Their daughter Camilla, Cleese's second child, was born in 1984. He and Trentham divorced in 1990. During this time, Cleese moved from the United Kingdom to California.

1990s to present

On 28 December 1992 he married American psychotherapist Alyce Faye Eichelberger. In January 2008 the couple announced they had split. The divorce was settled in December 2008. The divorce settlement left Eichelberger with £12 million in finance and assets, including £600,000 a year for seven years. Cleese stated that "What I find so unfair is that if we both died today, her children would get much more than mine".

In April 2010, Cleese revealed on ''The Graham Norton Show'' on BBC One that he had started a new relationship with a woman 31 years his junior, Jennifer Wade. In this same show, he revealed that he is no longer a vegetarian, as he claimed to have enjoyed eating dog in Hong Kong.

During the disruption caused by the Eyjafjallajökull eruption in 2010 Cleese became stranded in Oslo and decided to take a taxi to Brussels. The 1500 km journey cost £3,300 and was completed with the help of three drivers who took shifts in driving Cleese to his destination where he planned to take a Eurostar passenger train to the UK.

Cleese has a passion for lemurs. Following the 1997 comedy film ''Fierce Creatures'', in which the ring-tailed lemur played a key role, he hosted the 1998 BBC documentary ''In the Wild: Operation Lemur with John Cleese'', which tracked the progress of a reintroduction of Black-and-white Ruffed Lemurs back into the Betampona Reserve in Madagascar. The project had been partly funded by Cleese's donation of the proceeds from the London premier of ''Fierce Creatures''. Cleese is quoted as saying, "I adore lemurs. They're extremely gentle, well-mannered, pretty and yet great fun... I should have married one."

Political views

Currently a member of the Liberal Democrats after previously being a Labour party voter, Cleese switched to the SDP after their formation in 1981, and during the 1987 general election, Cleese recorded a nine minute party political broadcast for the SDP-Liberal Alliance, which spoke about the similarities and failures of the other two parties in a more humorous tone than standard political broadcasts. Cleese has since appeared in broadcasts for the Liberal Democrats, in the 1997 general election and narrating a radio election broadcast for the party during the 2001 general election. In April 2010, Cleese posted a Twitter declaring his support for the Lib Dems after Nick Clegg performed strongly in the first leaders' debate on ITV1, stating: "Well, well, well. First leaders debate, and LibDems do so well. Good luck to them."

In April 2011, Cleese revealed that he had declined a life peerage for political services in 1999. Outgoing leader of the Liberal Democrats, Paddy Ashdown, had put forward the suggestion shortly before he stepped down, with the idea that Cleese would take the party whip and sit as a working peer, but the actor quipped that he "realised this involved being in England in the winter and I thought that was too much of a price to pay."

Cleese expressed support for Barack Obama's presidential candidacy, donating US$2,300 to his campaign and offering his services as a speech writer. He also criticised Republican Vice-Presidential candidate Sarah Palin—saying that "Michael Palin is no longer the funniest Palin"— and wrote a satirical poem about Fox News commentator Sean Hannity for ''Countdown with Keith Olbermann''.

Radio credits

''I'm Sorry, I'll Read That Again''

''I'm Sorry I Haven't a Clue'' (1972–73)

Television credits

Major roles

''The Frost Report'' (1966)

''Frost on Sunday''

''At Last the 1948 Show''

''How to Irritate People'' (1968) with Michael Palin, Graham Chapman, Connie Booth and Tim Brooke-Taylor

''Monty Python's Flying Circus'' (1969–1974)

''Sez Les'' (1971, 1974)

''Fawlty Towers'' (1975, 1979)

''Cheers (episode "Simon Says")'' (1987), he won an Emmy Award for best actor in a guest starring role

''The Taming of the Shrew'' (1980) as Petruchio

''True Stories: Peace in our Time?'' as Neville Chamberlain

As host

''The Human Face''

''Wine for the Confused''

''We Are Most Amused'': Master of Ceremonies for a stand-up comedy show celebrating Prince Charles's 60th Birthday.

Guest appearances

''The Avengers'' (1968), guest appearance as Marcus Rugman (egg clown-face collector) in the episode ''Look (Stop Me if You've Heard this One)...''

''The Goodies'' (1973), guest cameo appearance as a Genie in the episode ''The Goodies and the Beanstalk''

''Ripping Yarns'' (1979), guest cameo appearance as "Passer-by" in the episode ''Golden Gordon''

''Doctor Who'' (1979), guest cameo appearance as an Art Lover in the episode ''City of Death'' as a favour to writer/script editor Douglas Adams

''The Muppet Show'' (1977)

''Cheers'' (5th Season) as Dr. Simon Finch-Royce, an acquaintance of Kelsey Grammer's character Frasier Crane and fellow psychiatrist, who offers pre-marriage counseling advice to Sam and Diane, much to his later chagrin.

''Last of the Summer Wine'' (1993), guest cameo appearance in the episode ''Welcome to Earth''.

''25 Years of Last of the Summer Wine'' (1997)

''3rd Rock from the Sun'' (1998–2001) as recurring character Dr. Liam Neesam.

''Casper & Mandrilaftalen'' (1999) both as the repairman of the purple Gunrack, and as the Danish soccer coach Bosse ''Bo Johansson''.

''Wednesday 9:30 (8:30 Central)'' (2002) as Red

''Will & Grace'' (2003–2004) as recurring character Lyle Finster.

Numerous commercials, including for supermarket chain Sainsbury's, snack firm Planters and a British government ''Stop Smoking'' campaign

Party political broadcasts for the Liberal Democrats and predecessor, the SDP-Liberal Alliance

In November 2009 commercials, in which he appears for Swedish electrical appliance chain "Elgiganten", began broadcasting in Sweden, as well as broadcasting in Denmark in late 2010.

Song "Don't Mention The World Cup" animated video played on ITV, BBC and Channel 4 News June 2006

Batteries Not Included—gadget show on UKTV channel Dave (2008)

Entourage as himself, season 7 finale (2010)

''Ronnie Corbett's Comedy Britain'' as Himself

Filmography

+ Films
! Year	! Title	! Role	Notes
1968		TV Publicist
1969	''''	Mr. Dougdale (director in Sotheby's)
1969	''''	Jones	Uncredited
1970	''''	Pummer	Writer
1971	''And Now for Something Completely Different''	Various Roles	Writer
1974	''Romance with a Double Bass''	Musician Smychkov	Writer
1975	''Monty Python and the Holy Grail''	Various Roles	Writer
1976	''Meetings, Bloody Meetings''	Tim	Writer/Executive ProducerDocumentary Short
1977	''''	Arthur Sherlock Holmes
1979	''Monty Python's Life of Brian''	Various Roles	Writer
1980	''''	Himself-Various Roles
1981	''''	Neville
1981	''Time Bandits''	Gormless Robin Hood
1982	''Privates on Parade''	Major Giles Flack
1983	''Yellowbeard''	Blind Pew
1983	''Monty Python's The Meaning of Life''	Various Roles	Writer
1985		Langston	His first line, as he walks into a bar tobreak up a brawl, is, "What's all this, then?")
1986		Mr. Stimpson
1988	''''	lawyer Archie Leach	Writer/Executive ProducerBAFTA Award for Best Actor in a Leading RoleNominated—Academy Award For Best Original ScreenplayNominated—BAFTA Award for Best Original ScreenplayNominated—Golden Globe Award for Best Actor – Motion Picture Musical or Comedy
1989	''Erik the Viking	Halfdan the Black
1990	''Bullseye!''	Man on the Beach inBarbados Who Looks Like John Cleese
1991	''An American Tail: Fievel Goes West''	Cat R. Waul	Voice Only
1992	''Did I Ever Tell You How Lucky You Are?''		Narrator
1993	''Splitting Heirs''	Raoul P. Shadgrind
1994	''Mary Shelley's Frankenstein''	Professor Waldman
1994	''''	Dr. Julius Plumford
1994	''''	Jean-Bob
1996	''	Mr. Toad's Lawyer
1996	''Fierce Creatures''	Rollo Lee	Writer/Producer
1997		An Ape Named 'Ape'	Voice Only
1998	''In the Wild: Operation Lemur with John Cleese''	Host	Narrator
1999	''''	Mr. Mersault
1999	''''	R
2000	''Isn't She Great''	Henry Marcus
2000	''''	Albert, The Magic Pudding	Voice Only
2001	''Quantum Project''	Alexander Pentcho
2001	''Here's Looking at You: The Evolution of the Human Face''		Narrator
2001		Donald P. Sinclair
2001		"Nearly Headless Nick"
2002		"Nearly Headless Nick"	Nominated—Phoenix Film Critics Society Award for Best Ensemble Acting
2002		The Talking Crickett	Voice Only: English Version
2002	''Die Another Day''	Q	Second appearance in a James Bond film,replaces Desmond Llewelyn as Q in the series
2002	''''	James
2003	''Charlie's Angels: Full Throttle''	Mr. Munday
2003		Charles Merchant
2003	''George of the Jungle 2''	An Ape Named 'Ape'	Voice Only
2004	''Shrek 2''	King Harold	Voice Only
2004		Grizzled Sergeant
2005		Mercury	Voice Only
2006		Samuel the Sheep	Voice Only
2006		Dr. Primkin
2007	''Shrek the Third''	King Harold	Voice Only
2008		Dr. Glickenstein	Voice Only
2008	''''	Dr. Barnhardt
2009	''''	Inspector Charles Dreyfus
2009	''Planet 51''	Professor Kipple	Voice Only
2010		The Guv	Awaiting international release
2010	''Legend of the Guardians: The Owls of Ga'Hoole''	Ghost	Voice Only
2010	''Shrek Forever After''	King Harold	Voice Only
2011	''Happy Feet 2''	Himself	Voice Onlypost-production
2011		Narrator	Voice Only

Video game credits

''Monty Python's Complete Waste of Time'' (1994) 7th Level

''Monty Python & the Quest for the Holy Grail'' (1996) 7th Level

''Monty Python's The Meaning of Life'' (1997) Panasonic

''Starship Titanic'' (1998) Simon & Schuster Interactive (voice of the Bomb) — (Credited as Kim Bread)

''007 Racing'' (2000) Electronic Arts

''The World Is Not Enough'' (2000) Electronic Arts

''James Bond 007: Everything or Nothing'' (2004) Electronic Arts

''Trivial Pursuit: Unhinged'' (2004) Atari

''Jade Empire'' (2005) BioWare (as Sir Roderick Ponce von Fontlebottom the Magnificent Bastard)

''Shrek the Third'' (2007) King Harold, Narrator

''Fable III'' (2010) Jasper

Awards

Academy Awards

* (1988) Nominated—Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay / ''A Fish Called Wanda'' (shared with Charles Crichton)

Golden Globe Awards

* (1988) Nominated—Golden Globe Award for Best Actor - Motion Picture Musical or Comedy / ''A Fish Called Wanda''

BAFTA Awards

* (1970) Nominated—BAFTA Television Award for "Best Light Entertainment Performance" / ''Monty Python's Flying Circus''

* (1971) Nominated—BAFTA Television Award for "Best Light Entertainment Performance" / ''Monty Python's Flying Circus''

* (1976) Nominated—BAFTA Television Award for "Best Light Entertainment Performance" / ''Fawlty Towers''

* (1980) Won—BAFTA Television Award for "Best Light Entertainment Performance" / ''Fawlty Towers''

* (1989) Nominated—BAFTA Award for Best Original Screenplay / ''A Fish Called Wanda''

* (also 1989) Won—BAFTA Award for Best Actor in a Leading Role''

Primetime Emmy Awards

* (1987) Won—Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Guest Actor - Comedy Series / ''Cheers'' (as ''Dr. Simon Finch-Royce'')

* (1998) Nominated—Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Guest Actor – Comedy Series / ''3rd Rock from the Sun'' (as ''Dr. Liam Neesam'')

* (2002) Nominated—Primetime Emmy Award for "Outstanding Nonfiction Special" / ''The Human Face''

* (2004) Nominated—Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Guest Actor – Comedy Series / ''Will & Grace'' (as ''Lyle Finster'')

Writers Guild of America

* (1989) Nominated—Writers Guild of America Award for Best Original Screenplay / ''A Fish Called Wanda'' (shared with Charles Crichton)

Other credits

In 2003, John Cleese took part in Mike Oldfield's re-recording of the 1973 hit ''Tubular Bells'', ''Tubular Bells 2003''. He took over the "Master of Ceremonies" duties in the ‘Finale’ part, in which he announced the various instruments eccentrically, from the late Vivian Stanshall.

Cleese recorded the voice of God for ''Spamalot'', the musical based on ''Monty Python and the Holy Grail.''

Cleese narrated the audio version of C. S. Lewis's ''The Screwtape Letters''.

In the mid 1980s, Cleese starred in British advertisements for Compaq computers.

In the late-1990s, Cleese appeared in a set of poorly-received commercials for the UK supermarket chain Sainsbury's. Around the same time, his ''Fawlty Towers'' co-star, Prunella Scales, appeared in more well-received commercials for rival chain Tesco.

He has enunciated a set of directions for the TomTom in-car navigation system. This allows itself humorous notes at non-critical moments, for instance when asking for a U-turn and when signing off: "I'm not going to carry your baggage—from now on, you're on your own" and "Bear right..Beaver left."

He plays the voice of Samuel the Sheep in the 2006 adaptation of ''Charlotte's Web''. Samuel repeatedly tells the other sheep to be individuals, not sheep. This is a reference to ''Monty Python's Life of Brian''.

He has a speaking part at the end of the Alan Parsons song "Chomolungma" from the album ''A Valid Path''.

In 2008, John Cleese appeared in a humorous TV commercial in Poland advertising a bank loan.

From 2006 to 2008 John Cleese has appeared in humorous TV commercials in Iceland advertising Kaupþing.

Honours and tributes

A species of lemur, ''Bemaraha Woolly Lemur'' or the "Avahi cleesei", has been named in his honour. John Cleese has mentioned this in television interviews. Also there is mention of this honour in "''New Scientist''"—and John Cleese's response to the honour.

An asteroid, 9618 Johncleese, is named in his honour.

Cleese declined a CBE (Commander of The British Empire) in 1996.

There is a municipal rubbish heap of in altitude that has been named Mt Cleese at the Awapuni landfill just outside Palmerston North after he dubbed the city "suicide capital of New Zealand".

"The Universal Language" skit from All in the Timing, a collection of short plays by David Ives, centres around a fictional language (Unamunda) in which the word for the English language is "johncleese".

The post-hardcore rock band, I Set My Friends On Fire, has a song on their You Can't Spell Slaughter Without Laughter album entitled "Reese's Pieces, I Don't Know Who John Cleese Is?".

Bibliography

''The Rectorial Address of John Cleese'', Epam, 1971, 8 pages

Foreword for ''Time and the Soul'', Jacob Needleman, 2003  ISBN 1-57675-251-8 (paperback)

''The Human Face'' (with Brian Bates) (DK Publishing Inc., 2001, ISBN 978-0-7894-7836-8)

''Cleese Encounters: The Unauthorized Biography of Monty Python Veteran John Cleese'', Jonathan Margolis, St. Martin's Press, 1992, ISBN 0-312-08162-6

Scripts

''The Strange Case of the End of Civilisation As We Know It'', w/Jack Hobbs & Joseph McGrath, 1977  ISBN 0-352-30109-0

''Fawlty Towers'', w/Connie Booth, 1977 (The Builders, The Hotel Inspectors, Gourmet Night)   ISBN 0-86007-598-2

''Fawlty Towers: Book 2'', w/Connie Booth, 1979 (The Wedding Party, A Touch of Class, The Germans)

''The Golden Skits of Wing Commander Muriel Volestrangler FRHS & Bar'', 1984  ISBN 0-413-41560-0

''The Complete Fawlty Towers'', w/Connie Booth, 1988  ISBN 0-413-18390-4 (hardcover), ISBN 0-679-72127-4 (paperback)

''A Fish Called Wanda: The Screenplay'', w/Charles Crichton, 1988  ISBN 1-55783-033-9

''Fawlty's Hotel: Sämtliche Stücke'', w/Connie Booth, (''The Complete Fawlty Towers'' in German), Haffmans Verlag AG Zürich, 1995

Dialogues

''Families and How to Survive Them'', w/A.Robin Skynner, 1983  ISBN 0-413-52640-2 (hardc.), ISBN 0-19-520466-2 (p/back)

''Life and How to Survive It'', w/A.Robin Skynner 1993  ISBN 0-413-66030-3 (hardcover), ISBN 0-393-31472-3 (paperback)

See also

Declining a British honour

References

External links

Official Podcast

John Cleese at the Museum of Broadcast Communications

John Cleese at the BBC Guide to Comedy

Podcast to celebrate The Life of Brian (March 2008)

Daily Llama: John Cleese Visits Lemurs at San Francisco Zoo

On-line video interview for Czech TV (24. 7. 2011)

Category:Alumni of Downing College, Cambridge Category:BAFTA winners (people) Category:Best Actor BAFTA Award winners Category:English expatriates in the United States Category:Cornell University faculty Category:Emmy Award winners Category:English comedians Category:English comedy writers Category:English film actors Category:English musical theatre actors Category:English radio actors Category:English radio writers Category:English stage actors Category:English television actors Category:English television personalities Category:English television writers Category:English voice actors Category:Monty Python members Category:Old Cliftonians Category:People from Weston-super-Mare Category:Rectors of the University of St Andrews Category:1939 births Category:Living people

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