Michael Palin
Known for Acting · 219 credits
- Born
- 1943-05-05 (age 83)
- Place of birth
- Broomhill, Sheffield, England, UK
- Also known as
- مایکل پیلین
Biography
Michael Edward Palin, CBE FRGS (born 5 May 1943) is an English comedian, actor, writer and television presenter best known for being one of the members of the comedy group Monty Python and for his travel documentaries. Palin wrote most of his comedic material with Terry Jones. Before Monty Python, they had worked on other shows such as The Ken Dodd Show, The Frost Report and Do Not Adjust Your Set. Palin appeared in some of the most famous Python sketches, including "Argument Clinic", "Dead Parrot", "The Lumberjack Song", and "The Spanish Inquisition".
Palin continued to work with Jones after Python, co-writing Ripping Yarns. He has also appeared in several films directed by fellow Python Terry Gilliam and made notable appearances in other films such as A Fish Called Wanda, for which he won the BAFTA Award for Best Actor in a Supporting Role. In a 2005 poll to find The Comedian's Comedian, he was voted the 30th favourite by fellow comedians and comedy insiders.
After Python, he began a new career as a travel writer and travel documentarian. His journeys have taken him across the world, including the North and South Poles, the Sahara desert, the Himalayas and, most recently, Eastern Europe. In 2000 Palin was honoured as a Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) for his services to television.
Known For
The Simpsons
1989
as Springfield History Museum curator (voice)
The Graham Norton Show
2007
as Self
Saturday Night Live
1975
as Self - Co-Host / Self - Special Guest / Dick Savage (uncredited) / Self - Host / Self / Various (uncredited)
The One Show
2006
as Self - Guest
Wogan
1982
as Self
Late Night with Conan O'Brien
1993
as Self - Guest
TV Shows (65)
The Simpsons
1989
as Springfield History Museum curator (voice)
The Graham Norton Show
2007
as Self
Saturday Night Live
1975
as Self - Co-Host / Self - Special Guest / Dick Savage (uncredited) / Self - Host / Self / Various (uncredited)
The One Show
2006
as Self - Guest
Wogan
1982
as Self
Late Night with Conan O'Brien
1993
as Self - Guest
The Jonathan Ross Show
2011
as Self
Les Rendez-vous du dimanche
1975
as Self
Film '72
1971
as Self
The Alan Titchmarsh Show
2007
as Self
Parkinson
1998
as Self
Monty Python's Flying Circus
1969
as Various / "It's" man
Pebble Mill at One
1972
Daytime Live
1987
Going Live!
1987
as Self
Legends
2006
as Self
Remembers…
2022
Staged
2020
as Michael
The Frank Skinner Show
1995
as Self
ZULU Comedy Galla
2010
as Michael Palin
The Secret Policeman's Ball
1976
as Self
Monty Python's Best Bits (Mostly)
2014
as Self (archive footage)
Clangers
2015
as Narrator (voice)
Vanity Fair
2018
as William Makepeace Thackeray
G.B.H.
1991
as Jim Nelson
Perspectives
2011
as Self
Ripping Yarns
1976
as Gerald Whinfrey / Roger / Kevin Orr / Uncle Jack
Fantasy World Cup
1998
as Self
Do Not Adjust Your Set
1967
as Various Characters
Small Prophets
2026
as Brian Sleep
Great Railway Journeys
1980
as Self - Presenter
Artsnight
2015
as Self
Monty Python: Almost the Truth (The Lawyer's Cut)
2009
as Self
A Life on Screen
2014
as Self
Clive Anderson All Talk
1996
as Self
Remember Me
2014
as Tom Parfitt
Friday Night, Saturday Morning
1979
Friday People
1985
Travels with Palin
1980
as Self
Movie Connections
2007
as Self
Michael Palin: Around the World in 80 Days
1989
as Self
Frost on Sunday
1968
as Self / Various Characters
Worzel Gummidge
2019
as The Green Man
Michael Palin: Travels of a Lifetime
2020
as Self - Host
Michael Palin's New Europe
2007
as Self
Omnibus Presents Comic Relief
1986
Full House
1972
as Various
David Frost Vs
2025
as self
A Series of Bird's
1967
Monty Python's Fliegender Zirkus
1972
as Various Characters
The Complete and Utter History of Britain
1969
Full Circle with Michael Palin
1997
as Self
Michael Palin in North Korea
2018
as Self - Host
Pole to Pole
1992
as Self
Himalaya with Michael Palin
2004
as Self - Presenter
Monty Python's Personal Best
2006
as Self / Various Characters
Sahara with Michael Palin
2002
as Self - Presenter
Twice a Fortnight
1967
Michael Palin's Hemingway Adventure
1999
Michael Palin: The Art of Travel
1989
Movies (154)
The Magic Faraway Tree
2026
as Know All
Monty Python and the Holy Grail
1975
as First Swallow-Savvy Guard / Dennis / Peasant 2 / Right Head / Sir Galahad the Pure / Narrator / King of Swamp Castle / Brother Maynard's Brother / Leader of The Knights Who Say NI!
Life of Brian
1979
as Wise Man #3 / Mr. Big Nose / Francis / Mrs. A / Ex-Leper / Announcer / Ben / Pontius Pilate / Boring Prophet / Eddie / Shoe Follower / Nisus Wettus
Brazil
1985
as Jack Lint
The Death of Stalin
2017
as Vyacheslav Molotov
Arthur Christmas
2011
as Ernie Clicker (voice)
A Fish Called Wanda
1988
as Ken Pile
Absolutely Anything
2015
as Kindly Alien (voice)
The Witches
1990
as Witch at Meeting (uncredited)
Monty Python's The Meaning of Life
1983
as Various Roles
Time Bandits
1981
as Vincent
Fierce Creatures
1997
as Adrian 'Bugsy' Malone
The Missionary
1982
as The Reverend Charles Fortescue
And Now for Something Completely Different
1971
as Gumby / Man with tape recorder / Phrasebook Author / Arthur Pewtey / Second self - defence student / Second Tenant / Lost His Wallet / Shrill Petrol Announcer / Milkman / Ernest Scribbler / Pet shop employee / Lumberjack / Headwaiter Gilberto / Herbert Anchovy / Blackmail Presenter / Gervais Brookhamster / Town Guild Lady
50 Films to See Before You Die
2006
as Self
The Secret Policeman's Ball
2012
as Self
The Wind in the Willows
1996
as The Sun
Jabberwocky
1977
as Dennis Cooper
Monty Python Live at the Hollywood Bowl
1982
as Various Roles
A Liar's Autobiography: The Untrue Story of Monty Python's Graham Chapman
2012
as Various (voice)
Concert for George
2003
as Self
David Attenborough's 100 Years on Planet Earth
2026
as Self
A Private Function
1984
as Gilbert Chilvers
Remember the Secret Policeman's Ball?
2004
as Self
The Wind in the Willows
1995
as Rat
Monty Python & the Holy Grail Location Report
1974
as Self
Monty Python: Live at Aspen
1998
as Self
How to Irritate People
1969
as Various
American Friends
1991
as Rev. Francis Ashby
The Secret Policeman's Other Ball
1982
as Self - Various Roles
Monty Python Live (Mostly)
2014
as Self, others
The Grand Knockout Tournament
1987
as Self
The Wipers Times
2013
as General Mitford
Hitler: The Comedy Years
2007
as Heinrich Himmler (archive footage) (uncredited)
The Roots of Monty Python
2005
as Self (archive footage)
Monty Python: The Meaning of Live
2014
as Self
Robbie the Reindeer in Close Encounters of the Herd Kind
2007
as Gariiiiiii (voice)
Monty Python's Best Bits Celebrated
2021
as Self (archive footage)(uncredited)
Nelson Mandela 70th Birthday Tribute
1988
as Self
Monty Python Conquers America
2008
as Self
The Secret Policeman’s Biggest Ball
1989
as Self
Spike Milligan I told you I was ill... A live tribute
2002
as Self
An Accidental Studio
2019
as Self
The Best of Monty Python's Flying Circus Volume 1
2004
as Self (archive footage)
The Fringe, Fame and Me
2022
as Self
50 Years of BBC Two Comedy
2014
as Self
Joke
2026
Monty Python: Almost the Truth (The Lawyer's Cut) - Theatrical Release
2010
as Self
The Rutles: All You Need Is Cash
1978
as Eric Manchester
The Academy of Armando
2025
as Self
The Movie Life of George
1989
as Self
Life Of Brian Screenplay
2008
as Wise Man #3, Mr. Big Nose, Francis, Mrs. A, Ex-Leper
The Best of Monty Python's Flying Circus Volume 3
2004
as Self (archive footage)
Marty Feldman: Six Degrees of Separation
2008
as Self
Not the Messiah (He's a Very Naughty Boy)
2010
as Mrs. Betty Palin / Julius Caesar / Bevis
Golden Gordon
1979
as Gordon Ottershaw
The Crimson Permanent Assurance
1983
as Workman
Attenborough at 90
2016
as Self
The Best of Monty Python's Flying Circus Volume 2
2004
as Self (archive footage)
Parrot Sketch Not Included: Twenty Years of Monty Python
1989
as Self / Various Characters
The Willows in Winter
1996
as Rat
What the Pythons Did Next...
2007
as Self (archive footage)
The Secret Life of Brian
2007
as Self
The Great Birds Eye Peas Relaunch 1971
1971
Rik Mayall: Lord of Misrule
2014
as Self
Life on Air: David Attenborough's 50 Years in Television
2002
as Self - Presenter
What Is Brazil?
2008
as Self
Comedians Do It On Stage
1986
as Self
Monty Python's Flying Circus—Graham Chapman's Personal Best
2006
as Various Characters
How To Make It In Comedy
2024
The Secret Policeman's Ball
1979
as Various Roles
Best Sellers or: Peter Sellers and 'Dr. Strangelove'
2004
as Self
Peter Sellers: A State of Comic Ecstasy
2020
as Self
Life of Python
1990
as Self / Various Roles
The Seventh Python
2008
as Self
Python at 50: Silly Talks and Holy Grails
2019
as Self (archive footage)
Pleasure at Her Majesty's
1976
as Self
Tomkinson's Schooldays
1976
as Tomkinson / Headmaster / TV Introducer / Mr Craffitt
Fawlty Towers: Re-Opened
2009
as Self
The Testing of Eric Olthwaite
1977
as Eric Olthwaite / Bank Manager
Monty Python: Before the Flying Circus
2008
as Self
Monty Python: 30th Anniversary Sketches
1999
as Self
Isadora Duncan, the Biggest Dancer in the World
1966
as Jazz Band Undertaker (uncredited)
When Bruce Springsteen Came to Britain
2025
as Self
The Pythons: Somewhere in Tunisia, Circa A.D. 1979
1979
as Self
Monty Python's Flying Circus—Graham Chapman's Personal Best
2006
as Various Characters
Monty Python: Who's There?
1970
as Ken
The Meaning of Making 'The Meaning of Life'
2003
as Self
Dame Maggie Smith - A Celebration
2024
as Self
Jeepers Creepers
2020
as Newscaster (voice)
Sir David Attenborough and Sir Michael Palin in Conversation
2020
as Self
The Unknown Peter Sellers
2000
as Self
Close-Up Toothpaste Relaunch
as salesman
Monty Python's Flying Circus—Michael Palin's Personal Best
2006
Tracey Ullman: A Class Act
1993
as Various
John Cleese's First Farewell Performance
1988
as Self
The Broken Bottle
1977
The Monty Python Story
1999
as Self
John Peel's Record Box
2005
as Self
Monty Python: From Spam to Sperm
1999
as Self
The Curse of the Claw
1977
as Kevin Orr / Uncle Jack
Spike Milligan: Love, Light and Peace
2014
as Self
Fawlty Towers: 50 Years of Laughs
2023
as Self
Making Qi
2011
as Self
Murder at Moorstones Manor
1977
as Charles Chiddingford
Euroshow '71: May Day Special
1971
as Various (as Montypython Flyingcircus)
The Quest for the Holy Grail Locations
2001
as Self
Escape from Stalag Luft 112B
1977
as Major Errol Phipps
Monty Python's Flying Circus—Terry Gilliam's Personal Best
2006
as Various Characters
The Box
1981
as (voice)
Monty Python's Flying Circus—Eric Idle's Personal Best
2006
as Various Characters
Monty Python's Flying Circus—John Cleese's Personal Best
2006
as Various Characters
Three Men in a Boat
1975
as Harris
Produced by George Martin
2012
as Self
The Phoenix: A Century of Cinema
2011
as Self
Across the Andes by Frog
1977
as Captain Walter Snetterton
New Tales from Around the World in 80 Days
2014
as Self
Monty Python: And Now for Something Rather Similar
2014
as Self
Henry Cleans Up
1974
as Henry
Not The Messiah: The Road To Albert Hall
2010
About Michael Palin
Michael Edward Palin, CBE FRGS (born 5 May 1943) is an English comedian, actor, writer and television presenter best known for being one of the members of the comedy group Monty Python and for his travel documentaries. Palin wrote most of his comedic material with Terry Jones. Before Monty Python, they had worked on other shows such as The Ken Dodd Show, The Frost Report and Do Not Adjust Your Set. Palin appeared in some of the most famous Python sketches, including "Argument Clinic", "Dead Parrot", "The Lumberjack Song", and "The Spanish Inqu… With 219 credits spanning from 1966 to 2026, Michael Palin has appeared in 154 films and 65 TV shows.
Fans searching for Michael Palin movies, Michael Palin filmography, or the latest projects starring Michael Palin can stream many of these titles on Bowood.TV, free and in HD, with no subscription required.
Most Popular Michael Palin Movies
- The Magic Faraway Tree (2026) — as Know All
- Monty Python and the Holy Grail (1975) — as First Swallow-Savvy Guard / Dennis / Peasant 2 / Right Head / Sir Galahad the Pure / Narrator / King of Swamp Castle / Brother Maynard's Brother / Leader of The Knights Who Say NI!
- Life of Brian (1979) — as Wise Man #3 / Mr. Big Nose / Francis / Mrs. A / Ex-Leper / Announcer / Ben / Pontius Pilate / Boring Prophet / Eddie / Shoe Follower / Nisus Wettus
- Brazil (1985) — as Jack Lint
- The Death of Stalin (2017) — as Vyacheslav Molotov
Where to Watch Michael Palin Films
Most Michael Palin movies and series are available to stream on Bowood.TV in full HD, completely free and without signup. Browse the complete filmography above to jump directly to any title. For more films and the latest web series featuring Michael Palin, check our movies catalogue and browse page.