John Cleese
Known for Acting · 298 credits
- Born
- 1939-10-27 (age 86)
- Place of birth
- Weston-Super-Mare, Somerset, England, UK
- Also known as
- John Marwood Cleese · Cleesey
Biography
John Marwood 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.
Description above from the Wikipedia article John Cleese, licensed under CC-BY-SA, full list of contributors on Wikipedia
Known For
TV Shows (76)
The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson
1962
as Self
The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon
2014
as Self
The Daily Show
1996
as Self
The Late Show with Stephen Colbert
2015
as Self
The Graham Norton Show
2007
as Self - Guest
Conan
2010
as Self - Guest
Saturday Night Live
1975
as Self / Various / Mr. Praline (uncredited)
Doctor Who
1963
as Art Gallery Visitor
Real Time with Bill Maher
2003
as Self
Cheers
1982
as Dr. Simon Finch-Royce
The Avengers
1961
as Marcus Rugman
Will & Grace
1998
as Lyle Finster (uncredited)
Markus Lanz
2008
as Self
The One Show
2006
as Self - Guest
Entourage
2004
as John Cleese
Wogan
1982
as Self
3rd Rock from the Sun
1996
as Dr. Liam Neesam
The Last Leg
2013
as Self
Wetten, dass..?
1981
as Self
Omnibus
1967
as Self
Richard & Judy
2001
as Self
Les Rendez-vous du dimanche
1975
as Self
Speechless
2016
as Martin
An Audience with...
1978
as Self
Disney's House of Mouse
2001
as Narrator (voice)
Parkinson
1998
as Self
The Late Late Show with Craig Kilborn
1999
as Self
Skavlan
2009
as Self - Guest
The Muppet Show
1976
as Self - Special Guest Star
Monty Python's Flying Circus
1969
as Various / Announcer
Mickey Mouse Works
1999
as Narrator (voice)
Over the Garden Wall
2014
as Quincy Endicott (voice) / Adelaide (voice)
Legends
2006
as Self
Titel, Thesen, Temperamente
1967
as Self (archive footage)
LOL: Last One Laughing
2021
as Self
Fawlty Towers
1975
as Basil Fawlty
Whitney
2011
as Dr. Grant
Talkin' 'Bout Your Generation
2009
as Self - Contestant
Robins
2006
as Self - Guest
Not the Nine O'Clock News
1979
Canterbury Tales
2003
as Comedy Role (archive footage) (uncredited)
Mini Adventures of Winnie the Pooh
2011
as Narrator (voice)
The Secret Policeman's Ball
1976
as Self
NDR Kultur – Das Journal
2002
as Self
John Bishop: In Conversation with...
2016
as Self
Monty Python's Best Bits (Mostly)
2014
as Self (archive footage)
Hold the Sunset
2018
as Phil
Sez Les
1969
as self
Ripping Yarns
1976
This Morning
1988
as Self
Casper & Mandrilaftalen
1999
as Fake Bosse Bo Johansson
The Frost Report
1966
Look at the State We're In!
1995
as Harold Kingsby / Politician
E! True Hollywood Story
1996
MADtv
1995
as Self
At Last the 1948 Show
1967
Monty Python: Almost the Truth (The Lawyer's Cut)
2009
as Self
A Life on Screen
2014
as Self
Whoops Apocalypse
1982
as Lacrobat
Time Warp: The Greatest Cult Films of All Time
2020
as Self
Movies (222)
Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone
2001
as Nearly Headless Nick
Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets
2002
as Nearly Headless Nick (Sir Nicholas)
Shrek 2
2004
as King Harold (voice)
Shrek the Third
2007
as King Harold (voice)
Shrek Forever After
2010
as King Harold (voice)
Die Another Day
2002
as Q
Trolls
2016
as Roi Gristle (voice)
Monty Python and the Holy Grail
1975
as Second Swallow-Savvy Guard / The Black Knight / Peasant 3 / Sir Launcelot the Brave / Taunting French Guard / Tim the Enchanter
Charlie's Angels: Full Throttle
2003
as Mr. Munday
Planes
2013
as Bulldog (voice)
The World Is Not Enough
1999
as R
The Day the Earth Stood Still
2008
as Professor Barnhardt
Life of Brian
1979
as Wise Man #1 / Reg / Jewish Official / First Centurion / Deadly Dirk / Arthur
George of the Jungle
1997
as An Ape Named 'Ape' (voice)
Winnie the Pooh
2011
as Narrator (voice)
Silverado
1985
as Sheriff John T. Langston
Planet 51
2009
as Professor Kipple (voice)
Around the World in 80 Days
2004
as Grizzled Sergeant
Rat Race
2001
as Donald P. Sinclair
Charlotte's Web
2006
as Samuel the Sheep (voice)
Clifford the Big Red Dog
2021
as Mr. Bridwell
Valiant
2005
as Mercury (voice)
Charming
2018
as Fairy Godmother / Executioner (voice)
The Swan Princess
1994
as Jean-Bob (voice)
A Fish Called Wanda
1988
as Archie Leach
Absolutely Anything
2015
as Chief Alien (voice)
The Jungle Book
1994
as Dr. Julius Plumford
Mary Shelley's Frankenstein
1994
as Prof. Waldman
The Pink Panther 2
2009
as Dreyfus
Monty Python's The Meaning of Life
1983
as Various Roles
Igor
2008
as Dr. Glickenstein (voice)
Time Bandits
1981
as Robin Hood
Mickey's House of Villains
2002
as Narrator (“Mickey's Mechanical House") (uncredited)
An American Tail: Fievel Goes West
1991
as Cat R. Waul (voice)
The Palace
2023
as Arthur William Dallas III
Arctic Dogs
2019
as Otto von Walrus (voice)
Mickey's Magical Christmas: Snowed in at the House of Mouse
2001
as Narrator (segment 'The Nutcracker') (voice)
The Big Year
2011
as Historical Montage Narrator (voice)
George of the Jungle 2
2003
as An Ape Named 'Ape' (voice)
Fierce Creatures
1997
as Rollo Lee
The Adventures of Pluto Nash
2002
as James
The Undefeated
2011
as Self (archive footage)
Elliot: The Littlest Reindeer
2018
as Donner (voice)
And Now for Something Completely Different
1971
as Announcer / Hungarian Citizen / self - Defence Teacher / Sir George Head / Policeman / Interviewer / Mr. Praline / Second General / Christopher Columbus / Mungo the Cook / Bank Robber / Accountant #2 (falling past the window) / Vocational Guidance Counselor / Vivian Smith Smythe Smith / Mountie / Town Guild Lady
Yellowbeard
1983
as Harvey 'Blind' Pew
Erik the Viking
1989
as Halfdan the Black
The Very Excellent Mr. Dundee
2020
as John
The Great Muppet Caper
1981
as Neville
Man About Town
2006
as Dr. Primkin
British Sitcom: 60 Years of Laughing at Ourselves
2016
as Basil Fawlty (archive footage) (uncredited)
The Big Picture
1989
as Bartender
Scorched
2003
as Charles Merchant
Bullseye!
1990
as Man on the Beach in Barbados Who Looks Like John Cleese
The Magic Touch of Harry Potter
2004
as Self
The Out-of-Towners
1999
as Mr. Mersault
The Wind in the Willows
1996
as Mr. Toad's Lawyer
Rally Road Racers
2023
as Archie Vainglorious (voice)
Beethoven's Christmas Adventure
2011
as Narrator
Parting Shots
1999
as Maurice Walpole
Monty Python Live at the Hollywood Bowl
1982
as Various Roles
Isn't She Great
2000
as Henry Marcus
The Muppets Celebrate Jim Henson
1990
as Self
Time Warp Vol. 1: Midnight Madness
2020
as Self
Concert for George
2003
as Self
The Grand Knockout Tournament
1987
as Self
Hitler: The Comedy Years
2007
as Adolf Hitler / Basil Fawlty (archive footage) (uncredited)
Remember the Secret Policeman's Ball?
2004
as Self
Albion: The Enchanted Stallion
2016
as General Eeder
A Liar's Autobiography: The Untrue Story of Monty Python's Graham Chapman
2012
as Various (voice)
Clockwise
1986
as Brian Stimpson
Spud
2010
as Mr. 'The Guv' Edly
The Strange Case of the End of Civilization as We Know It
1977
as Sherlock Holmes
Making Rat Race
2002
as Himself
Communicators From Hell
1989
as Brian
Monty Python & the Holy Grail Location Report
1974
as Self
Monty Python: Live at Aspen
1998
as Self
How to Irritate People
1969
as Himself - Various
Amnesty International's Big 30
1991
as Self
The Secret Policeman's Other Ball
1982
as Self - Various Roles
Time Warp Vol. 3: Comedy and Camp
2020
as Self
The Funny Blokes of British Comedy
2005
as Self
Monty Python Live (Mostly)
2014
as Self, others
God Loves Caviar
2012
as McCormick
Die Another Day: From Script to Screen
2002
as Self
A.C.O.R.N.S.: Operation Crackdown
2015
as Mr. Bellwood (voice)
Father Christmas Is Back
2021
as John Christmas
The Magic Christian
1969
as Director in Sotheby's
Splitting Heirs
1993
as Raoul P. Shadgrind
The Bliss of Mrs. Blossom
1968
as Post Office Clerk
The Art of Football from A to Z
2006
as Self
The Roots of Monty Python
2005
as Self (archive footage)
Monty Python: The Meaning of Live
2014
as Self
Interlude
1968
as Television public relations man
Monty Python's Best Bits Celebrated
2021
as Self (archive footage)(uncredited)
Spud 2: The Madness Continues
2013
as Mr. 'The Guv' Edly
Monty Python Conquers America
2008
as Self
The Secret Policeman’s Biggest Ball
1989
as Self
John Cleese Packs It In
2025
Daddy Daughter Trip
2022
as Frank
An Accidental Studio
2019
as Self (archive footage)
The Best of Monty Python's Flying Circus Volume 1
2004
as Self (archive footage)
Best Ever Bond
2002
as Self / R
The Rise and Rise of Michael Rimmer
1970
as Pumer
Monty Python: Almost the Truth (The Lawyer's Cut) - Theatrical Release
2010
as Self
Group Madness
1983
as Self
The Magic Pudding
2000
as Albert the Magic Pudding (voice)
The Secret Policeman’s Third Ball
1987
as Jim Cleese
Life Of Brian Screenplay
2008
as Wise Man #1, Reg, Jewish Official, First Centurion
The Best of Monty Python's Flying Circus Volume 3
2004
as Self (archive footage)
Why Are We Creative?
2018
as Self
Spike
1996
as Self
Marty Feldman: Six Degrees of Separation
2008
as Self
The Last Impresario
2014
as Self
Golden Gordon
1979
as Passerby
We Are Most Amused
2008
as Self - Presenter
Spud 3: Learning to Fly
2014
as Mr. 'The Guv' Edly
Alexander Pope: Rediscovering a Genius
2021
as Interviewee
The Best of Monty Python's Flying Circus Volume 2
2004
as Self (archive footage)
Now Pay Attention 007: A Tribute to Actor Desmond Llewelyn
2000
as Self
Edwurd Fudwupper Fibbed Big
2000
as The Giant Alien (voice)
About John Cleese
John Marwood 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 starre… With 298 credits spanning from 1961 to 2025, John Cleese has appeared in 222 films and 76 TV shows.
Fans searching for John Cleese movies, John Cleese filmography, or the latest projects starring John Cleese can stream many of these titles on Bowood.TV, free and in HD, with no subscription required.
Most Popular John Cleese Movies
- Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone (2001) — as Nearly Headless Nick
- Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (2002) — as Nearly Headless Nick (Sir Nicholas)
- Shrek 2 (2004) — as King Harold (voice)
- Shrek the Third (2007) — as King Harold (voice)
- Shrek Forever After (2010) — as King Harold (voice)
Where to Watch John Cleese Films
Most John Cleese 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 John Cleese, check our movies catalogue and browse page.