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Acting

John Cleese

Career: Active from 1962 to 2025, busiest in 2006 with 10 main titles.

Leading roles: 64
top three billing

Average score: 58/100

Highest rated: Fawlty Towers
93/100

What stands out

Compared with the average well-known movie, over 111 of their titles. Select a trait to filter titles.

John Cleese Catalog average

Rarely in their work

Contemporary Realism
3.3, average 5.4
Melancholy
2.6, average 4.7
Tension
4.0, average 6.0
Psychological
3.6, average 5.5

Main genres

Select a genre to see those titles.

Recurring tags

British Comedy 10
Witty Dialogue 9
Ensemble Cast 8
British Humor 8
Social Commentary 7
Family-Friendly Adventure 6
Cult Classic 6
Slapstick Comedy 5
Satirical 5
Family-Friendly 5
Character-Driven Comedy 4
Character-Driven 4

Works often with

People in at least two of their main titles.

Movies and TV shows

178

Type

Role

Score

Decade

Genre

Group by

Upcoming

3 titles

Eric Idle Exploits Monty Python

Writer

How to Make Her Cheat

as Terry

Taking The Wheel

as Nathan

2020s

13 titles · average score 49

John Cleese Packs It In

Writer

Fawlty Towers: The Play

Adaptation, Writer

The Palace

25

as Arthur William Dallas III

Rally Road Racers

65

as Archie Vainglorious (voice)

The Martini Shot

63

as Dr. Auyeung

The Dinosaur Hour Extra

TV show

Daddy Daughter Trip

40

as Frank

Clifford the Big Red Dog

60

as Bridwell

Father Christmas Is Back

34

as John Christmas

Alexander Pope: Rediscovering a Genius

as Interviewee

The Very Excellent Mr. Dundee

34

as John

The Croods: A New Age

68

Thanks, Characters

2010s

26 titles · average score 55

Arctic Dogs

34

as Otto von Walrus (voice)

Hold the Sunset

59

TV show · as Phil

Monty Python Live (Mostly)

73

Writer

Spud 3: Learning to Fly

58

as Mr. 'The Guv' Edly

The Croods

66

Story

Planes

41

as Bulldog (voice)

Spud 2: The Madness Continues

58

as Mr. 'The Guv' Edly

A Liar's Autobiography: The Untrue Story of Monty Python's Graham Chapman

49

as Various (voice)

Beethoven's Christmas Adventure

40

as Narrator

Mini Adventures of Winnie the Pooh

TV show · as Narrator (voice)

Shrek Forever After

59

as King Harold (voice)

Spud

73

as Mr. 'The Guv' Edly

2000s

44 titles · average score 53

Planet 51

41

as Professor Kipple (voice)

The Day the Earth Stood Still

38

as Professor Barnhardt

Igor

46

as Dr. Glickenstein (voice)

Shrek the Third

54

as King Harold (voice)

Man About Town

41

as Dr. Primkin

Charlotte's Web

68

as Samuel the Sheep (voice)

Valiant

43

as Mercury (voice)

Shrek 2

79

as King Harold (voice)

George of the Jungle 2

25

as An Ape Named 'Ape' (voice)

Die Another Day

54

as Q

The Human Face

75

TV show · as Presenter

The Magic Pudding

56

as Albert the Magic Pudding (voice)

1990s

23 titles · average score 57

Parting Shots

43

as Maurice Walpole

The Out-of-Towners

42

as Mr. Mersault

The Nutcracker

as Narrator

Will & Grace

76

TV show · as Lyle Finster (uncredited)

Fierce Creatures

59

as Rollo Lee

George of the Jungle

54

as An Ape Named 'Ape' (voice)

The Wind in the Willows

60

as Mr. Toad's Lawyer

3rd Rock from the Sun

65

TV show · as Dr. Liam Neesam

The Swan Princess

62

as Jean-Bob (voice)

The Jungle Book

65

as Dr. Julius Plumford

Splitting Heirs

27

as Raoul P. Shadgrind

Funny Business

TV show

1980s

23 titles · average score 70

Parrot Sketch Not Included: Twenty Years of Monty Python

76

Writer

Erik the Viking

55

as Halfdan the Black

A Fish Called Wanda

82

as Archie Leach

The Secret Policeman’s Third Ball

as Jim Cleese

Clockwise

73

as Brian Stimpson

Silverado

72

as Sheriff John T. Langston

Monty Python's The Meaning of Life

77

as Various Roles

Privates on Parade

44

as Major Giles Flack

Monty Python Live at the Hollywood Bowl

81

as Various Roles

Cheers

84

TV show · as Dr. Simon Finch-Royce

Time Bandits

78

as Robin Hood

The Taming of the Shrew

75

as Petruchio

1970s

35 titles · average score 70

Life of Brian

84

as Wise Man #1 / Reg / Jewish Official / First Centurion / Deadly Dirk / Arthur

Away from It All

as Nigel Farquhar-Bennett – Narrator (voice)

...To Norway, Home of Giants!

as Norman Fearless

The Strange Case of the End of Civilization as We Know It

67

as Sherlock Holmes

Monty Python and the Holy Grail

88

as Second Swallow-Savvy Guard / The Black Knight / Peasant 3 / Sir Launcelot the Brave / Taunting French Guard / Tim the Enchanter

Fawlty Towers

93

TV show · as Basil Fawlty

Romance with a Double Bass

66

as Smychkov

Elementary, My Dear Watson

as Sherlock Holmes

Monty Python's Fliegender Zirkus

78

TV show · as Various Characters

Rentadick

40

Writer

And Now for Something Completely Different

82

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

The Rise and Rise of Michael Rimmer

65

as Pumer

1960s

11 titles · average score 66

Monty Python's Flying Circus

92

TV show · as Various / Announcer

How to Irritate People

67

Writer

Sez Les

TV show · as self

The Magic Christian

48

as Director in Sotheby's

The Best House in London

42

as Jones (uncredited)

The Bliss of Mrs. Blossom

56

as Post Office Clerk

Interlude

59

as Television public relations man

At Last the 1948 Show

76

TV show · Creator, Writer

The Frost Report

TV show

Doctor Who

76

TV show · as Art Gallery Visitor

The Avengers

83

TV show · as Marcus Rugman