जीवनी

Signature Song: "Always look on the bright side of Life"

His characters on Monty Python were often mischievous, happy-go-lucky men.

Unruly dark blond hair and wide blue eyes

Frequently wore wigs on Monty Python's Flying Circus, more so than the other performers

Tall, skinny frame

Admired by the other Pythons for his circle of friends, it was he who procured part of the production money for Life of Brian (1979) from former Beatle George Harrison.

Describes himself as having "creative dyslexia", meaning he can look at any word and automatically see the anagrams that can be made from it. One of the characters he played in "Monty Python's Flying Circus" was a man who speaks only in anagrams.

The only member of the Monty Python group to write alone.

Got permission from the other members of Monty Python (except, naturally, Graham Chapman) to go ahead with his play/musical "Spamalot" (set to hit Broadway in early 2005), a twist on their classic film Monty Python and the Holy Grail (1975), because they all found the script hilarious.

Defeated Charles Barkley and Martha Stewart on a celebrity episode of ख़तरा! (1984) in 2002.

John Cleese once told me he'd do anything for money. So I offered him a pound to shut up, and he took it.

[on gay marriage] It's about time they suffered too.

[on his favourite sexual position] Flat on my back with my wallet open.

If the studios paid the artists, how would they ever be able to afford the executives?

There was a time when we were almost universally hated by large sections of society. Now that we are the cuddly old farts of comedy, I rather miss the hatred.