
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

Saturday Night Live
1975
as Self / Various / Mr. Praline (uncredited)

Real Time with Bill Maher
2003
as Self

Conan
2010
as Self - Guest

Doctor Who
1963
as Art Gallery Visitor

Cheers
1982
as Dr. Simon Finch-Royce

Markus Lanz
2008
as Self

Entourage
2004
as John Cleese

Will & Grace
1998
as Lyle Finster (uncredited)

The Avengers
1961
as Marcus Rugman

The One Show
2006
as Self - Guest

Wogan
1982
as Self

3rd Rock from the Sun
1996
as Dr. Liam Neesam

The Last Leg
2013
as Self

Omnibus
1967
as Self

Wetten, dass..?
1981
as Self

Richard & Judy
2001
as Self

An Audience with...
1978
as Self

Les Rendez-vous du dimanche
1975
as Self

Speechless
2016
as Martin

Parkinson
1998
as Self

Disney's House of Mouse
2001
as Narrator (voice)

Skavlan
2009
as Self - Guest

Monty Python's Flying Circus
1969
as Various / Announcer

The Late Late Show with Craig Kilborn
1999
as Self

The Muppet Show
1976
as Self - Special Guest Star

Mickey Mouse Works
1999
as Narrator (voice)

Over the Garden Wall
2014
as Adelaide (voice) / Quincy Endicott (voice)

Fawlty Towers
1975
as Basil Fawlty

LOL: Last One Laughing
2021
as Self

Legends
2006
as Self

Talkin' 'Bout Your Generation
2009
as Self - Contestant
Titel, Thesen, Temperamente
1967
as Self (archive footage)

Whitney
2011
as Dr. Grant

Not the Nine O'Clock News
1979

The Secret Policeman's Ball
1976
as Self

Robins
2006
as Self - Guest

Mini Adventures of Winnie the Pooh
2011
as Narrator (voice)

John Bishop: In Conversation with...
2016
as Self
NDR Kultur – Das Journal
2002
as Self

Canterbury Tales
2003
as Comedy Role (archive footage) (uncredited)

Monty Python's Best Bits (Mostly)
2014
as Self (archive footage)

Time Warp: The Greatest Cult Films of All Time
2020
as Self

Ripping Yarns
1976

Sez Les
1969
as self

Hold the Sunset
2018
as Phil

This Morning
1988
as Self
Look at the State We're In!
1995
as Harold Kingsby / Politician

E! True Hollywood Story
1996

Monty Python: Almost the Truth (The Lawyer's Cut)
2009
as Self

MADtv
1995
as Self

Friday Night, Saturday Morning
1979

At Last the 1948 Show
1967

Casper & Mandrilaftalen
1999
as Fake Bosse Bo Johansson

A Life on Screen
2014
as Self
The Frost Report
1966
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

Charlie's Angels: Full Throttle
2003
as Mr. Munday

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

Trolls
2016
as Roi Gristle (voice)

The World Is Not Enough
1999
as R

Planes
2013
as Bulldog (voice)

George of the Jungle
1997
as An Ape Named 'Ape' (voice)

The Day the Earth Stood Still
2008
as Professor Barnhardt

Silverado
1985
as Sheriff John T. Langston

Planet 51
2009
as Professor Kipple (voice)

Rat Race
2001
as Donald P. Sinclair

Life of Brian
1979
as Wise Man #1 / Reg / Jewish Official / First Centurion / Deadly Dirk / Arthur

Absolutely Anything
2015
as Chief Alien (voice)

Clifford the Big Red Dog
2021
as Mr. Bridwell

Winnie the Pooh
2011
as Narrator (voice)

Around the World in 80 Days
2004
as Grizzled Sergeant

Charlotte's Web
2006
as Samuel the Sheep (voice)

Valiant
2005
as Mercury (voice)

The Swan Princess
1994
as Jean-Bob (voice)

A Fish Called Wanda
1988
as Archie Leach

Charming
2018
as Fairy Godmother / Executioner (voice)

Igor
2008
as Dr. Glickenstein (voice)

The Pink Panther 2
2009
as Dreyfus

Monty Python's The Meaning of Life
1983
as Various Roles

Time Bandits
1981
as Robin Hood

Mary Shelley's Frankenstein
1994
as Prof. Waldman

An American Tail: Fievel Goes West
1991
as Cat R. Waul (voice)

Mickey's House of Villains
2002
as Narrator (“Mickey's Mechanical House") (uncredited)

The Jungle Book
1994
as Dr. Julius Plumford

Isn't She Great
2000
as Henry Marcus

Yellowbeard
1983
as Harvey 'Blind' Pew

Mickey's Magical Christmas: Snowed in at the House of Mouse
2001
as Narrator (segment 'The Nutcracker') (voice)

Arctic Dogs
2019
as Otto von Walrus (voice)

The Adventures of Pluto Nash
2002
as James

George of the Jungle 2
2003
as An Ape Named 'Ape' (voice)

The Big Year
2011
as Historical Montage Narrator (voice)

The Very Excellent Mr. Dundee
2020
as John

The Palace
2023
as Arthur William Dallas III

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

Erik the Viking
1989
as Halfdan the Black

Fierce Creatures
1997
as Rollo Lee

Scorched
2003
as Charles Merchant

Remember the Secret Policeman's Ball?
2004
as Self

Man About Town
2006
as Dr. Primkin

The Undefeated
2011
as Self (archive footage)

The Out-of-Towners
1999
as Mr. Mersault

Parting Shots
1999
as Maurice Walpole

The Great Muppet Caper
1981
as Neville

Clockwise
1986
as Brian Stimpson

Elliot: The Littlest Reindeer
2018
as Donner (voice)

Group Madness
1983
as Self

The Big Picture
1989
as Bartender

Monty Python Live at the Hollywood Bowl
1982
as Various Roles

Concert for George
2003
as Self
The Funny Blokes of British Comedy
2005
as Self

British Sitcom: 60 Years of Laughing at Ourselves
2016
as Basil Fawlty (archive footage) (uncredited)

The Secret Policeman's Other Ball
1982
as Self - Various Roles

Time Warp Vol. 1: Midnight Madness
2020
as Self

A Liar's Autobiography: The Untrue Story of Monty Python's Graham Chapman
2012
as Various (voice)

Interlude
1968
as Television public relations man

Rally Road Racers
2023
as Archie Vainglorious (voice)

Bullseye!
1990
as Man on the Beach in Barbados Who Looks Like John Cleese

Communicators From Hell
1989
as Brian

The Magic Touch of Harry Potter
2004
as Self

Beethoven's Christmas Adventure
2011
as Narrator

The Muppets Celebrate Jim Henson
1990
as Self

The Strange Case of the End of Civilization as We Know It
1977
as Sherlock Holmes

The Wind in the Willows
1996
as Mr. Toad's Lawyer

The Magic Christian
1969
as Director in Sotheby's

The Rise and Rise of Michael Rimmer
1970
as Pumer

Making Rat Race
2002
as Himself

Father Christmas Is Back
2021
as John Christmas

John Cleese Packs It In
2025

Spud
2010
as Mr. 'The Guv' Edly

Albion: The Enchanted Stallion
2016
as General Eeder

Why Are We Creative?
2018
as Self

Monty Python Conquers America
2008
as Self

Splitting Heirs
1993
as Raoul P. Shadgrind

Spud 2: The Madness Continues
2013
as Mr. 'The Guv' Edly

Hitler: The Comedy Years
2007
as Adolf Hitler / Basil Fawlty (archive footage) (uncredited)

The Grand Knockout Tournament
1987
as Self

The Bliss of Mrs. Blossom
1968
as Post Office Clerk

Amnesty International's Big 30
1991
as Self

Monty Python & the Holy Grail Location Report
1974
as Self

Daddy Daughter Trip
2022
as Frank

A.C.O.R.N.S.: Operation Crackdown
2015
as Mr. Bellwood (voice)

Monty Python's Flying Circus—Terry Gilliam's Personal Best
2006
as Various Characters

Time Warp Vol. 3: Comedy and Camp
2020
as Self

L'Entente cordiale
2006
as Lord Conrad

The Life of Python
2000
as Self

God Loves Caviar
2012
as McCormick

Monty Python: The Meaning of Live
2014
as Self

The Last Impresario
2014
as Self

Die Another Day: From Script to Screen
2002
as Self

Monty Python: Live at Aspen
1998
as Self
Best Ever Bond
2002
as Self / R

How to Irritate People
1969
as Himself - Various

Monty Python Live (Mostly)
2014
as Self, others

Romance with a Double Bass
1974
as Smychkov

An Accidental Studio
2019
as Self (archive footage)

What the Pythons Did Next...
2007
as Self (archive footage)

The Movie Life of George
1989
as Self

The Statue
1971
as Harry

Marty Feldman: Six Degrees of Separation
2008
as Self

Parrot Sketch Not Included: Twenty Years of Monty Python
1989
as Self / Various Characters

The Magic Pudding
2000
as Albert the Magic Pudding (voice)

The Art of Football from A to Z
2006
as Self

The Best of Monty Python's Flying Circus Volume 2
2004
as Self (archive footage)

Golden Gordon
1979
as Passerby

The Best of Monty Python's Flying Circus Volume 3
2004
as Self (archive footage)

The Roast of John Cleese
2024
as Self

The Secret Policeman’s Biggest Ball
1989
as Self
Life Of Brian Screenplay
2008
as Wise Man #1, Reg, Jewish Official, First Centurion

We Are Most Amused
2008
as Self - Presenter

The Roots of Monty Python
2005
as Self (archive footage)
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 CineFlixo, 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 CineFlixo 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.