Famous people who have studied the Alexander Technique include writers Aldous Huxley, Robertson Davies and Roald Dahl, playwright George Bernard Shaw, actors Judy Dench, Hilary Swank, Ben Kingsley, Michael Caine, Jeremy Irons, John Cleese, Kevin Kline, William Hurt, Jamie Lee Curtis, Paul Newman, Mary Steenburgen, Robin Williams and Patti Lupone, musicians Paul McCartney, Madonna, Yehudi Menuhin and Sting, and Nobel Prize winner for medicine and physiology Nikolaas Tinbergen.

In Monty Python Live at Aspen, Cleese said that the original idea came from a man Palin bought a car from, who had endless excuses for everything that went wrong with it.

Those present at the time of Chapman's death in a Maidstone hospital included his brother, sister-in-law, partner David Sherlock, and his former Python fellows John Cleese and Michael Palin, who had to be led out of the room to deal with their grief.

Again on the film's DVD commentary, Cleese also spoke up for religious people who have come forward and congratulated him and his colleagues on the film's highlighting of double standards among purported followers of their own faith.

In a Not the Nine O ' Clock News sketch, a bishop who has made a scandalous film called The Life of Christ is hauled over the coals by a representative of the " Church of Python ", claiming that the film is an attack on " Our Lord, John Cleese " and on the members of Python, who, in the sketch, are the objects of Britain's true religious faith.

The sketch portrays a conflict between disgruntled customer Mr Praline ( played by Cleese ) and a shopkeeper ( Michael Palin ), who hold contradictory positions on the vital state of a " Norwegian Blue " parrot.

Chapman then wrote the sketch with Cleese, who did not initially find it humorous.

A slow crescendo of bouzouki music plays in the background ( for which Cleese initially expresses appreciation, being "... one who delights in all manifestations of the Terpsichorean Muse "), but as the sketch progresses it mirrors Cleese's growing frustration until he loudly demands the music cease.

I'm Sorry I Haven't a Clue developed from the long-running radio sketch show I'm Sorry, I'll Read That Again, the writers of which were John Cleese, Jo Kendall, David Hatch, Bill Oddie, Tim Brooke-Taylor and especially Graeme Garden who suggested the idea of an unscripted show which, it was decided, would take the form of a parody panel game.

More recently, Idle provided the voice of Merlin the magician in the DreamWorks animated film Shrek the Third ( 2007 ) with his former Python co-star John Cleese, who voiced King Harold.

In this sketch, Mr. Milton, the owner of the Whizzo Chocolate Company ( Terry Jones ) is approached by two members of the " Hygiene Squad ", Inspector Praline ( John Cleese ) and Superintendent Parrot ( Graham Chapman ), who confront him about the odd flavors that are used in the Whizzo Quality Assortment, accusing him of violating the Trade Descriptions Act through inadequate descriptions of his products, like for instance, his Crunchy Frog.

Dealing with a postal clerk ( Michael Palin ) who thought it absurd to give all of one's pets the same name, Praline ( John Cleese ) countered that there wasn't anything wrong with it, citing Mustafa Kemal Atatürk as an example.

John Cleese said in an 8 May 2009 interview that the role of Sybil Fawlty was originally offered to Bridget Turner, who " in the worst move of her life " turned down the part, claiming " it wasn't right for her ".

In 1971, Booth and Cleese had a daughter, Cynthia, who appeared alongside her father in the films A Fish Called Wanda and Fierce Creatures.

The Knight is then played by a real one-legged man, a local by the name of Richard Burton, a blacksmith who lived near the film shoot ( not to be confused with Richard Burton, the Welsh actor of the same name ), because, according to the DVD commentary, Cleese could not balance well on one leg.

The first involves a woman in labour who is ignored by doctors ( Cleese and Chapman ), nurses, and eventually the hospital's administrator ( Palin ) as they drag in more and more elaborate equipment, including their pride and joy, " the machine that goes PING !".

A brief animation of suicidal leaves falling off a tree leads into " Social Death ", in which a group of people at an isolated country house are visited by the Grim Reaper ( Cleese ), who knocks on the door.

Wanda, who was planning to double-cross Otto as well, decides to seduce George's unhappily married lawyer, Archie Leach ( John Cleese ), to find out where the diamonds are located.

In 2008, it was reported that John Cleese and his daughter, Cynthia ( who played his screen daughter, Portia ), had started to work on a stage musical version of the film.

The other member of the production team was Martin Lewis, a young record industry executive who initially undertook to produce a record album of the show and then became closely involved with Cleese, Luff and Simpson on the show production – which evolved into a three-night run.

The comedic performers in the 1977 show included several who had performed in the first show – such as Peter Cook, Terry Jones, John Cleese – joined by his then wife Connie Booth – and some newcomers including Sir Peter Ustinov.

They approached John Cleese who agreed to be involved again.

Cleese delegated this responsibility to Lewis who recruited Who guitarist Pete Townshend to perform, as well as New Wave singer-songwriter Tom Robinson.

* " Travel Agency " – Palin attempts to sell a package tour to Mr. Smoketoomuch ( Idle ), who will not stop talking about travel difficulties, even as he is chased by an asylum orderly ( Cleese ) all about the stadium.

# Self Defence Against Fresh Fruit: In a self-defence course, a teacher ( Cleese ) educates his students ( Graham Chapman, Terry Jones, Michael Palin, and Eric Idle ) how to defend themselves from an attacker armed with fresh fruit.

* " Part II: Growth And Learning " features a group of public schoolboys attending an Anglican church service ( conducted by Cleese ), which commences with a nonsensical Old Testament passage followed by a hymn entitled " Oh Lord, Please Don't Burn Us ".

One notable episode of AM America aired on April 25, 1975, when members of the British comedy troupe Monty Python ( with the exception of John Cleese, who had temporarily left the group ) made one of their earliest appearances on American television.

John Cleese used Marsden's name in his eulogy at Chapman's memorial service.

Not to be outdone by Cleese, Idle was heard saying during the song's close: " I'd just like to be the last person at this meeting to say ' fuck '.

Graham Chapman, still suffering from alcoholism, was so determined to play the lead role – at one point coveted by Cleese – that he dried out in time for filming, so much so that he was also able to act as the on-set doctor on top of his acting duties.

Cleese expressed that his reputation had " plummeted " in his eyes, while Palin commented that, " He was just being Muggeridge, preferring to have a very strong contrary opinion as opposed to none at all ".

Possibly unbeknown to Cleese and Chapman at the time they wrote the sketch, there are in fact two species of parrot that live in the alpine regions of South Island in New Zealand-an area known as " Fiordland " for the many fjords it contains.

" Eventually, Cleese asks if Palin has any cheese at all, to which Palin replies " yes ".

In one interview, which was widely quoted at the time, John Cleese stated " Milligan is the Great God to all of us ".

Up until the 1990s, each of Gilliam's non-Python films was to feature at least one of his fellow Monty Python alumni ( particularly Palin, Cleese, and Idle ), and for his finished projects Gilliam has worked with the following actors more than once ( in order of first film appearance ):

* Gonzo Presents Muppet Weird Stuff-Hosted by Gonzo and Camilla at Gonzo's trailer home, which Gonzo tries to pass off as a mansion, with guest stars John Cleese, Jean Stapleton, Dom DeLuise, Julie Andrews, Vincent Price, and Madeline Kahn.

Idle started at Cambridge only a year after his future Pythons fellows Graham Chapman and John Cleese.

The casting of John Cleese as Petruchio was not without controversy at the time.

To some extent the office of rector has evolved into more of a figurehead role, with a significant number of celebrities and personalities elected as rectors, such as Stephen Fry and Lorraine Kelly at Dundee, Clarissa Dickson Wright at Aberdeen, and John Cleese and Frank Muir at St. Andrews, and political figures, such as Mordechai Vanunu at Glasgow.

The show starred David Frost, John Cleese and Barker's future comedy partner Ronnie Corbett, whom he had met in 1963 when Corbett was the barman at the Buckstone Club near the Haymarket Theatre, and the two became friends.

* In " Part V: Live Organ Transplants ", two paramedics ( Chapman and Cleese ) arrive at the doorstep of a card-carrying organ donor, Mr. Brown ( Gilliam ), to claim his liver.

Following this, Mr. Creosote, an impossibly fat man ( Jones ), waddles into a decorous restaurant, swears at the French waiter ( Cleese ), and vomits copiously on himself, the menu, a cleaning woman, and into buckets if available.

In 1979 he criticised John Cleese and Michael Palin during a television debate concerned with the perceived blasphemy of the film Life of Brian, despite having arrived late for the showing, thus missing the two scenes in which Jesus and Brian were shown as two separate people at the same time.

Cleese expressed that his reputation had " plummeted " in his eyes, while Palin commented that, " He was just being Muggeridge, preferring to have a very strong contrary opinion as opposed to none at all.

The first show – titled by Cleese A Poke in the Eye ( With a Sharp Stick ) – took place on 1 – 3 April 1976 as a series of late-night galas at Her Majesty's Theatre in London's West End theatre district.

Cleese focused on broadening the comedic talent to be presented at the show.