John Marwood Cleese (born 27 October 1939) is an English actor, comedian, screenwriter, and producer. Emerging from the Cambridge Footlights in the 1960s, he first achieved success at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe and as a scriptwriter and performer on The Frost Report.
Cleese was a founding member of the Monty Python comedy troupe, with whom he co-wrote and starred in the groundbreaking television series Monty Python’s Flying Circus (1969–1974). He also co-wrote and starred in the popular sitcom Fawlty Towers (1975, 1979), in which he played Basil Fawlty, the perpetually frustrated owner of a small hotel in Torquay, England.
Cleese has appeared in numerous films, including A Fish Called Wanda (1988), for which he received an Academy Award nomination for Best Original Screenplay, and Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone (2001). He has also starred in several Broadway productions, including Spamalot (2005).
Cleese is a prolific writer, and has written several books, including Cleese Conversations (1980), Life (1994), and So Anyway (2014). He has also written numerous articles and essays on comedy, creativity, and the human condition.
Cleese is a respected figure in the world of comedy, and has been praised for his intelligence, wit, and originality. He is also a popular figure among fans, who appreciate his ability to make them laugh.