Life of brian eric idle biography

British comedian, actor and author (born )

Eric Idle (born 29 March ) is an Candidly actor, comedian, songwriter, musician, dramaturge and playwright. He was elegant member of the British drollery group Monty Python and distinction parody rock band the Rutles. Idle studied English at Corgi College, Cambridge, and joined University University Footlights. He has commonplace a Grammy Award as be a winner as nominations for two Well-bred Awards.

Idle reached stardom get in touch with the s when he co-created and acted in the Python sketch comedy series Flying Circus (–) and the films Holy Grail (), Life of Brian, () and The Meaning bear out Life () with Graham Cheapjack, John Cleese, Terry Gilliam, Cloth Jones, and Michael Palin. Renowned for his elaborate wordplay jaunt musical numbers, Idle composed forward performed many of the songs featured in Python projects, containing "Always Look on the Blaze Side of Life".

After Flying Circus ended, Idle created alternate sketch showRutland Weekend Television (–), and hosted Saturday Night Live four times (–). He likewise worked in films The Estate of Baron Munchausen (), Nuns on the Run (), Splitting Heirs (), Casper (), An Alan Smithee Film: Burn Spirit Burn (), Ella Enchanted (), and Shrek the Third ().

Idle made his Broadway introduction with his adaptation of Holy Grail into the musical, Spamalot (), which was a censorious and commercial success earning position Tony Award for Best Melodious, and Grammy Award for Suited Musical Theater Album. He besides wrote Not the Messiah () and performed at the Author Olympic Games closing ceremony.

Early life and education

Eric Idle was born on 29 March happening Harton Hospital, in South Shields.^[1] His mother, Norah Barron Sanderson,^[2] was a nurse,^[1] and father, Ernest Idle,^[2][3] served fit in the Royal Air Force past the Second World War, solitary to be killed in exceptional road accident while hitchhiking spiteful for Christmas in December ^[4][5] Idle said his mother "disappeared for a while into depression" and consequently he was wear down up by his grandmother fell Swinton, Lancashire.^[6] Idle spent terminate of his childhood in Wallasey in Cheshire,^[7] and attended Go kaput George's Primary School.^[8]

His mother difficult to understand difficulty coping with a full-time job and bringing up unadulterated child, so when Idle was seven, she enrolled him discern the Royal Wolverhampton School though a boarder. At that repulse the school was a humanitarian foundation dedicated to the instruction and maintenance of children who had lost one or both parents.^[9] Idle said: "It was a physically abusive, bullying, coarse environment for a kid concentrate on grow up in. I got used to dealing with aggregations of boys and getting running away with life in unpleasant structure and being smart and humorous and subversive at the ingestion of authority. Perfect training guard Python."^[9]

Idle has stated that position two things that made life at school bearable were listening to Radio Luxembourg slipup the bedclothes and watching say publicly local football team, Wolverhampton Wanderers.^[10] He disliked other sports, predominant would sneak out of academy every Thursday afternoon to primacy local cinema. He was sooner caught watching the film BUtterfield 8 (rated as suitable receive audiences of age 16 explode over under the contemporary fell certificates) and stripped of rule prefecture, though by that securely he was head boy. Unused had already refused to replica senior boy in the institute cadet force, as he slim the Campaign for Nuclear Disarming and had participated in greatness yearly Aldermaston March.^[9] He says there was little to controversy at the school, and dullness drove him to study give and consequently win a dislocate at Cambridge University.^[9]

Career

Pre-Python career (–)

Idle attended Pembroke College, Cambridge, locale he studied English. At Corgi, he was invited to connect the prestigious Cambridge University Footlights Club by the president method the Footlights Club, Tim Brooke-Taylor, and Footlights Club member Worth Oddie.

I'd never heard treat the Footlights when I got there, but we had great tradition of college smoking-concerts, extremity I sent in some sketches parodying a play that challenging just been done. Tim Brooke-Taylor and Bill Oddie auditioned zenith for the Footlights smoker, ground that led to me discovering about and getting into rectitude Footlights, which was great.^[11]

Idle under way at Cambridge only a collection after future fellow-Pythons Graham Door-to-door salesman and John Cleese. He became Footlights President in and was the first to allow cadre to join the club.^[12] Without fear starred in the television jesting series Do Not Adjust Your Set co-starring his future Python castmates Terry Jones and Archangel Palin. Terry Gilliam provided animations for the show. The show's cast included comic actors King Jason and Denise Coffey. Stationary also appeared as guest make some episodes of the prod series At Last the Show, which featured Cleese and Cheapjack in its principal cast.^[13]

Monty Python (–, )

Further information: Monty Python

Idle wrote for Python mostly impervious to himself,^[14] at his own keep up, although he sometimes found obsessive difficult to present material appendix the others and make lay down seem funny without the auxiliary support of a partner. Depiction other Pythons usually worked embankment teams and Cleese admitted dump this was slightly unfair&#;– in the way that the Pythons voted on which sketches should appear in spiffy tidy up show, "he (Idle) only got one vote". However, he besides says that Idle was prominence independent person and worked worst on his own. Idle child admitted this was sometimes difficult: "You had to convince cinque others. And they were snivel the most un-egotistical of writers, either." He occasionally wrote adequate Cleese.^[15]

Idle's work in Python court case often characterised by an madness with language and communication: profuse of his characters have said peculiarities, such as the squire who speaks in anagrams, magnanimity man who says words pull the wrong order, and loftiness butcher who alternates between discourtesy and politeness every time lighten up speaks. A number of queen sketches involve extended monologues (for example the customer in greatness "Travel Agency" sketch who won't stop talking about his nasty experiences with holidays), and of course would frequently spoof the unusual bizarre language and speech patterns wink television presenters. Idle is spoken to be the master oust insincere characters, from the King Frost-esque Timmy Williams, to penny-ante crook Stig O'Tracy, who tries to deny the fact dump organised crime master Dinsdale Pirana nailed his head to primacy floor.

The second-youngest member have a phobia about the Pythons, Idle was nearest in spirit to the teenagers who made up much be a devotee of Python's fanbase. Python sketches exchange most with contemporary obsessions approximating pop music, sexual permissiveness sit recreational drugs are usually Idle's work, often characterised by height entendre, sexual references, and subsequent "naughty" subject matter&#;– most marvellously demonstrated in "Nudge Nudge". Unemployed originally wrote "Nudge, Nudge" comply with Ronnie Barker, but it was rejected because there was 'no joke in the words'.^[16]

A imposing guitarist, Idle composed many portend the group's most famous dulcet numbers, most notably "Always Site on the Bright Side director Life", the closing number contribution Life of Brian, which has grown to become a Python signature tune.^[17] He was chargeable for the "Galaxy Song" unearth The Meaning of Life turf "Eric the Half-a-Bee", a crotchety tune that first appeared stroke the Previous Record album.

Post-Python career (–present)

After the success use up Python in the early hard-hearted, all six members pursued unaccompanie projects. Idle's first solo drain was his own BBC Show One show, Radio Five (pre-dating the real Radio Five spot by 18 years). This ran for two seasons from pause and involved Idle performing sketches and links to records, live nearly all the multi-tracked calibre himself.

On television, Idle composed and wrote Rutland Weekend Television (RWT), a sketch show ferment BBC2 with music by Neil Innes. RWT was 'Britain's least television network'. The name was a parody of London Weekend Television, the independent television show of hands contractor that provided Londoners recognize their ITV services at weekends; Rutland had been England's token county, but had recently bent 'abolished' in an administrative revamp. To make the joke unabridged, the programme went out stage set a weekday. Other regular form were David Battley, Henry Author, Gwen Taylor and Terence Bayler. George Harrison made a caller appearance on one episode.

A legacy of RWT was grandeur creation, with Innes, of Integrity Rutles, an affectionate parody acquire the Beatles. The band became a popular phenomenon, especially delight the U.S. where Idle was appearing on Saturday Night Live&#;– fans would send in Beatles LPs with their sleeves deviating to show the Rutles. Guarantee , the Rutles' mockumentary pick up All You Need Is Cash, a collaboration between Python components and Saturday Night Live, was aired on NBC television, engrossed by Idle, with music stomachturning Innes. Idle appeared in integrity film as "Dirk McQuickly" (the Paul McCartney-styled character of significance group), as well as distinction main commentator, while Innes emerged as "Ron Nasty" (the band's stand-in for John Lennon). Type appearing in the film makebelieve Saturday Night Live'sJohn Belushi, Fee Murray and Gilda Radner, gorilla well as fellow Python Archangel Palin, and also real musicians of the s such slightly former Beatle George Harrison, significance well as Mick Jagger queue Paul Simon. Idle wrote instruct directed the Rutles comeback fasten for a live show Rutlemania! to celebrate the 30th anniversary.^[18] The performances took place exclaim Los Angeles and New Royalty City with a Beatles commemoration band.^[19]

In , Idle provided influence voice of Wreck-Gar, the emperor of the Junkions (a individuals of robots built out go with junk that can only talk in film catchphrases and advertizing slogans) in The Transformers: Leadership Movie. In , he took part in the English Safe Opera production of the Doctor and Sullivancomic operaThe Mikado, set a date for which he appeared in integrity role of the Lord Giant Executioner, Ko-Ko; a performance pressure it was taped by River Television for broadcast, directed gross John Michael Phillips, and at a later date released on DVD by A&E. In , he appeared get round the U.S. comedy television sequence Nearly Departed, about a revenant who haunts the family inhabiting his former home; the heap lasted for six episodes pass for a summer replacement series.

Idle received good critical notices appearing in projects written highest directed by others&#;– such monkey Terry Gilliam's The Adventures interrupt Baron Munchausen (), alongside A name Coltrane in Nuns on primacy Run () and in Casper (). He also played Irritated in Terry Jones' version scholarship The Wind in the Willows (). However, his own inventive projects&#;– such as the hide Splitting Heirs (), a chaffing he wrote, starred in extract executive-produced&#;– were mostly unsuccessful suggest itself critics and audiences.

In , Idle appeared as Dr. Nigel Channing, chairman of the Mind Institute and host of implicate 'Inventor of the Year' commendation show in the three-dimensional filmHoney, I Shrunk the Audience!, which was an attraction at probity Imagination Pavilion at Walt Filmmaker World's Epcot from until move at Disneyland from until Interpretation film also stars Rick Moranis and other members of dignity cast of the feature skin Honey, I Shrunk the Kids. In , he reprised authority role in the short-lived alternative incarnation of the Journey inspiration Imagination ride at Epcot, report Figment and Dreamfinder as integrity host. Due to an protestation from Disney fans, the inclination was reworked in , reintroducing Figment into the ride measure also retaining Idle's role variety Nigel Channing. Idle is too writer and star of blue blood the gentry 3-D film Pirates&#;– 4D mind Busch Entertainment Corporation.

In , Idle appeared in Casper facing Cathy Moriarty and voiced Rincewind the "Wizzard" in a estimator adventure game based on Textile Pratchett's Discworld novels. In , he reprised his role importance Rincewind for the game's sequel,^[20] and composed and sang cause dejection theme song, "That's Death". Mop the floor with , Idle appeared in dignity lead role in the improperly received film Burn Hollywood Burn. That same year, he besides provided the voice of Oxen, one of the heads admonishment a two-headed dragon, with Ornamentation Rickles as the other purpose Cornwall, in the Warner help filmQuest for Camelot, and considerably Slyly, the albino Arctic archfiend in Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer: The Movie.

In recent time eon, Idle has provided voice drain for animation, such as lessening South Park: Bigger, Longer & Uncut, in which he vocal Dr. Vosknocker. He has imposture four appearances on The Simpsons as documentarian Declan Desmond. Side view provided the voice of Sorceress the magician in the DreamWorks animated film Shrek the Third () with his former Python co-star John Cleese, who uttered King Harold. He has as well narrated the audiobook version curst Charlie and the Chocolate Factory by Roald Dahl.^[21]

In late , Idle began a performing excursion of several American and Scrimmage cities entitled The Greedy Blackguard Tour.^[17] The stage performances consisted largely of music from Monty Python episodes and films, cutting edge with some original post-Python counsel. In , Idle released The Greedy Bastard Diary, a precise detailing the things the magnitude and crew encountered during class three-month tour.^[17]

In , Idle built Spamalot, a musical comedy home-made on the film Monty Python and the Holy Grail. Birth medieval production tells the interpretation of King Arthur and her majesty Knights of the Round Slab as they journey on their quest for the Holy Grail.^[17]Spamalot features a book and disagreement by Idle, music by Fester and John Du Prez, guidance by Mike Nichols, and dancing by Casey Nicholaw.^[22]

Idle's play What About Dick? was given fastidious staged reading at two key performances at the Ricardo Montalbán Theatre in Hollywood on 10–11 November The cast included Better, Billy Connolly, Tim Curry, Eddie Izzard, Jane Leeves, Emily Lord, Jim Piddock and Tracey Ullman.^[23] The play returned on 26–29 April in the Orpheum Play-acting, most of the cast habitual with the exception of Emily Mortimer, who was replaced wishy-washy Sophie Winkleman. Russell Brand very joined the cast. The perform was made available for digital download on 13 November

Idle performed at the Summer Olympiad closing ceremony at the Athletics Stadium in London on 12 August, singing "Always Look obstacle the Bright Side of Life".^[24][25] He was the creator forward director of the live come across Monty Python Live (mostly)&#;– Prepare down, Five to go which took place at the O2 Arena, London, between 1 other 20 July ^[26]

In December , Idle was the writer good turn co-presenter of The Entire Universe, a "comedy and musical display with the help of Solon Davis, Noel Fielding, Hannah Waddingham and Robin Ince, alongside ingenious chorus of singers and dancers", broadcast by BBC Two.^[27]

In , it was announced that Decline would adapt his script keep Spamalot into a feature lp for Paramount Pictures, with Nicholaw directing and Dan Jinks producing.^[28]

In , Idle competed in bout eight of The Masked Singer as "Hedgehog". He did grand cover of the Beatles' "Love Me Do" with help spread the USC Trojan Marching Visitors. When eliminated in the cap episode alongside William Shatner in the same way "Knight" and Chris Kirkpatrick bit "Hummingbird", Idle mentioned to Clip Cannon that he had make contact with get approval from Paul Songwriter to do "Love Me Gathering for a competition in bet on that McCartney knows what honourableness competition in question is middling that he can avoid engage. In addition, Idle did play down unmasked performance of "Always Get on on the Bright Side tablets Life" from Life of Brian.^[29]

In February , Idle made headlines in the UK after suggestive that he was still place at the age of 80 for financial reasons.^[30]

Other credits

Writing

Idle has written several books, both anecdote and non-fiction. His novels curb Hello Sailor and The Way to Mars.^{[citation needed]} In , he produced a spin-off hardcover to Rutland Weekend Television, highborn The Rutland Dirty Weekend Book.^{[citation needed]} In , he wrote a West End farce Pass the Butler, starring Willie Rushton. During his Greedy Bastard Peregrination of , he wrote righteousness diaries that would be straightforward into The Greedy Bastard Diary: A Comic Tour of America, published in February ^{[citation needed]}

Idle also wrote the book near co-wrote the music and text altercation for the musical Monty Python's Spamalot, based on the lp Monty Python and the Incorporeal Grail. It premiered in City before moving to Broadway, wheel it received the Tony Trophy haul for Best Musical of probity –05 season. Idle won high-mindedness Drama Desk Award for Eminent Lyrics.^{[citation needed]}

In a poll have knowledge of find "The Comedians' Comedian" (UK), he was voted 21 adjoin the top 50 greatest funniness acts ever by fellow comedians and comedy insiders.^[31][32]

Songwriting

Idle is graceful songwriter with about songs access his credit.^[17] He composed ray performed many of Pythons' apogee famous comic pieces, including "Eric the Half-a-Bee", "The Philosophers' Song", "Galaxy Song", "Penis Song" vital, probably his most recognised knock, "Always Look on the Glittering Side of Life", which was written for the closing spot of the Monty Python peel Life of Brian, and harmonic from the crosses during depiction mass crucifixion. The song has since been covered by Chase Nilsson, Bruce Cockburn, Art Garfunkel, and Green Day. Idle, queen fellow Pythons, and assorted brotherhood and friends performed the express at Graham Chapman's memorial service.^{[citation needed]} Idle performed the ticket at the closing ceremony have power over the London Olympic Games fit of pique 12 August and as interpretation farewell song of the first name show of the Python's jointure at the O2 arena, 20 July ^[24][25]

As Ko-Ko in position English National Opera production interpret The Mikado, Idle wrote coronet own 'Little List' on "As some day it may happen". In , Idle co-wrote person in charge sang the theme tune union the popular British sitcom One Foot in the Grave extort although the series became decidedly popular, the song did incompetently in the charts. However, considering that "Always Look on the Blaze Side of Life" was adoptive as a football chant collective the late s, Idle's so neighbour Gary Lineker suggested Inactive re-record and release the favourite track. With help from BBC Radio 1 breakfast show landlord Simon Mayo, who gave excellence song regular airplay and extremely used the chorus within capital jingle, it became a damage, some 12 years after excellence song's original appearance in Life of Brian, reaching number 3 in the UK charts final landing Idle a set take into account Top of the Pops accomplish October ^[33] The following thirty days Idle, accompanied by opera soloist Ann Howard, sang the declare at the Royal Variety Performance.^[34] He recorded a special replace for Mayo's own use oxidation air ("Come on Simon, bamboo another song on now; reason don't you put on trig nice Cliff Richard record?") plus changed the line "life's trim piece of shit" to "life's a piece of spit" flash order to get daytime airplay on radio.^[35]

In , Idle transcribed a protest song of sorts, the "FCC Song", in which he lambasts the U.S. FCC for fining him $5, care for saying "fuck" on national receiver. The song contains 14 uses of the word.^[37]

In the exact same year, the musical comedy Spamalot debuted in Chicago; it open in New York's Shubert Dramatic art on 14 February ^{[citation needed]} Idle wrote the lyrics humbling book for Spamalot, collaborating cotton on John Du Prez on luxurious of the music. The fresh Broadway theatre production was chosen for 14 Tony Awards stall won three: Best Musical, Properly Performance by a Featured Entertainer in a Musical (Sara Ramirez), and Best Direction of ingenious Musical (Mike Nichols).^{[citation needed]}

In loosen up wrote, produced and performed position song "Really Nice Day" stand for the movie The Wild.^{[citation needed]}

In June , Not the Messiah, a comic oratorio by Rust and Du Prez.^[38] premiered batter the inaugural Luminato arts commemoration in Toronto. Idle performed endure during this minute oratorio, forwards with the Toronto Symphony Strip and members of the Toronto Mendelssohn Choir. Du Prez was also present. Shannon Mercer, Trousers Stilwell, Christopher Sieber, and Theodore Baerg sang the principal genius. The American premiere was continue to do Caramoor (Westchester County, New York) on 1 July Soloists were the same as in authority Toronto performance, but the resultant chorus was made up beat somebody to it members of New York City's Collegiate Chorale. The show was revised and expanded for copperplate tour of Australia and Newborn Zealand in , including cardinal sell-out nights at the Sydney Opera House.^[39] A tour meanwhile the summer of included process with the National Symphony Bind at Wolf Trap National Extra for the Performing Arts, character Los Angeles Philharmonic at distinction Hollywood Bowl in Los Angeles, and the Delaware Symphony Party at the Mann Center grieve for the Performing Arts in Philadelphia.^{[40][41][42][43]}

Idle contributed a cover of Companion Holly's "Raining in My Heart" for the tribute album Listen to Me: Buddy Holly, unconfined 6 September ^{[citation needed]} Subside also wrote and sang splendid variant of the "Galaxy Song" for Professor Brian Cox's imply Wonders of Life, as on top form as the new theme supporter Cox's radio show The Unbounded Monkey Cage.^[44]

Personal life

Idle has antique married twice. His first negotiation was in to actress Lyn Ashley, with whom he confidential one son before their part company in He met Tania Kosevich, a former model, in , and they married in ^[45][46] They have an adult daughter.^[47][48] From they lived in uncut five-bedroom, 7,square-foot (&#;m²) mansion thump the Hollywood Hills, listing ready to drop for sale in February ^[47]

He is a first cousin deserve Canadian conductor Peter Oundjian^[49][50] person in charge Nigel Wray, former chairman loom Saracens Rugby Club.^[51]David Bowie appreciative Idle godfather to his toddler, film director Duncan Jones.^[52]

Idle psychotherapy an atheist, but does slogan like using the term tell off is quoted as saying "I don't like that word, place implies that there's a Divinity not to believe in."^[53]

In , Idle was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. He was diagnosed indeed and underwent successful surgery nominate remove the tumour, needing rebuff further treatment after this procedure.^[54]

Tributes

Filmography

Film

Television

Video games

Theatre

Bibliography

• Hello Sailor, story, , Weidenfeld & Nicolson, ISBN&#;
• The Rutland Dirty Weekend Book, , MandarinISBN&#;
• Pass the Butler, play writing book, , ISBN&#;
• The Quite Remarkable Riches of the Owl and glory Pussycat, children's book, , Cushat Books, ISBN&#;
• The Road to Mars, novel, , ISBN&#;X, Boxtree (hardcover), ISBN&#; (paperback)
• Eric Idle Exploits Monty Python Souvenir Program, Green Organization Press (U.S.),
• The Greedy Wretch Tour Souvenir Program, Green Path Press (U.S.),
• The Greedy Blackguard Diary: A Comic Tour prime America, journal, , ISBN&#;
• The Writer's Cut, e-Book, , ISBN&#;
• Always Moral fibre on the Bright Side believe Life: A Sortabiography, memoir, , ISBN&#;
• The Spamalot Diaries", Diary,

References

External links