John Cleese

He has been married four times and three of his marriages ended in divorce. His former spouses include Connie Booth, Barbara Trentham and Alyce Faye Eichelberger. In 2012, he married Jennifer Wade.

He has two children from his previous marriage - one from Connie Booth and one from Barbara Trentham.

John Marwood Cleese was born in Weston-super-Mare, Somerset, England, to an insurance salesman, Reginald Francis Cleesea and Muriel Evelyn.

He attended St Peter's Preparatory School, where he excelled in English studies and also actively participated in cricket and boxing competitions. When he was twelve, he was offered his first acting role in a school theatre production.

At the age of 13, he received a scholarship to study at the Clifton College, an English public school in Bristol. It was there that he played cricket professionally and excelled in academics.

In 1958, he graduated from Clifton College and took up a teaching job at his former alma mater St Peter's Preparatory School. He taught English, Science, Geography, History and Latin.

In 1960, he gained admission to study law at the Downing College, Cambridge University. It was during his years at the university that he showed his comedy skills at the famed Footlights Dramatic Club. At Footlights, he met his future professional partner, Graham Chapman.

In 1963, he graduated from Cambridge University. The same year, he was employed as one of the script writers and members of cast for the Footlights Revue, ‘A Clump of Plinths’. The Revue was successful at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe and was renamed, ‘Cambridge Circus’.

On July 10, 1963, ‘Cambridge Circus’ opened at the West End theatre in London. The show later opened in New Zealand, where four radio shows and a television special was recorded and broadcast the following year.

In October 1964, he was seen in some of the sketches of ‘The Ed Sullivan Show’, broadcast on CBS. Post the ‘Cambridge Circus’, he performed on and Off-Broadway.

He worked as a sketch writer for ‘The Dick Emery Show’. In 1965, the success of ‘Cambridge Circus’ inspired the creation of the BBC radio comedy, ‘I'm Sorry, I'll Read That Again’.

In 1965, he began to write for ‘The Frost Report’. The Following year, he was introduced to television as a performer for the series. His tall built and patrician figure on the classic class sketch made him unique in contrast to short middle-class performers. Furthermore, it was during this time he became acquainted with British comedian Peter Cook.

His show, ‘Fawlty Towers’ was placed at the number one position on the British Film Institute’s list of ‘100 Greatest British Television Programmes’. In the 2004 Britain's Best Sitcom poll, the show was voted fifth.

The comedy sketch, ‘Monty Python’s Flying Circus’ was included in Channel 4’s list of ‘50 Greatest British Sketches’. It was also included in the Time magazine list of '100 Best TV Shows of All Time' in 2007.

Awards & Achievements

In 1980, he received the BAFTA Award for the category of ‘Best Light Entertainment Performance’ for 'Fawlty Towers.

In 1987, he won the Primetime Emmy for 'Outstanding Guest Performer in a Comedy Series for 'Cheers'.