Eric Idle

ERIC IDLE

Date of Birth: March 29, 1943

The third-tallest member of Monty Python's Flying Circus, Eric Idle has enjoyed an impressively solid (nudge nudge, wink wink) comedy career over the past 35 years.

Educated at Cambridge University, Idle first appeared on stage in 1963 when he joined the Cambridge comedy troupe, The Footlights (other Footlight players would include future fellow Pythons John Cleese, Terry Jones, Michael Palin and Graham Chapman).

The soon-to-be Pythons would connect in different variations on BBC-TV projects throughout the '60s, finally coming together in 1969 to officially form Monty Python's Flying Circus. The show's surreal sense of humour certainly didn't immediately appeal to staid BBC audiences, but it soon gained a huge cult following in the U.K. and later in North America. It also spawned a series of movies, each more outrageous than the one preceding it, including Monty Python And The Holy Grail, Monty Python's Life Of Brian, and Monty Python's Meaning Of Life. A talented songwriter, Idle wrote Life Of Brian's chipper closing theme "Always Look At The Bright Side Of Life" (you can hear Art Garfunkel's rendition in As Good As It Gets).

Eric hasn't been idle since Python disbanded. He's lent comedy support to a number of films over the past 20 years, including National Lampoon's European Vacation, The Adventures Of Baron Munchausen (directed by Python animator Terry Gilliam), Nuns On The Run, and Casper. He was also responsible for the dead-on Beatles parody The Rutles - All You Need is Cash (Eric is the cute Paul counterpart).

Idle has developed a series of CD-ROMs based on the Python films Monty Python And The Holy Grail and Monty Python's Meaning Of Life. He also very involved in the Python Web site at www.PythOnline.com.

In March, 1998, Monty Python's Flying Circus reunited (minus the late Graham Chapman) at the Aspen Comedy Festival, where they announced a 10-week reunion tour. More recently, he has appeared in films such as Hollywood Homicide (2003) alongside Harrison Ford and Josh Hartnett, and played the Narrator in Ella Enchanted (2004).

Filmography:

Delgo (2008) (voice)
Shrek the Third (2007) (voice)
Ella Enchanted (2004)
Hollywood Homicide (2003)
Pinocchio (2002) (voice)
Brightness (2000)
102 Dalmations (2000) (voice)
Journey Into Your Imagination (1999)
Pirates: 3D Show (1999)
South Park: Bigger, Longer and Uncut (1999) (voice)
Dudley Do-Right (1999)
Quest For Camelot (voice) (1998)
An Alan Smithee Film - Burn... (1998)
Casper (1996)
Splitting Heirs (1993)
Mom And Dad Save The World (1992)
Missing Pieces (1991)
Nuns On The Run (1990)
The Adventures Of Baron Munchausen (1989)
The Transformers (voice) (1986)
National Lampoon's European Vacation (1985)
Yellowbeard (1983)
Monty Python's The Meaning Of Life (1983)
Monty Python Live At The Hollywood Bowl (1982)
Monty Python's Life Of Brian (1979)
Jabberwocky (1977)
Monty Python And The Holy Grail (1975)
And Now For Something Completely Different (1972)