Comedy legend John Cleese on facing death, divorce and a world he no longer understands
The British comedy icon reveals why he's still working in his later life, and shares an unexpected confession about life after death in a wide-ranging interview.
“You’ve got 20 minutes or half an hour, you can ask me anything you like,” John Cleese says down the line.
The legendary actor’s distinctive baritone voice is instantly recognisable.
From his least favourite Aussie cricketer to why he’s still working at 86, and the fact he’s embracing life’s final act, were all on the cards as the British comedy icon spoke to The Sunday Telegraph in an exclusive Australian interview for the release of his new documentary film, John Cleese Packs It In.
“I think about death a lot but not in particularly a morbid sense,” he said.
“Just in the fact that I am not likely to be here in 15 years. That’s a fact.
“Sometimes, particularly politically, when you look at the situation, which is pretty disastrous almost everywhere, I’d like to put my shoulder to the wheel, but I don’t think I could ever affect anything and ever really change anything much in the short amount of time I’ve got.”
He continued: “So what I’m trying to figure out now is I’ve always been quite good about doing my duty, being a breadwinner and all that stuff, but now thinking more in terms of bucket lists.”
There are things Cleese wants to get off his chest too, information he believes fans wouldn’t know despite his more than six decades on the stage, the big and small screen.
“I think that most people would be very surprised to know that I think there’s some form of afterlife,” he posed.
“I’ve always been interested in what they call sci-phenomena, I think there’s a whole lot of things going on, phenomena, which are absolutely real, they happen, they have been statistically proven beyond any statistical doubt, but certainly these things like remote viewing, they can’t be explained by scientists.
“Its very interesting to read stories on the near-death experiences because I think something goes on.”
Cleese, a member of the world famous Monty Python comedy troupe, added: “The other thing, which is a very corny thing to say, is that I’m happily married. This is a nice experience for me. I’ve had a number of shots at it, but to have someone who really loves you and looks after you just makes life much nicer.”
Jewellery designer Jennifer Wade is in fact Cleese’s fourth wife, which explains his busy schedule.
John Cleese Packs It In, in cinemas from November 27, goes behind the curtains on his European tour in which he visited covered five countries, 16 cities and 23 shows over six weeks.
“I’m afraid it is very simple, it was the third divorce,” Cleese explained of working into his 80s.
“You see, if you lose your nest egg when you’re 70, it’s much tougher than if you loose it when you were 45. So basically the last 15 years have been making sure I’ve got enough money, which I’m getting to that point but having to do so in a world that I no longer understand. I don’t really understand streaming.”
He also has a new book out – Fawlty Towers: Fawlts and All – a 50th anniversary offering from his time on the iconic sitcom in which he famously played Basil Fawlty, the irritable and snobby hotel owner.
“Writing a book about Fawlty Towers was very sad because I realised so many people were dead, so many of my good friends, people that I loved and admired.
“When you get to 80, you’re slightly shocked because people start dropping like flies. And then you suddenly realise with great regret that you were always working.”
Prunella Scales, who played Cleese’s on-screen wife, Sybil Fawlty, died in October.
Cleese meanwhile last toured Australia in 2018 and won’t rule out another trip, “provided I can stay a long time”.
“I remember seeing a stand-up comedian in America once and there was an Aussie in the audience and he said to the Aussie, ‘what you don’t realise is there are planets closer,” Cleese recalled.
“My wife and I adore Australia. It’s a great place, and the Aussies, apart from (cricketer) David Warner, are such a nice bunch.”
Why Warner?
“I think he embodies absolutely everything that’s wrong with the sporting attitude,” the cricket fan said, claiming the Aussies were bad losers following sandpaper gate.
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Originally published as Comedy legend John Cleese on facing death, divorce and a world he no longer understands
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