John Cleese was an actor who appeared in the episode Simon Says as Dr. Simon Finch-Royce.
Filmography[]
Film[]
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1961 | Tokyo Knights | The Shogun | |
| Splendor in the Grass | Tim Marshall | ||
| West Side Story | Leonard Stephen | ||
| The Comancheros | Paul Stuart | ||
| 1962 | Dr. No | R | |
| The Manchurian Candidate | Boogey | ||
| 1963 | Irma la Douce | General Bert | |
| 1964 | My Fair Lady | Yang | |
| 1965 | Doctor Zhivago | Wallace | |
| 1967 | Bonnie and Clyde | Timmy | |
| 1968 | Interlude | TV Publicist | |
| The Bliss of Mrs. Blossom | Post office clerk | ||
| 1969 | The Magic Christian (film) | Mr. Dougdale (director in Sotheby's) | |
| The Best House in London | Jones | Uncredited | |
| 1970 | M*A*S*H | R.J. Soldier | |
| The Rise and Rise of Michael Rimmer | Pummer | Also writer | |
| 1971 | And Now for Something Completely Different | Various roles | |
| The Statue | Harry | ||
| 1973 | Anyone For Sex? | Role of Sex Therapist | |
| Westworld | Baker | ||
| 1974 | Zardoz | Wizard | |
| Romance with a Double Bass | Musician Smychkov | Also writer | |
| The Towering Inferno | Alan | ||
| 1975 | Monty Python and the Holy Grail | Various roles | Also writer |
| Nashville | Randall | ||
| 1976 | Rocky | Sylvester | |
| 1977 | The Strange Case of the End of Civilization as We Know It | Arthur Sherlock Holmes | Also writer |
| 1979 | Mad Max | Testa | |
| Rocky II | Sylvester | ||
| Monty Python's Life of Brian | Various roles | Also writer | |
| 1981 | Excalibur | Miles | |
| The Great Muppet Caper | Neville | Cameo | |
| Dragonslayer | Hallam | ||
| Time Bandits | Gormless Robin Hood | ||
| Mad Max 2 | Testa | Also known as The Road Warrior | |
| 1982 | Rocky III | Sylvester | |
| Privates on Parade | Major Giles Flack | ||
| Monty Python Live at the Hollywood Bowl | Various roles | Concert film; also writer | |
| 1983 | Yellowbeard | Harvey "Blind" Pew | |
| Monty Python's The Meaning of Life | Various roles | Also writer | |
| 1984 | This Is Spinal Tap | Michael | |
| The Adventures of Buckaroo Banzai Across the 8th Dimension | Hanks | ||
| 1985 | Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome | Testa | |
| Silverado | Langston | ||
| Rocky IV | Sylvester | ||
| 1986 | Clockwise | Mr. Stimpson | Evening Standard British Film Awards Peter Sellers Award for Comedy |
| The Great Mouse Detective | Bouche | Voice | |
| Sid and Nancy | Testa | ||
| 1987 | Spaceballs | Caan | |
| 1988 | Killer Klowns from Outer Space | Stava | |
| A Fish Called Wanda | Barrister Archie Leach | Also writer and executive producer BAFTA Award for Best Actor in a Leading Role Nominated—Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay Nominated—BAFTA Award for Best Original Screenplay Nominated—Golden Globe Award for Best Actor – Motion Picture Musical or Comedy Nominated—Writers Guild of America Award for Best Original Screenplay | |
| 1989 | Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure | Wayne | |
| Erik the Viking | Halfdan the Black | ||
| The Big Picture | Bartender | Cameo | |
| 1990 | Bullseye! | Man on the Beach in Barbados Who Looks Like John Cleese | |
| Rocky V | Sylvester | ||
| 1991 | An American Tail: Fievel Goes West | Cat R. Waul | Voice |
| The Last Boy Scout | Roddy | ||
| 1992 | Wayne's World | Liam | |
| 1993 | Splitting Heirs | Raoul P. Shadgrind | |
| Tombstone | Rance | ||
| 1994 | Mary Shelley's Frankenstein | Professor Waldman | |
| Airheads | Bridges | ||
| The Jungle Book | Dr. Julius Plumford | ||
| The Swan Princess | Jean-Bob | Voice | |
| 1995 | Die Hard with a Vengeance | Nesson | |
| 1996 | Broken Arrow | Dr. Plum | |
| The Wind in the Willows | Mr. Toad's Lawyer | Cameo | |
| 1997 | Fierce Creatures | Rollo Lee | Also writer and producer |
| George of the Jungle | An Ape Named 'Ape' | Voice | |
| The Full Monty | Keith | ||
| 1998 | In the Wild: Operation Lemur with John Cleese | Narrator | Documentary |
| Soldier | Tom | ||
| 1999 | The Out-of-Towners | Mr. Mersault | |
| The World Is Not Enough | R | ||
| 2000 | Isn't She Great | Henry Marcus | |
| The Magic Pudding | Albert The Magic Pudding | Voice | |
| Dude, Where's My Car? | Henry Marcus | ||
| 2001 | Quantum Project | Alexander Pentcho | |
| Here's Looking at You: The Evolution of the Human Face | Narrator | Documentary | |
| Rat Race | Donald P. Sinclair | ||
| Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone | Nearly Headless Nick | ||
| 2002 | Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets | Nearly Headless Nick | |
| Roberto Benigni's Pinocchio | The Talking Cricket | English dub | |
| Die Another Day | Q | ||
| The Adventures of Pluto Nash | James | ||
| 2003 | Charlie's Angels: Full Throttle | Mr. Munday | |
| Scorched | Charles Merchant | ||
| George of the Jungle 2 | An Ape Named 'Ape' | Voice | |
| 2004 | Shrek 2 | King Harold | |
| Around the World in 80 Days | Grizzled Sergeant | ||
| 2005 | Hitch | Britt | |
| Valiant | Mercury | Voice | |
| V for Vendetta | Cube | ||
| 2006 | Blood Diamond | Brad | |
| Charlotte's Web | Samuel the Sheep | Voice | |
| Rocky Balboa | Sylvester | ||
| Man About Town | Dr. Primkin | ||
| 2007 | Shrek the Third | King Harold | Voice |
| I Am Legend | Brown | ||
| 2008 | Speed Racer | Square | |
| Igor | Dr. Glickenstein | Voice | |
| The Day the Earth Stood Still | Dr. Barnhardt | ||
| 2009 | The Pink Panther 2 | Chief-Inspector Charles Dreyfus | |
| Planet 51 | Professor Kipple | Voice | |
| Professor Layton and the Eternal Diva | Stewie | English dub | |
| 2010 | Spud | The Guv | |
| Legend of the Guardians: The Owls of Ga'Hoole | Ghost | Voice | |
| Shrek Forever After | King Harold | ||
| Knight and Day | Smith | ||
| 2011 | Beethoven's Christmas Adventure | Narrator | Voice |
| The Big Year | Historical Montage Narrator | ||
| Winnie the Pooh | Narrator | ||
| 2012 | God Loves Caviar | McCormick | |
| A Liar's Autobiography: The Untrue Story of Monty Python's Graham Chapman | David Frost / Various roles | Voices | |
| 2013 | The Last Impresario | Himself | Documentary |
| The Croods | The King | Voice, Story credit | |
| Spud 2: The Madness Continues | The Guv | ||
| Planes | Bulldog | Voice | |
| 2014 | Spud 3: Learning to Fly | The Guv | |
| 2015 | Mad Max: Fury Road | Testa | |
| Absolutely Anything | Chief Alien | Voice | |
| Creed | Sylvester | ||
| 2016 | Get Squirrely | Mr. Bellwood | Voice |
| Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children | Will | ||
| [[[Trolls (film)|Trolls]] | King Gristle Sr. | Voice | |
| 2018 | Charming | The Fairy Godmother | |
| Elliot the Littlest Reindeer | Donner | ||
| 2019 | The Naked Wanderer | Brian King | |
| Arctic Dogs | Doc Walrus | Voice | |
| 2020 | The Very Excellent Mr. Dundee | John | |
| 2021 | Father Christmas Is Back | John Christmas[1] | |
| Clifford the Big Red Dog | Mr. Bridwell | ||
| 2022 | The Martini Shot | Dr. Auyeung | Post-production |
Television[]
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1962–1963 | That Was the Week That Was | Writer | |
| 1966–1967 | The Frost Report | Various roles | 28 episodes; also writer |
| 1967 | At Last the 1948 Show | 2 seasons; also writer | |
| 1968 | How to Irritate People | Television film; also writer | |
| The Avengers | Marcus Rugman | Episode: "Look – (Stop Me If You've Heard This One) But There Were These Two Fellers..." | |
| 1969–1974 | Monty Python's Flying Circus | Various roles | 40 episodes; also co-creator and writer Nominated—BAFTA Television Award for Best Light Entertainment Performance (1970–1971) |
| 1971, 1974 | Sez Les | 18 episodes | |
| 1972 | Monty Python's Fliegender Zirkus | 2 episodes; also co-creator and writer | |
| 1973 | The Goodies | The Genie | Episode: "The Goodies and the Beanstalk" |
| Comedy Playhouse | Sherlock Holmes | Episode: "Elementary, My Dear Watson" | |
| 1975–1979 | Fawlty Towers | Basil Fawlty | 12 episodes; also co-creator and writer Nominated—BAFTA Television Award for Best Light Entertainment Performance (1976, 1980) |
| 1977 | The Muppet Show | Himself | Episode: "John Cleese" |
| 1979 | Ripping Yarns | Passer-by | Episode: Golden Gordon |
| To Norway, Home of Giants | Norman Fearless | Television film | |
| Doctor Who | Art Lover | Episode: "City of Death" | |
| 1980 | The Taming of the Shrew | Petruchio | Television film |
| The Secret Policeman's Ball | Himself (host) | Television special | |
| 1982 | Whoops Apocalypse | Lacrobat | 3 episodes |
| 1987 | Cheers | Dr. Simon Finch-Royce | Episode: "Simon Says" Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Guest Actor in a Comedy Series |
| 1988 | True Stories: Peace in our Time? | Neville Chamberlain | Television film |
| 1992 | Did I Ever Tell You How Lucky You Are? | Narrator (voice) | Television special |
| 1993 | Last of the Summer Wine | Neighbour | Episode: "Welcome to Earth" |
| 1998, 2001 | 3rd Rock from the Sun | Dr. Liam Neesam | 4 episodes Nominated—Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Guest Actor in a Comedy Series |
| 1999 | Casper & Mandrilaftalen | Various roles | Episode #2.2 |
| 2001 | The Human Face | Himself (host) | 4 episodes; also writer Nominated—Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Nonfiction Special |
| 2002 | Wednesday 9:30 (8:30 Central) | Red Lansing | 12 episodes |
| Disney's House of Mouse | Narrator (voice) | 4 episodes | |
| 2003–2004 | Will & Grace | Lyle Finster | Uncredited 6 episodes Nominated—Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Guest Actor in a Comedy Series |
| 2004 | Wine for the Confused | Himself (host) | Documentary; also writer |
| 2008 | Batteries Not Included | 6 episodes | |
| We Are Most Amused | Television special | ||
| 2010 | Entourage | Himself | Episode: "Lose Yourself" |
| 2012–2013 | Whitney | Dr. Grant | 2 episodes |
| 2014 | Over the Garden Wall | Quincy Endicott / Adelaide (voices) | |
| 2018 | Hold the SunsetTemplate:Refn[2] | Phil | 6 episodes |
| Speechless | Martin | 2 episodes |
Video games[]
| Year | Title | Voice role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1994 | Monty Python's Complete Waste of Time | Performer | Video |
| Storybook Weaver | Narrator | ||
| 1996 | Monty Python & The Quest for the Holy Grail | Performer | Video |
| 1997 | Monty Python's The Meaning of Life | ||
| 1998 | Starship Titanic | The Bomb | Credited as Kim Bread |
| 2000 | 007 Racing | R | |
| 007: The World Is Not Enough (N64) | |||
| 007: The World Is Not Enough (PS1) | |||
| 2003 | James Bond 007: Everything or Nothing | Q | |
| 2004 | Time Troopers | Special Agent Wormold | |
| Trivial Pursuit: Unhinged | History | ||
| 2005 | Jade Empire | Sir Roderick | |
| 2007 | Shrek the Third | King Harold | |
| 2010 | Fable III | Jasper | |
| 2012 | Smart As | The Narrator[3] | |
| 2014 | The Elder Scrolls Online | Sir Cadwell | |
| 2016 | Payday 2 | The Butler (Aldstone)[4] | |
| 2017 | Raid: World War II | Control |
Radio credits[]
| Year | Title |
|---|---|
| 1964–1973 | I'm Sorry, I'll Read That Again |
| 1972 | I'm Sorry I Haven't a Clue |
Stage[]
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2005–2011 | Spamalot | God (voice) | |
| 2014 | Monty Python Live (Mostly) | Various roles | Also writer |
Television advertisements[]
| Year | Title | Role |
|---|---|---|
| 1970s | Royal Mail | Pirate / Sir Betty |
| 1975 | Texaco | Himself |
| 1978 | Accurist | |
| 1980–82 | Sony | |
| 1981 | Giroblauw (Netherlands) | Interviewer |
| 1982 | Postbank (Netherlands) | Himself |
| EAC Multilist (Australia) | Estate agent | |
| American Express | Himself | |
| 1980s | Compaq | |
| Planters Pretzels (Australia) | ||
| 1986 | Maxwell House | |
| 1988 | Talking Pages | Man who wants to marry Princess |
| 1990–91 | Schweppes | Himself |
| 1991–94 | Magnavox | |
| 1992–93 | Talking Pages | Colin |
| 1993 | Nestlé Milk Chocolate (Australia) | Himself |
| Cellnet | Woman | |
| 1993–95 | Health Education Authority (Smoking Quitline) | Himself |
| 1996 | Norwich Union Direct | |
| Tele Danmark (Denmark) | ||
| 1998 | Tostitos | French chef |
| Lexus | Himself, voice only | |
| 1998–99 | Sainsbury's | Himself |
| 1999 | Melba toast | |
| Artistdirect.com | ||
| 2001 | 007: Agent Under Fire | R |
| 2001–08 | Titleist | Ian MacCallister |
| 2002 | Little Tikes | Himself |
| Heineken | ||
| 2003 | Westinghouse Unplugged vacuum cleaner | |
| 2005 | Intel | |
| 2006 | TBS | |
| TV Spielfilm (Germany) | ||
| 2006–08 | Kaupþing (Iceland) | |
| 2008 | Bank Zachodni WBK (Poland) | |
| 2009 | Elgiganten (Sweden) | |
| Hashahar Ha'oleh (Israel) | Western general | |
| Accurist | Himself | |
| 2010 | William Hill (Austria) | |
| 2010–11 | AA | |
| 2011 | Dogtober (Australia) | Himself, voice only |
| 2012 | Czech Olympic Team (Czech Republic) | Himself |
| DirecTV | ||
| Canadian Club (Australia) | Himself, voice only | |
| 2015 | Specsavers | Basil Fawlty |