Eric Idle

Eric Idle
Idle in 2012
Born (1943-03-29) 29 March 1943 (age 81)
South Shields, England
Alma materPembroke College, Cambridge
Occupations
  • Actor
  • comedian
  • songwriter
  • musician
  • screenwriter
  • playwright
Years active1967–present
Notable workMonty Python
The Rutles
Spamalot
The Simpsons
Spouses
(m. 1969; div. 1975)
Tania Kosevich
(m. 1981)
[1]
Children2
RelativesMadge Ryan (former-mother-in-law)
Websiteericidle.com Edit this at Wikidata

Eric Idle (born 29 March 1943) is an English actor, comedian, songwriter, musician, screenwriter and playwright. He was a member of the British comedy group Monty Python and the parody rock band the Rutles. Idle studied at Pembroke College, Cambridge, and joined Cambridge University Footlights. He reached stardom when he co-created and acted in the sketch series Monty Python's Flying Circus (1969–1974) and the films Monty Python and the Holy Grail (1975), Life of Brian (1979) and The Meaning of Life (1983) with John Cleese, Michael Palin, Terry Gilliam, Terry Jones, and Graham Chapman.

Known for his elaborate wordplay and musical numbers, Idle performed many of the songs featured in Python projects, including "Always Look on the Bright Side of Life" and "Galaxy Song".[2] After Monty Python's Flying Circus he created the sketch show Rutland Weekend Television (1975–1976), and hosted Saturday Night Live four times (1976–1979). He has also acted in films, including The Adventures of Baron Munchausen (1988), Nuns on the Run (1990), Splitting Heirs (1993), Casper (1995), An Alan Smithee Film: Burn Hollywood Burn (1997), Ella Enchanted (2004), and Shrek the Third (2007).

Idle made his Broadway debut with his adaptation of Monty Python and the Holy Grail (1975) into a musical, Spamalot (2005), which was a critical and commercial success earning the Tony Award for Best Musical, and Grammy Award for Best Musical Theater Album. He also wrote Not the Messiah (2009).[3] He reached a global audience when he performed at the London 2012 Olympic Games closing ceremony.[4]

  1. ^ Who's Who. www.ukwhoswho.com. doi:10.1093/ww/9780199540884.013.U21409. ISBN 978-0-19-954088-4. Retrieved 30 August 2019.
  2. ^ "And now for something completely difficult ..." The Guardian. 13 September 2006. Retrieved 21 August 2019.
  3. ^ Eric Idle, [Email letter to] "The Pythons", 20 December 2006. Reprinted in Roy Thompson Hall Performance Program Insert, summer 2007. p. 6.
  4. ^ "London ends Olympics on extravagant notes". Al Jazeera English. 12 August 2012. Retrieved 20 August 2019.