Michael Palin Biography (1943-)

Full name, Michael Edward Palin; born May 5, 1943, in Ranmoor, Sheffield, York, England; son of Edward (an engineer) and Mary Palin; married Helen Margaret Gibbins, 1966; children: Thomas Edward, William Michael, Rachel Mary. Addresses: Manager: Mayday Management 34 Tavistock St., London WC2E 7PB, England.

Nationality: British
Gender: Male
Occupation: Actor, writer, producer
Birth Details: May 5, 1943; Sheffield, York, United Kingdom

Famous Works

CREDITS
Television Appearances
Series
Cohost, Now, 1965
Twice a Fortnight, BBC, 1967
Various characters, Do Not Adjust Your Set, Rediffusion, 1967-1968, Thames Television, 1968-1969
The Complete and Utter History of Britain, London Weekend Television, 1969
Various characters, Monty Python's Flying Circus (also known as Monty Python), BBC, 1969-1970 and 1972-1974, then PBS, 1974-1982
Various characters, Ripping Yarns, BBC, 1976-1977 and 1979, then PBS, 1979
London correspondent, The News Is the News, NBC, 1983
Himself, Around the World in 80 Days (documentary), BBC, 1989, then Arts and Entertainment, 1990
Jim Nelson, GBH, Channel 4, 1991
Various characters, Tracey Ullman: A Class Act, HBO, 1992
Himself, Pole to Pole (also known as Pole to Pole with MichaelPalin and Pole to Pole with Michael Palin: North to South by Camel, River Raft, and Balloon), Arts and Entertainment, 1993
Himself, Palin's Column, 1994
Himself, Full Circle with Michael Palin (documentary; also known as Full Circle: A Pacific Journey), PBS, 1997
Presenter, Ex-S, BBC, 1997
Himself and various characters in archive footage, The Sketch Show Story (also known as Victoria Wood's Sketch Show Story), BBC, 2001
Host, Sahara (documentary), BBC, 2002
Himself and host, Himalaya (documentary), 2004
Movies
The Late Show (short film), BBC, 1966
Pythons in Deutschland, Bavaria Atelier, 1971
Red Dress, 1977
Eric Manchester (Rutle Corp. press agent) and lawyer, The Rutles (also known as All You Need Is Cash), BBC-2, 1978
Voice of Rat, The Wind in the Willows, 1995
Voice of Rat, The Willows in Winter, 1996
Specials
Various characters, How to Irritate People (also known as JohnCleese on How to Irritate People), 1968
Various characters, Monty Python's Fliegender Zirkus, BBC, 1972
Secrets (also known as Black and Blue: Secrets), BBC, 1973
Himself, Monty Python & the Holy Grail Location Report (documentary; also known as On Location with the Pythons), BBC, 1974
Harris, Three Men in a Boat, BBC, 1975
Himself and performer in archive footage, The Pythons: Somewhere in Tunisia, circa A.D. 1979 (documentary; also known as The Pythons), BBC, 1979
Himself, What Is Brazil? (documentary), 1985
(Scenes deleted) Himself, Comic Relief (also known as The Utterly Utterly Rude Video Live), BBC, 1986
Himself, The Grand Knockout Tournament, BBC, 1987
Himself, A Night of Comic Relief 2, BBC, 1989
Host, The Prince's Trust Gala, TBS, 1989
Himself, The Secret Policeman's Biggest Ball, Arts and Entertainment, 1989
Himself and various characters in archive footage, Life of Python(also known as Life of Python: Monty Python 20th Anniversary Omnibus),BBC and Showtime, 1990
Himself and various characters in archive footage, Twenty Years of Monty Python (Parrot Sketch Not Included) (also known as Parrot Sketch Not Included: Twenty Years of Monty Python), Showtime, 1990
Tracey Ullman: A Class Act, HBO, 1992, It's the Monty Python Story (documentary; also known as Life of Python), BBC, 1993
Himself, Live from the Lighthouse, 1998
Himself, various characters, and various characters in archive footage, U.S. Comedy Arts Festival Tribute to Monty Python (also known as Monty Python's Flying Circus: Live at Aspen), HBO, 1998
Himself, From Spam to Sperm, BBC, 1999
Himself, Hemingway Adventure (documentary; also known as Michael Palin's Hemingway Adventure), PBS, 1999
Himself, Pythonland, BBC, 1999
Himself in archive footage, John Cleese & Anders Lund Madsen,1999
2000 Today, BBC, 1999
Himself, The Unknown Peter Sellers, 2000
Applicant and peasant, "Fame," The Human Face with John Cleese (also known as The Human Face), The Learning Channel, 2001
Himself in archive footage, George Harrison--Der sanfte Beatle (documentary), 2001
Himself, Spike Milligan: I Told You I Was Ill--A Live Tribute, BBC, 2002
Awards Presentations
Himself, The British Comedy Awards 2001, ITV, 2001
Himself, Billy Connolly: A BAFTA Tribute, BBC, 2002
Himself, The British Comedy Awards 2002, ITV, 2002
Presenter, The Grierson Documentary Awards 2002, BBC, 2002
Episodic
The Marty Feldman Comedy Machine, Associated Television, c. 1972 ABC, 1972
The Midnight Special, NBC, 1973
The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson, NBC, 1973 and 1989
Tiswas, Associated Television and Central Television, c. 1974
Saturday Night Live (also known as NBC's Saturday Night, Saturday Night, and SNL), NBC, 1978, 1979 (multiple episodes), 1980, 1982, 1984, and 1997
Himself, Friday Night, Saturday Morning, 1979
Police officer, The Innes Book of Records, BBC, 1979
"Confessions of a Train-Spotter," Great Railway Journeys of the World, BBC-2, 1980
OTT, Central Television, 1982
Late Night with David Letterman, NBC, 1986, 1988, 1991, 1992, and1993
Narrator, "Jack and the Beanstalk," We All Have Tales (animated),Showtime, 1991
"A Roving Commission," The Nicholas Craig Masterclass, 1992
"Derry to Kerry," Great Railway Journeys II, BBC-2 and PBS, 1994
Himself, Sunday Night Clive, 1994
Himself, "The Goons," Heroes of Comedy, 1997
Himself, The Frank Skinner Show, BBC, 1997
Himself, TFI Friday, Channel 4, 1997
Surfer, Home and Away, 1997
Himself, Clive Anderson All Talk, BBC, 1997 and 1999
Himself, Fantasy Football League, 1998
Himself, Fantasy World Cup, 1998
Himself, Parkinson, BBC, 1998, 2002, and 2003
Himself, "The Record Breaker," Comic Relief, BBC, 1999
Himself, "Bill Oddie," This Is Your Life, 2002
Himself, V Graham Norton, Channel 4, 2002
Himself, The Fat, ABC (Australia), 2003
Television Work
Series
Creator, Twice a Fortnight, BBC, 1967
Creator (with Terry Jones), The Complete and Utter History of Britain, London Weekend Television, 1969
Creator (with Jones, Graham Chapman, John Cleese, Terry Gilliam, and EricIdle), Monty Python's Flying Circus (also known as Monty Python), BBC, 1969-1970 and 1972-1974 then PBS, 1974-1982
Executive producer (with others), Ripping Yarns, BBC, 1976-1977 and 1979, then PBS, 1979
Film Appearances
Various characters, And Now for Something Completely Different (also known as Monty Python's And Now for Something Completely Different), Columbia, 1972
Sir Galahad, Dennis, and other roles, Monty Python and the Holy Grail, Cinema V, 1975
Dennis Cooper, Jabberwocky, Cinema V, 1977
Himself, To See Such Fun, 1977

Various characters, Monty Python Meets Beyond the Fringe (also known as Pleasure at Her Majesty's), 1977
Various characters, Monty Python's Life of Brian (also known as Life of Brian), Warner Bros., 1979
Various characters, The Secret Policeman's Ball, 1981
Himself and various characters, The Secret Policeman's Other Ball,Miramax, 1981
Vincent, Time Bandits, Avco-Embassy, 1981
Reverend Charles Fortescue, The Missionary, Columbia, 1982
Various characters, Monty Python Live at the Hollywood Bowl, Paramount, 1982
Various characters, Monty Python's The Meaning of Life (also knownas The Meaning of Life), Universal, 1983
Workman, The Crimson Permanent Assurance, 1983
Himself, The Secret Policeman's Private Parts, 1984
The Dress (short film), 1984
Gilbert Chilvers, A Private Function, Island Alive, 1985
Jack Lint, Brazil, Universal, 1985
Ken Pile, A Fish Called Wanda, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer/United Artists,1988
(Uncredited) Man in elevator, Inar gahined (also known as Hellfire), 1989
Reverend Francis Ashby, American Friends, Castle Hill, 1993
The sun, The Wind in the Willows (animated; also known as Mr. Toad's Wild Ride), Good Times, 1995, Columbia, 1997
Adrian "Bugsy" Malone, Fierce Creatures, Universal, 1997
Minister of Foods, How to Use Your Coconuts, 2001
Himself, The Concert for George, ArenaPlex, 2003
Voices of narrator and Professor R. Q. Thistlewaite, Education Tips No. 41: Choosing a Really Expensive School (short film), Python (Monty) Pictures Limited, 2003
Film Work
Producer (with others), The Missionary, Columbia, 1982
Creator of idea, Fierce Creatures, Universal, 1997
Stage Appearances
Hang Down Your Head and Die, London, 1964
Monty Python Live at the Hollywood Bowl, Hollywood Bowl, Los Angeles, 1970
Monty Python Live!, New York City, 1976
Also appeared in a solo show at the Belfast Festival, Belfast, Northern Ireland, 1981.
Major Tours
Monty Python's First Farewell Tour, British and Canadian cities, 1973
With Monty Python, performed in concert tours in U.S., British, and Canadian cities.
RECORDINGS
Albums with Monty Python (Graham Chapman, John Cleese, Terry Gilliam,Eric Idle, and Terry Jones)
Monty Python's Flying Circus, BBC Records, 1969
Another Monty Python Record, Charisma, 1970
Monty Python's Previous Record, Charisma, 1972
Monty Python's Matching Tie and Handkerchief, Charisma, 1973, Arista, 1975
Monty Python Live at the Theatre Royal, Drury Lane (also known asMonty Python Live at Drury Lane), Charisma, 1974
The Album of the Soundtrack of the Trailer of the Film "Monty Python and the Holy Grail," Arista, 1975
Monty Python Live at City the Center, Arista, 1976
The Worst of Monty Python, 1976
Monty Python's Instant Record Collection, Charisma, 1977
Monty Python's Life of Brian (film soundtrack), Warner Bros., 1979
Monty Python's Contractual Obligation Album, Arista, 1980
Monty Python's The Meaning of Life (film soundtrack), CBS Records,1983
Monty Python's The Final Ripoff (compilation), 1988
Videos
Himself, The Unseen Frank Skinner TV Show, 1997
Himself, The Quest for Holy Grail Locations, Columbia/TriStar HomeEntertainment, 2001
Himself, The Meaning of Making "The Meaning of Life," 2003
Taped Readings
Michael Palin's Full Circle, Chivers NA, 1999
Sahara (also known as Michael Palin's Sahara), BBC Audiobooks America, 2003
(With Monty Python) The Pythons, c. 2004
Video Games
Various characters, Monty Python's Complete Waste of Time, 1994
Sir Galahad and other characters, Monty Python and the Quest for the Holy Grail, 1996
Various characters, Monty Python's The Meaning of Life, 1997
WRITINGS
Teleplays
Series
(With John Cleese and Terry Jones) The Frost Report, BBC, 1966-1967
(With others) Twice a Fortnight, BBC, 1967
(With others) Broaden Your Mind, BBC, 1968
(With Eric Idle and Terry Jones) Do Not Adjust Your Set, Rediffusion, 1967-1968, Thames Television, 1968-1969
Author of additional material (with others), Marty (also known asIt's Marty), BBC-2, 1968-1969
(With Jones) The Complete and Utter History of Britain, London Weekend Television, 1969
(With Idle, Jones, Graham Chapman, John Cleese, and Terry Gilliam) Monty Python's Flying Circus (also known as Monty Python), BBC, 1969-1970 and 1972-1974, then PBS, 1974-1982
(With Jones) Ripping Yarns, BBC, 1976-1977 and 1979, then PBS, 1979
Around the World in 80 Days (documentary), BBC, 1989, Arts and Entertainment, 1990, published by BBC Books, 1989
Pole to Pole (also known as Pole to Pole with Michael Palinand Pole to Pole with Michael Palin: North to South by Camel, River Raft,and Balloon), Arts and Entertainment, 1993
Full Circle with Michael Palin (documentary; also known as FullCircle: A Pacific Journey), PBS, 1997
Sahara (documentary), BBC, 2002
Himalaya (documentary), 2004
Movies
The Late Show (short film), BBC, 1966
(With Graham Chapman, John Cleese, Terry Gilliam, Terry Jones, and Eric Idle) Pythons in Deutschland, Bavaria Atelier, 1971
East of Ipswich, BBC, 1987
Number 27, BBC, 1988
Teleplays with Monty Python (Graham Chapman, John Cleese, Terry Gilliam, Eric Idle, and Terry Jones)
Specials
Monty Python's Fliegender Zirkus, BBC, 1972
Life of Python (also known as Life of Python: Monty Python 20thAnniversary Omnibus), BBC and Showtime, 1990
Twenty Years of Monty Python (Parrot Sketch Not Included) (also known as Parrot Sketch Not Included: Twenty Years of Monty Python), Showtime, 1990
It's the Monty Python Story (documentary; also known as Life ofPython), BBC, 1993
Teleplays
Specials
(With Terry Jones) Secrets (also known as Black and Blue: Secrets), BBC, 1973
Hemingway Adventure (documentary; also known as Michael Palin'sHemingway Adventure), PBS, 1999, published by St. Martin's, 2000
Episodic
"Confessions of a Train-Spotter," Great Railway Journeys of the World, BBC-2, 1980, published by Dutton, 1983
Wrote episodes of other series, including The Two Ronnies, BBC.
Television Music
Series
(With others) Monty Python's Flying Circus (also known as MontyPython), BBC, 1969-1970 and 1972-1974, then PBS, 1974-1982
Screenplays with Monty Python (Graham Chapman, John Cleese, Terry Gilliam, Eric Idle, and Terry Jones)
And Now for Something Completely Different (also known as MontyPython's And Now for Something Completely Different; adapted from Monty Python's Flying Circus), Columbia, 1972
Monty Python and the Holy Grail, Cinema V, 1975, published by Methuen, 1977, published as Monty Python's Second Film: A First Draft, 1977
Monty Python's Life of Brian (also known as Life of Brian),Warner Bros., 1979, published as Monty Python's Life of Brian (of Nazareth) [and] Montypythonscrapbook, Grosset, 1979
Monty Python Live at the Hollywood Bowl, Paramount, 1982
Monty Python's The Meaning of Life (also known as The Meaning of Life), Universal, 1983, published as Monty Python's The Meaning of Life, Grove, 1983
Screenplays
(With Terry Gilliam) Time Bandits, Avco-Embassy, 1981, published as Time Bandits: The Movie Script, Doubleday, 1981
The Missionary, Columbia, 1982
Consuming Passions (based on the teleplay Secrets by Palinand Terry Jones), Samuel Goldwyn, 1988
(With Tristram Powell; and story) American Friends, Castle Hill, 1993
The Best of the Two Ronnies, BBC Video, 2002
Film Songs
"Brian's Song," Monty Python's Life of Brian (also known as Life of Brian), Warner Bros., 1979
"Every Sperm Is Sacred," Monty Python's The Meaning of Life (alsoknown as The Meaning of Life), Universal, 1983
Stage Writings with Monty Python (Graham Chapman, John Cleese, Terry Gilliam, Eric Idle, and Terry Jones)
Monty Python Live at the Hollywood Bowl, Hollywood Bowl, Los Angeles, 1970
Monty Python's First Farewell Tour, British and Canadian cities, 1973
Monty Python Live!, New York City, 1976
Stage Writings
(With Terry Jones) Their Finest Hours (short plays; includes Buchanan's Finest Hour and Underhill's Finest Hour), Sheffield, York, England, 1976
The Weekend, Strand Theatre, London, 1994
Video Games with Monty Python (Graham Chapman, John Cleese, Terry Gilliam, Eric Idle, and Terry Jones)
Monty Python's Complete Waste of Time, 1994
Monty Python and the Quest for the Holy Grail (based on the screenplay Monty Python and the Holy Grail), 1996
Monty Python's The Meaning of Life (based on the screenplay of thesame name), 1997
Monty Python Books with Monty Python (Graham Chapman, John Cleese, Terry Gilliam, Eric Idle, and Terry Jones)
Monty Python's Big Red Book, Warner Books, 1972
(Also with Jerry Gillian [pseudonym of Gilliam]) The Brand New Monty Python Book, Methuen, 1973, published as The Brand New Monty Python Paperboy, 1974
The Complete Works of Shakespeare and Monty Python (contains Monty Python's Big Red Book and The Brand New Monty Python Paperboy), Methuen, 1981
The Complete Monty Python's Flying Circus: All the Words, two volumes, Pantheon, 1989
Compilations Based on Teleplays
(With Terry Jones) Ripping Yarns (stories adapted from the television series; contains "Across the Andes by Frog," "The Curse of the Claw," "Escape from Stalag Luft 112B," "Murder at Moorstones Manor," "The Testing of Eric Olthwaite," and "Tomkinson's Schooldays"), Methuen, 1978, Pantheon, 1979
(With Jones) More Ripping Yarns (from the television series; contains "Golden Gordon," "Roger of the Raj," and "Whinfrey's Last Case"), Methuen, 1980, Pantheon, 1981
Juvenile
(With Terry Jones) Bert Fegg's Nasty Book for Boys and Girls, Methuen, 1974, published as Dr. Fegg's Nasty Book of Knowledge, Berkeley Publishing, revised version published as Dr. Fegg's Encyclopedia of All World Knowledge, Peter Bedrick, 1985
Small Harry and the Toothache Pills, 1981
Limericks, Hutchinson, 1985, Random House, 1987
Cyril and the Dinner Party, Pavilion, 1986
Cyril and the House of Commons, Pavilion, 1986
(With Alan Lee and Richard Seymour) The Mirrorstone: A Ghost Story with Holograms, illustrations by Lee, Knopf, 1986
Nonfiction
Pole to Pole: The Photographs, 1994
Full Circle: The Photographs, 1997
Sahara, photographs by Basil Pao, St. Martin's, 2003
Novels
Hemingway's Chair, St. Martin's, 1998
Other Writings
Contributor to periodicals, including Esquire and New York.

Further Reference

ADAPTATIONS

Crooked Wood, a play by Gillian Plowman, was adapted from Palin'steleplay Number 27.

OTHER SOURCES

Books

Authors and Artists for Young Adults, Volume 7, Gale, 1991
Contemporary Authors, New Revision Series, Volume 35, Gale, 1992
Contemporary Literary Criticism, Volume 21, Gale, 1982
Hewison, Robert, Monty Python: The Case Against, Eyre Methuen, 1981
Hewison, Robert, Footlights!, Eyre Methuen, 1983
Johnson, Kim Howard, The First 200 Years of Monty Python, St. Martin's, 1989
Margolis, Jonathan, Michael Palin: A Biography, Orion, 1997
Morgan, David, Monty Python Speaks!, Avon, 1999
Novick, Jeremy, Life of Michael, Headline, 2001
Perry, George, Life of Python, Little, Brown, 1983

Periodicals

America, September 15, 1979
Chicago Tribune, September 21, 1979; April 1, 1983
Daily Express, October 7, 2002, pp. 32-33
DramaLogue (Hollywood), December 9, 1982
Face, March, 1985
International Herald Tribune, December 1, 1992
Maclean's, April 28, 2003, p. 64
New Zealand Listener, November 21, 1992, pp. 22-23
Radio Times, June 4, 1994, p. 45; October 12, 2002, pp. 16-17, 19-20
TV Guide, April 5, 2003, p. 12
U.S. News & World Report, May 1, 2000, p. 14

Electronic

Pythonline, http://www.pythonline.com

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