Okla-homey
3/29/2006, 11:44 AM
courtesy of TUSooner!
Today is the birthday of Eric Idle, born in South Shields, Tyne and Wear, in the north of England, in 1943. Idle's father survived WWII in the RAF but was killed in a car crash after the war. Idle studied English at Pembroke College, Cambrigde U. and was invited to join the Footlights Club of performers.
Other Footlights Club members were John Cleese and Graham Chapman. Idle, Cleese, & Chapman later teamed up with Terry Jones and Michale Palin of Oxford U, and American animator Terry Gilliam, to form the comedy group Monty Python in 1969. Hilarity ensued. "Monty Python's Flying Circus" ran on BBC TV from 1969-1974, and lives on in syndication.
Idle wrote some songs for Monty Python's TV show and movies, including the "Philosopher's Song" (about drinking) and the unofficial second national anthem of Great Britain "Always Look on the Bright Side of Life." His voice has been heard in too many cartoons to mention.
His broadway show, "Spamalot" stolen from the movie "Monty Python and the Holy Grail" won a Tony award for Best Musical in 2005. Idle took pride in being the third tallest member of Monty Python. Idle now lives in California, is occasionally mistaken for Gene Wilder, and is not particularly nice.*
Today is the birthday of Eric Idle, born in South Shields, Tyne and Wear, in the north of England, in 1943. Idle's father survived WWII in the RAF but was killed in a car crash after the war. Idle studied English at Pembroke College, Cambrigde U. and was invited to join the Footlights Club of performers.
Other Footlights Club members were John Cleese and Graham Chapman. Idle, Cleese, & Chapman later teamed up with Terry Jones and Michale Palin of Oxford U, and American animator Terry Gilliam, to form the comedy group Monty Python in 1969. Hilarity ensued. "Monty Python's Flying Circus" ran on BBC TV from 1969-1974, and lives on in syndication.
Idle wrote some songs for Monty Python's TV show and movies, including the "Philosopher's Song" (about drinking) and the unofficial second national anthem of Great Britain "Always Look on the Bright Side of Life." His voice has been heard in too many cartoons to mention.
His broadway show, "Spamalot" stolen from the movie "Monty Python and the Holy Grail" won a Tony award for Best Musical in 2005. Idle took pride in being the third tallest member of Monty Python. Idle now lives in California, is occasionally mistaken for Gene Wilder, and is not particularly nice.*