All about John Cleese

John Cleese is a famous man who makes people laugh. He was born in England on October 27, 1939. When John was young, he liked to make jokes and act in plays. He went to a big school called Cambridge University where he joined a club for funny people called the Footlights.

After university, John became famous when he helped create a very funny TV show called "Monty Python's Flying Circus." This show was full of silly sketches that made people laugh a lot. John worked with other funny people, and together they made movies like "Monty Python and the Holy Grail" and "Life of Brian."

Later, John made another famous TV show called "Fawlty Towers." In this show, he played a character named Basil Fawlty, who was a grumpy hotel manager. People loved this show because it was so funny.

John Cleese also acted in many movies, like "A Fish Called Wanda" and some "Harry Potter" movies. He even did voices for animated movies, like "Shrek."

Besides being funny, John Cleese wrote books and did shows where he talked about his life and how to be funny. Even though he is older now, people still remember him for making them laugh.

1. When was John Cleese born?
2. What university did John Cleese attend?
3. What character did John Cleese play in "Fawlty Towers"?
4. Why do you think people loved "Fawlty Towers" so much?
5. What do you think it would be like to meet John Cleese? Why?

Symbols and Traditions

Hi everyone! My name is Fiona and I am 8 years old. I want to tell you about my fun trip to a place inspired by Monty Python, where John Cleese was really famous. My family and I went to a place called "The Ministry of Silly Walks Park." It's a park where everyone does funny walks, just like John Cleese did in Monty Python.

At the park, there were lots of people trying to walk in the silliest ways possible. We even saw a man dressed up like John Cleese, with a bowler hat and a briefcase. He was showing everyone how to do the silly walks. My favorite part was when I tried to copy his walk and almost fell over. My mom and dad were laughing so hard!

There were also silly walk races, and I got to join one. I didn't win, but it was so much fun. After that, we had ice cream and talked about our favorite parts of the park. I think this was one of the best trips ever because I love being silly and making people laugh. If you ever visit, make sure to practice your silly walk!

1. What did Fiona do at the Ministry of Silly Walks Park?
2. Who was John Cleese, and why is he famous?
3. Can you describe how Fiona felt when she tried to copy the silly walk?
4. Why do you think Fiona's parents were laughing so hard?
5. How would you feel if you visited a park like the Ministry of Silly Walks?

Profile of John Cleese

A Timeline of John Cleese to another Festival

After learning all about John Cleese, your job is to create a timeline of their life. You should add all the important events in their life but you can be inventive and add some interesting things that people might like to read about. You can make it as simply as you like with pen and paper or you can be very inventive and create a 3D diorama or hanging banner. The sky's the limit - go for it!

Slideshow - John Cleese
A full set of teaching plans for John Cleeseteaching.