Michael Palin

Actor

Born May 5, 1943 in Broomhill, Sheffield, England, UK

Michael Edward Palin, CBE FRGS (born 5 May 1943) is an English comedian, actor, writer and television presenter best known for being one of the members of the comedy group Monty Python and for his travel documentaries. Palin wrote most of his comedic material with Terry Jones. Before Monty Python, they had worked on other shows such as The Ken Dodd Show, The Frost Report and Do Not Adjust Your Set. Palin appeared in some of the most famous Python sketches, including "Argument Clinic", "Dead Parrot", "The Lumberjack Song", and "The Spanish Inquisition". Palin continued to work with Jones after Python, co-writing Ripping Yarns. He has also appeared in several films directed by fellow Python Terry Gilliam and made notable appearances in other films such as A Fish Called Wanda, for which he won the BAFTA Award for Best Actor in a Supporting Role. In a 2005 poll to find The Comedian's Comedian, he was voted the 30th favourite by fellow comedians and comedy insiders.

Filmography

Close-Up Toothpaste Relaunch

salesman

Eric Idle Exploits Monty Python

Monty Python: Live at Aspen

David Attenborough's 100 Years on Planet Earth

Self

The Magic Faraway Tree

Know All

Small Prophets

Brian Sleep

Joke

Michael Palin in Venezuela

Self - Host

The Secret Life of Trees

Self - Narrator

When Bruce Springsteen Came to Britain

Self

Innes Lloyd: The Producer

Self

The Academy of Armando

Self

David Frost Vs

self

Dame Maggie Smith - A Celebration

Self

Time Bandits

My National Gallery, London

Self

Michael Palin in Nigeria

Self

Fawlty Towers: 50 Years of Laughs

Self

Michael Palin: Into Iraq

The Fringe, Fame and Me

Self

Remembers…

Monty Python's Best Bits Celebrated

Self (archive footage)(uncredited)

Jeepers Creepers

Newscaster (voice)

Michael Palin: Travels of a Lifetime

Self - Host

Staged

Michael

Peter Sellers: A State of Comic Ecstasy

Self

Worzel Gummidge

The Green Man

Python at 50: Silly Talks and Holy Grails

Self (archive footage)

An Accidental Studio

Self

Final Ascent: The Legend of Hamish MacInnes

Self

Michael Palin in North Korea

Self - Host

Vanity Fair

William Makepeace Thackeray

Michael Palin: A Life on Screen

The Death of Stalin

Vyacheslav Molotov

Generation '66

Attenborough at 90

Self

Michael Palin's Quest for Artemisia

Self

Clangers

Narrator (voice)

Absolutely Anything

Kindly Alien (voice)

A Life on Screen

Self

Rik Mayall: Lord of Misrule

Self

Spike Milligan: Love, Light and Peace

Self

Remember Me

Tom Parfitt

Monty Python: The Meaning of Live

Self

Monty Python's Best Bits (Mostly)

Self (archive footage)

Monty Python Live (Mostly)

Self, others

Monty Python: And Now for Something Rather Similar

Self

50 Years of BBC Two Comedy

Self

The New Incomplete And Utter History Of Everything

Alexander Armstrong's Real Ripping Yarns

Self

New Tales from Around the World in 80 Days

Self

Michael Palin In Wyeth's World

Self

The Meaning of Monty Python

Self

The Wipers Times

General Mitford

Frost on Sketch Shows

Self

A Liar's Autobiography: The Untrue Story of Monty Python's Graham Chapman

Various (voice)

Anatomy of a Liar

Self

Brazil with Michael Palin

Self (Presenter)

Produced by George Martin

Self

The Secret Policeman's Ball

Self

Python Legs!

Arthur Christmas

Ernie Clicker (voice)

Making Qi

Self

The Jonathan Ross Show

Self

Perspectives

Self

ZULU Comedy Galla

Michael Palin

Not The Messiah: The Road To Albert Hall

Not the Messiah (He's a Very Naughty Boy)

Mrs. Betty Palin / Julius Caesar / Bevis

Monty Python: Almost the Truth (The Lawyer's Cut) - Theatrical Release

Self

Monty Python: Almost the Truth (The Lawyer's Cut)

Self

Monty Python in Aberystwyth

Self

Fawlty Towers: Re-Opened

Self

Around the World in 20 Years

Self

Inside Shabby Road: The Music of 'The Rutles'

Self

Get Up and Go: The Making of 'The Rutles'

Self

Timewatch: The Last Day of World War One‎

Presenter

Monty Python: Before the Flying Circus

Self

The Seventh Python

Self

What Is Brazil?

Self

Marty Feldman: Six Degrees of Separation

Self

Monty Python Conquers America

Self

Robbie the Reindeer in Close Encounters of the Herd Kind

Gariiiiiii (voice)

Michael Palin's New Europe

Self

Movie Connections

Self

Hitler: The Comedy Years

Heinrich Himmler (archive footage) (uncredited)

The Graham Norton Show

Self

What the Pythons Did Next...

Self (archive footage)

The Secret Life of Brian

Self

Legends

Self

The One Show

Self - Guest

50 Films to See Before You Die

Self

Monty Python's Flying Circus—John Cleese's Personal Best

Various Characters

Monty Python's Flying Circus—Michael Palin's Personal Best

Monty Python's Flying Circus—Terry Gilliam's Personal Best

Various Characters

Monty Python's Flying Circus—Terry Jones' Personal Best

Various Characters

Monty Python's Flying Circus—Graham Chapman's Personal Best

Various Characters

Monty Python's Flying Circus—Eric Idle's Personal Best

Various Characters

Monty Python's Flying Circus—Graham Chapman's Personal Best

Various Characters

Monty Python's Personal Best

Self / Various Characters

The Roots of Monty Python

Self (archive footage)

John Peel's Record Box

Self

Michael Palin & the Mystery of Hammershøi

Host

Remember the Secret Policeman's Ball?

Self

Best Sellers or: Peter Sellers and 'Dr. Strangelove'

Self

Himalaya with Michael Palin

Self - Presenter

The Best of Monty Python's Flying Circus Volume 1

Self (archive footage)

The Best of Monty Python's Flying Circus Volume 2

Self (archive footage)

The Best of Monty Python's Flying Circus Volume 3

Self (archive footage)

Concert for George

Self

The Meaning of Making 'The Meaning of Life'

Self

Michael Palin and the Ladies Who Loved Matisse

Narrator

Life on Air: David Attenborough's 50 Years in Television

Self - Presenter

Sahara with Michael Palin

Self - Presenter

Spike Milligan I told you I was ill... A live tribute

Self

The Quest for the Holy Grail Locations

Self

The Unknown Peter Sellers

Self

Michael Palin's Hemingway Adventure

The Monty Python Story

Self

Monty Python: From Spam to Sperm

Self

Monty Python: 30th Anniversary Sketches

Self

Monty Python: Pythonland

Monty Python: Live at Aspen

Self

Parkinson

Self

Palin on Redpath

Self - Presenter

Full Circle with Michael Palin

Self

Fierce Creatures

Adrian "Bugsy" Malone

The Willows in Winter

Rat

The Wind in the Willows

The Sun

The Wind in the Willows

Rat

The Frank Skinner Show

Self

Late Night with Conan O'Brien

Self - Guest

Tracey Ullman: A Class Act

Various

Pole to Pole

Self

Rabbit Ears - Jack and the Beanstalk

Narrator (voice)

G.B.H.

Jim Nelson

American Friends

Rev. Francis Ashby

The Witches

Witch at Meeting (uncredited)

Viz: The Documentary

Self

Life of Python

Self / Various Roles

The Simpsons

Springfield History Museum curator (voice)

Parrot Sketch Not Included: Twenty Years of Monty Python

Self / Various Characters

The Art Of Travel With Michael Palin

Self

Michael Palin: The Art of Travel

Michael Palin: Around the World in 80 Days

Self

The Movie Life of George

Self

The Secret Policeman’s Biggest Ball

Self

Number 27

A Fish Called Wanda

Ken Pile

Nelson Mandela 70th Birthday Tribute

Self

Consuming Passions

Going Live!

Self

The Grand Knockout Tournament

Self

East of Ipswich

Omnibus Presents Comic Relief

Comedians Do It On Stage

Self

Brazil

Jack Lint

Screen Two

A Private Function

Gilbert Chilvers

The Dress

Howard

Comic Roots: Michael Palin

Monty Python's The Meaning of Life

Various Roles

The Crimson Permanent Assurance

Workman

The Missionary

The Reverend Charles Fortescue

Monty Python Live at the Hollywood Bowl

Various Roles

Wogan

Self

The Secret Policeman's Other Ball

Self - Various Roles

Time Bandits

Vincent

The Box

(voice)

Travels with Palin

Self

Great Railway Journeys

Self - Presenter

The Secret Policeman's Ball

Various Roles

Roger of the Raj

Roger

Golden Gordon

Gordon Ottershaw

Whinfrey's Last Case

Gerald Whinfrey

Friday Night, Saturday Morning

Life of Brian

Wise Man #3 / Mr. Big Nose / Francis / Mrs. A / Ex-Leper / Announcer / Ben / Pontius Pilate / Boring Prophet / Eddie / Shoe Follower / Nisus Wettus

The Pythons: Somewhere in Tunisia, Circa A.D. 1979

Self

The Rutles: All You Need Is Cash

Eric Manchester

The Curse of the Claw

Kevin Orr / Uncle Jack

Across the Andes by Frog

Captain Walter Snetterton

Murder at Moorstones Manor

Charles Chiddingford

Escape from Stalag Luft 112B

Major Errol Phipps

The Testing of Eric Olthwaite

Eric Olthwaite / Bank Manager

The Broken Bottle

Jabberwocky

Dennis Cooper

Pleasure at Her Majesty's

Self

The Secret Policeman's Ball

Self

Tomkinson's Schooldays

Tomkinson / Headmaster / TV Introducer / Mr Craffitt

Ripping Yarns

Three Men in a Boat

Harris

Saturday Night Live

Self - Co-Host

Monty Python and the Holy Grail

First Swallow-Savvy Guard / Dennis / Peasant 2 / Right Head / Sir Galahad the Pure / Narrator / King of Swamp Castle / Brother Maynard's Brother / Leader of The Knights Who Say NI!

Les Rendez-vous du dimanche

Self

Monty Python & the Holy Grail Location Report

Self

Henry Cleans Up

Henry

Secrets

Is This a Record?

Various

Monty Python In The Netherlands

Pebble Mill at One

The Philosophers' Football Match

Nietzsche

Monty Python's Fliegender Zirkus

Various Characters

The Great Birds Eye Peas Relaunch 1971

And Now for Something Completely Different

Gumby / Man with tape recorder / Phrasebook Author / Arthur Pewtey / Second self - defence student / Second Tenant / Lost His Wallet / Shrill Petrol Announcer / Milkman / Ernest Scribbler / Pet shop employee / Lumberjack / Headwaiter Gilberto / Herbert Anchovy / Blackmail Presenter / Gervais Brookhamster / Town Guild Lady