Michael Palin

Biography

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.

After Python, he began a new career as a travel writer and travel documentarian. His journeys have taken him across the world, including the North and South Poles, the Sahara desert, the Himalayas and, most recently, Eastern Europe. In 2000 Palin was honoured as a Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) for his services to television.

Top Movie Cast

Braziltrue- Jack Lint

1985-02-20

7.7

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

1979-08-17

7.8

A Fish Called Wandatrue- Ken Pile

1988-07-15

7.2

Monty Python and the Holy Grailtrue- 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!

1975-04-03

7.8

Monty Python's The Meaning of Lifetrue- Various Roles

1983-03-31

7.3

Monty Python & the Holy Grail Location Reporttrue- Self

1974-12-19

8.0

Jabberwockytrue- Dennis Cooper

1977-03-28

6.0

Monty Python Live at the Hollywood Bowltrue- Various Roles

1982-06-25

7.4

Fierce Creaturestrue- Adrian 'Bugsy' Malone

1997-01-23

6.2

And Now for Something Completely Differenttrue- 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

1971-09-28

7.2

Monty Python's Flying Circus—Graham Chapman's Personal Besttrue- Various Characters

2006-02-22

10.0

Rik Mayall: Lord of Misruletrue- Self

2014-12-20

7.5

Time Banditstrue- Vincent

1981-07-13

6.6

Remember the Secret Policeman's Ball?true- Self

2004-12-09

4.8

50 Films to See Before You Dietrue- Self

2006-07-22

8.5

The Rutles: All You Need Is Cashtrue- Eric Manchester

1978-03-22

6.8

Not the Messiah (He's a Very Naughty Boy)true- Mrs. Betty Palin / Julius Caesar / Bevis

2010-03-25

7.0

The Wind in the Willowstrue- The Sun

1996-10-16

5.8

Inside Shabby Road: The Music of 'The Rutles'true- Self

2008-11-01

0.0

Hitler: The Comedy Yearstrue- Heinrich Himmler (archive footage) (uncredited)

2007-05-10

5.0

Get Up and Go: The Making of 'The Rutles'true- Self

2008-11-01

0.0

How to Irritate Peopletrue- Various

1969-01-21

6.6

Arthur Christmastrue- Ernie Clicker (voice)

2011-11-10

6.8

Around the World in 20 Yearstrue- Self

2008-12-30

8.7

Is This a Record?true- Various

1973-06-01

6.0

The Missionarytrue- The Reverend Charles Fortescue

1982-11-02

5.6

American Friendstrue- Rev. Francis Ashby

1991-03-22

6.4

A Private Functiontrue- Gilbert Chilvers

1984-11-09

6.5

Pleasure at Her Majesty'strue- Self

1976-12-29

7.0

The Secret Policeman's Balltrue- Various Roles

1979-12-22

6.4

The Secret Policeman's Other Balltrue- Self - Various Roles

1982-03-01

6.3

The Secret Policeman’s Biggest Balltrue- Self

1989-01-01

7.7

Three Men in a Boattrue- Harris

1975-12-31

6.1

Absolutely Anythingtrue- Kindly Alien (voice)

2015-02-13

5.9

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

1979-06-20

7.3

The Wind in the Willowstrue- Rat

1995-12-24

7.0

The Willows in Wintertrue- Rat

1996-12-26

6.7

Close-Up Toothpaste Relaunchtrue- salesman

Release Date

0.0

Ending It Alltrue

1970-01-01

0.0

A Liar's Autobiography: The Untrue Story of Monty Python's Graham Chapmantrue- Various (voice)

2012-09-08

6.0

Palin on Redpathtrue- Self - Presenter

1997-12-15

0.0

Frost on Sketch Showstrue- Self

2013-03-13

8.5

Anatomy of a Liartrue- Self

2012-10-26

6.0

The Wipers Timestrue- General Mitford

2013-09-11

6.3

The Quest for the Holy Grail Locationstrue- Self

2001-10-23

8.0

The Seventh Pythontrue- Self

2008-06-26

0.0

Life of Pythontrue- Self / Various Roles

1990-03-16

6.3

The Boxtrue- (voice)

1981-03-29

5.0

The Secret Policeman's Balltrue- Self

2012-03-04

7.6

Parrot Sketch Not Included: Twenty Years of Monty Pythontrue- Self / Various Characters

1989-11-18

7.0

The Movie Life of Georgetrue- Self

1989-02-10

0.0

Monty Python Live (Mostly)true- Self, others

2014-07-20

7.1

The Crimson Permanent Assurancetrue- Workman

1983-03-31

7.2

The Fringe, Fame and Metrue- Self

2022-08-08

0.0

50 Years of BBC Two Comedytrue- Self

2014-05-24

8.0

Euroshow '71: May Day Specialtrue- Various (as Montypython Flyingcircus)

1971-05-01

10.0

Fawlty Towers: Re-Openedtrue- Self

2009-05-10

8.4

Monty Python: The Meaning of Livetrue- Self

2014-11-13

7.4

Fawlty Towers: 50 Years of Laughstrue- Self

2023-05-06

9.0

Attenborough at 90true- Self

2016-05-08

8.0

The Meaning of Making 'The Meaning of Life'true- Self

2003-09-02

8.0

Spike Milligan: Love, Light and Peacetrue- Self

2014-12-10

0.0

Marty Feldman: Six Degrees of Separationtrue- Self

2008-03-31

7.8

Generation '66true

2016-07-31

7.0

Spike Milligan I told you I was ill... A live tributetrue- Self

2002-10-05

9.0

Tracey Ullman: A Class Acttrue- Various

1993-01-09

10.0

Michael Palin & the Mystery of Hammershøitrue- Host

2005-07-14

7.0

The Grand Knockout Tournamenttrue- Self

1987-06-19

6.8

The Magic Faraway Treetrue- Know All

2026-03-26

6.3

Michael Palin and the Ladies Who Loved Matissetrue- Narrator

2003-04-14

0.0

The Death of Stalintrue- Vyacheslav Molotov

2017-10-20

7.0

Timewatch: The Last Day of World War One‎true- Presenter

2008-11-01

0.0

Monty Python in Aberystwythtrue- Self

2009-05-12

0.0

Not The Messiah: The Road To Albert Halltrue

2010-06-08

0.0

The New Incomplete And Utter History Of Everythingtrue

2014-04-07

0.0

Tomkinson's Schooldaystrue- Tomkinson / Headmaster / TV Introducer / Mr Craffitt

1976-01-07

9.0

The Testing of Eric Olthwaitetrue- Eric Olthwaite / Bank Manager

1977-09-22

8.5

Comic Roots: Michael Palintrue

1983-08-12

8.0

Making Qitrue- Self

2011-09-10

0.0

Escape from Stalag Luft 112Btrue- Major Errol Phipps

1977-10-04

9.5

Across the Andes by Frogtrue- Captain Walter Snetterton

1977-10-18

0.0

Whinfrey's Last Casetrue- Gerald Whinfrey

1979-10-10

9.5

Murder at Moorstones Manortrue- Charles Chiddingford

1977-10-11

8.5

The Curse of the Clawtrue- Kevin Orr / Uncle Jack

1977-10-25

0.0

Golden Gordontrue- Gordon Ottershaw

1979-10-17

8.0

Roger of the Rajtrue- Roger

1979-10-24

8.0

Isadora Duncan, the Biggest Dancer in the Worldtrue- Jazz Band Undertaker (uncredited)

1966-01-02

5.4

Alexander Armstrong's Real Ripping Yarnstrue- Self

2014-04-03

0.0

The Art Of Travel With Michael Palintrue- Self

1989-11-07

0.0

The Broken Bottletrue

1977-03-31

0.0

Comedians Do It On Stagetrue- Self

1986-02-01

0.0

The Roots of Monty Pythontrue- Self (archive footage)

2005-11-26

0.0

Robbie the Reindeer in Close Encounters of the Herd Kindtrue- Gariiiiiii (voice)

2007-12-25

5.1

Monty Python In The Netherlandstrue

1973-01-18

6.0

Michael Palin's Quest for Artemisiatrue- Self

2015-12-28

7.0

What the Pythons Did Next...true- Self (archive footage)

2007-01-01

0.0

Henry Cleans Uptrue- Henry

1974-01-02

0.0

Best Sellers or: Peter Sellers and 'Dr. Strangelove'true- Self

2004-10-28

5.8

The Best of Monty Python's Flying Circus Volume 2true- Self (archive footage)

2004-01-01

9.0

The Best of Monty Python's Flying Circus Volume 1true- Self (archive footage)

2004-01-01

9.0

The Best of Monty Python's Flying Circus Volume 3true- Self (archive footage)

2004-01-01

0.0

The Meaning of Monty Pythontrue- Self

2013-10-08

7.3

Monty Python: From Spam to Spermtrue- Self

1999-10-08

0.0

The Monty Python Storytrue- Self

1999-10-08

0.0

Monty Python: 30th Anniversary Sketchestrue- Self

1999-10-08

0.0

Monty Python: Pythonlandtrue

1999-10-08

0.0

Michael Palin: A Life on Screentrue

2018-01-07

7.0

Monty Python: Before the Flying Circustrue- Self

2008-07-01

7.7

What Is Brazil?true- Self

2008-04-16

6.6

Monty Python Conquers Americatrue- Self

2008-01-01

6.5

Michael Palin In Wyeth's Worldtrue- Self

2013-12-29

7.8

Life on Air: David Attenborough's 50 Years in Televisiontrue- Self - Presenter

2002-11-20

8.8

Monty Python: And Now for Something Rather Similartrue- Self

2014-06-29

6.0

The Unknown Peter Sellerstrue- Self

2000-04-25

8.2

Viz: The Documentarytrue- Self

1990-05-04

0.0

An Accidental Studiotrue- Self

2019-07-12

6.4

Final Ascent: The Legend of Hamish MacInnestrue- Self

2019-05-10

0.0

Python at 50: Silly Talks and Holy Grailstrue- Self (archive footage)

2019-09-07

9.0

The Dresstrue- Howard

1984-01-03

7.0

The Secret Life of Briantrue- Self

2007-01-01

7.6

Peter Sellers: A State of Comic Ecstasytrue- Self

2020-05-09

8.0

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

2006-02-27

0.0

Monty Python: Who's There?true- Ken

1970-04-15

6.0

Produced by George Martintrue- Self

2012-09-11

7.4

The Great Birds Eye Peas Relaunch 1971true

1971-12-31

0.0

John Peel's Record Boxtrue- Self

2005-11-14

8.0

Monty Python: Live at Aspentrue- Self

1998-03-21

7.1

Jeepers Creeperstrue- Newscaster (voice)

2020-10-12

4.0

Monty Python's Best Bits Celebratedtrue- Self (archive footage)(uncredited)

2021-06-05

0.0

Concert for Georgetrue- Self

2003-10-03

8.1

Rabbit Ears - Jack and the Beanstalktrue- Narrator (voice)

1991-09-01

0.0

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

2010-01-01

0.0

The Academy of Armandotrue- Self

2025-03-03

1.0

The Witchestrue- Witch at Meeting (uncredited)

1990-05-25

7.0

When Bruce Springsteen Came to Britaintrue- Self

2025-05-31

8.7

Dame Maggie Smith - A Celebrationtrue- Self

2024-12-14

4.5

Monty Python's Flying Circus—John Cleese's Personal Besttrue- Various Characters

2006-03-01

0.0

Monty Python's Flying Circus—Eric Idle's Personal Besttrue- Various Characters

2006-02-22

8.0

Monty Python's Flying Circus—Terry Gilliam's Personal Besttrue- Various Characters

2006-02-27

7.0

Monty Python's Flying Circus—Terry Jones' Personal Besttrue- Various Characters

2006-02-27

8.3

Monty Python's Flying Circus—Graham Chapman's Personal Besttrue- Various Characters

2006-02-22

0.0

New Tales from Around the World in 80 Daystrue- Self

2014-03-11

0.0

Innes Lloyd: The Producertrue- Self

2025-03-24

8.0

Joketrue

2026-02-06

6.0

Nelson Mandela 70th Birthday Tributetrue- Self

1988-06-11

6.5

David Attenborough's 100 Years on Planet Earthtrue- Self

2026-05-08

7.0

Top Movie Crew

Life of Briantrue

Writing

1979-08-17

7.8

Monty Python and the Holy Grailtrue

Writing

1975-04-03

7.8

Monty Python's The Meaning of Lifetrue

Writing

1983-03-31

7.3

And Now for Something Completely Differenttrue

Writing

1971-09-28

7.2

Time Banditstrue

Writing

1981-07-13

6.6

The Missionarytrue

Writing

1982-11-02

5.6

American Friendstrue

Writing

1991-03-22

6.4

Parrot Sketch Not Included: Twenty Years of Monty Pythontrue

Writing

1989-11-18

7.0

The Boxtrue

Writing

1981-03-29

5.0

Monty Python Live (Mostly)true

Writing

2014-07-20

7.1

Secretstrue

Writing

1973-08-14

6.4

Number 27true

Writing

1988-10-23

9.0

The Missionarytrue

Production

1982-11-02

5.6

Monty Python Live at the Hollywood Bowltrue

Writing

1982-06-25

7.4

Consuming Passionstrue

Writing

1988-04-06

8.3

Around the World in 20 Yearstrue

Writing

2008-12-30

8.7

Is This a Record?true

Crew

1973-06-01

6.0

Henry Cleans Uptrue

Writing

1974-01-02

0.0

East of Ipswichtrue

Writing

1987-02-01

7.1

Palin on Redpathtrue

Writing

1997-12-15

0.0

Michael Palin In Wyeth's Worldtrue

Writing

2013-12-29

7.8

Tomkinson's Schooldaystrue

Writing

1976-01-07

9.0

The Testing of Eric Olthwaitetrue

Writing

1977-09-22

8.5

Roger of the Rajtrue

Writing

1979-10-24

8.0

Golden Gordontrue

Writing

1979-10-17

8.0

The Great Birds Eye Peas Relaunch 1971true

Writing

1971-12-31

0.0

Whinfrey's Last Casetrue

Writing

1979-10-10

9.5

Across the Andes by Frogtrue

Writing

1977-10-18

0.0

Murder at Moorstones Manortrue

Writing

1977-10-11

8.5

Escape from Stalag Luft 112Btrue

Writing

1977-10-04

9.5

The Curse of the Clawtrue

Writing

1977-10-25

0.0

Eric Idle Exploits Monty Pythontrue

Writing

Release Date

0.0

Python Legs!true

Writing

2012-03-04

0.0

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Michael Palin

Personal Info

Michael Palin

Biography

Top Movie Cast

Top Movie Crew

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