Time Out recently conducted interviews with Monty Python’s John Cleese and Eric Idle ahead of their live reunion shows next month, covering everything from the sad state of BBC’s current comedies to the group’s many disagreements over the years. Both Cleese and Idle were asked about American Python Terry Gilliam’s recent comment calling the reunion shows “depressing,” and they both had equally testy reactions.
Here’s John Cleese’s take:
I think Terry finds a lot of life depressing. He’s been engaged in a life-long struggle with reality, and I think he’s losing.
And here’s what Eric Idle had to say:
Oh, he’s such a little arsehole! He’s got to be the one that’s always more holy than everybody else. I’m sure he’ll carry on talking it down, but he’s always a bit bitter like that, you know? I mean, how’s his film doing? He’ll be saying he’s the only real artistic one, but that’s because he equates artistic success with box office failure.
Hopefully this beef intensifies enough for Gilliam to respond further, because if any kind of cat fight is entertaining, it’s definitely the kind that happens between a bunch of 70+ year old men who have worked together for decades.
