John is probably pleased that his father changed the last name since one of his best friends in the youth had the last name "Butter". Some useless fact is that in the 20s Reg Cleese was in India and lived in the same house as the brother to the author P.G. Wodehouse. His first months John lived at the address Ellesmere Road 6. In school cricket was his favorite sport and he was captain for the school team. 1953 died his grandfather John Edwin Cheese, and the family moved to his house, East Shrubbery 2, next to the police station in Bristol. ("You must bring a ...shrubbery!").

When he was about 13 he started to organize jokes he liked, and write them down. His favorite radio show at that age was "The Goon Show". One of Johns teacher in history had difficulties pronouncing "r". (See the sketch about Pontius Pilatus in "Life of Brian" and you'll see what I mean).

When John Cleese started at Cambridge in October 1960 he decided to join the group "The Footlights Club", in the second term he got into the club. In 1972 he formed the company Video Arts together with three friends. The company was doing business training videos, and this company made John Cleese his fortune. The company was sold in 1989 for 50 million British pounds, 7 of them got to Mr. Cleese. Even though he is not owning the company anymore, he is still working with them, since he likes the people there "As I get older, it seems even nicer to work with friends". For the 30 year anniversary he has done two videos "Messing Up A Meeting" and "Meeting Menaces" together with Video Arts (released in September 2002).

Nowadays Cleese rarely gives interviews, if he does, it is to plug some new movie or products. He is spending much time in America to be close to his daughter from his second marriage. He is now into his third marriage, being married to the American psychologist Alyce Faye Eichelberger.

Some more vital information, John Cleese got artwork by Po Shun Long. (How the hell do I know?! Simple; One of the old links from '94 was about that artist, unfortunately that page has ceased to exist, but I thought the world should know that piece of information...I hope you feel enlightened.).