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.
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Movies
Brazil
Jack Lint
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
A Fish Called Wanda
Ken Pile
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!
Monty Python's The Meaning of Life
Various Roles
Jabberwocky
Dennis Cooper
Monty Python Live at the Hollywood Bowl
Various Roles
Monty Python's Flying Circus - Graham Chapman's Personal Best
Various Characters
Time Bandits
Vincent
Remember the Secret Policeman's Ball?
Self
The Rutles: All You Need Is Cash
Eric Manchester
Not the Messiah (He's a Very Naughty Boy)
Mrs. Betty Palin / Julius Caesar / Bevis
Monty Python's Fliegender Zirkus
Various Roles
The Wind in the Willows
The Sun
How to Irritate People
Various
The Missionary
The Reverend Charles Fortescue
American Friends
Rev. Francis Ashby
A Private Function
Gilbert Chilvers
The Pythons: Somewhere in Tunisia, Circa A.D. 1979
Self
The Willows in Winter
Rat
The Wind in the Willows
Rat
The Secret Policeman's Other Ball
Himself - Various Roles
The Secret Policeman’s Biggest Ball
Himself
Pleasure at Her Majesty's
Himself
The Secret Policeman's Ball
Various Roles
Three Men in a Boat
Harris
A Liar's Autobiography: The Untrue Story of Monty Python's Graham Chapman
Various (voice)
The Wipers Times
General Mitford
Anatomy of a Liar
Self
The Quest for the Holy Grail Locations
Self
The Seventh Python
Self
The Box
(voice)
The Secret Policeman's Ball
Self
Parrot Sketch Not Included: Twenty Years of Monty Python
Self / Various Characters
Monty Python Live (Mostly)
Self, others
The Crimson Permanent Assurance
Workman
Euroshow '71: May Day Special
Various (as Montypython Flyingcircus)
Arthur Christmas
Ernie Clicker (voice)
Absolutely Anything
Kindly Alien (voice)
Fierce Creatures
Adrian 'Bugsy' Malone
Spike Milligan: Love, Light and Peace
Himself
Marty Feldman: Six Degrees of Separation
Self
Tracey Ullman: A Class Act
Various
Michael Palin & the Mystery of Hammershøi
Host
The Grand Knockout Tournament
Self
The Last Day of World War One
Presenter
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
Robbie the Reindeer in Close Encounters of the Herd Kind
Gariiiiiii (voice)
Michael Palin's Quest for Artemisia
Himself
Monty Python: The Meaning of Live
Self
The Death of Stalin
Vyacheslav Molotov
Henry Cleans Up
Henry
Best Sellers or: Peter Sellers and 'Dr. Strangelove'
Self
The Best of Monty Python's Flying Circus Volume 3
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 1
Self (archive footage)
Monty Python: From Spam to Sperm
Self
Monty Python: 30th Anniversary Sketches
Self
Monty Python: Pythonland
The Monty Python Story
Self
The Meaning of Monty Python
Self
Michael Palin: A Life on Screen
Monty Python: Before the Flying Circus
Self
What Is Brazil?
Self
Monty Python Conquers America
Self
Michael Palin In Wyeth's World
Himself
Monty Python: And Now for Something Rather Similar
Self
Life on Air: David Attenborough's 50 Years in Television
Himself - Presenter
The Unknown Peter Sellers
Himself
Viz: The Documentary
Self
An Accidental Studio
Self
Final Ascent: The Legend of Hamish MacInnes
Himself
John Cleese's First Farewell Performance
Self
Python at 50: Silly Talks and Holy Grails
Self (archive footage)
The Dress
Howard
The Secret Life of Brian
Self
Peter Sellers: A State of Comic Ecstasy
Self
Monty Python's Flying Circus - Michael Palin's Personal Best
Monty Python: Who's There?
Ken
Produced By George Martin
The Great Birds Eye Peas Relaunch 1971
Sir David Attenborough and Sir Michael Palin in Conversation
Self
John Peel's Record Box
Self
Great Railway Journeys - Confessions of a Train Spotter
Himself
Monty Python: Live at Aspen
Self
Jeepers Creepers
Newscaster (voice)
Monty Python's Best Bits Celebrated
Self (archive footage)(uncredited)
Concert for George
Self
The Witches
Witch at Meeting
Is This a Record?
Various
Around the World in 20 Years
Himself
Frost on Sketch Shows
Self
Life of Python
Self / Various Roles
The Fringe, Fame and Me
Self
Attenborough at 90
Self
The Meaning of Making 'The Meaning of Life'
Self
Monty Python & the Holy Grail Location Report
Self
Life Of Brian Screenplay
Wise Man #3, Mr. Big Nose, Francis, Mrs. A, Ex-Leper
Rik Mayall: Lord of Misrule
Self
50 Films to See Before You Die
Self
Inside Shabby Road: The Music of 'The Rutles'
Self
Get Up and Go: The Making of 'The Rutles'
Self
Hitler: The Comedy Years
Heinrich Himmler (archive footage) (uncredited)
Close-up Toothpaste Relaunch
salesman
Ending It All
Palin on Redpath
Himself / Presenter
The Movie Life of George
Self
50 Years of BBC Two Comedy
Self
Fawlty Towers: Re-Opened
Self
Fawlty Towers: 50 Years of Laughs
Self
Generation '66
Spike Milligan I told you I was ill... A live tribute
Self
Shows
Michael Palin: Around the World in 80 Days
Himself
Full Circle with Michael Palin
Himself
Michael Palin's Hemingway Adventure
Himalaya with Michael Palin
Self - Presenter
Artsnight
Self
Do Not Adjust Your Set
Various Characters
Remember Me
Tom Parfitt
Twice a Fortnight
Michael Palin's New Europe
Himself
Frost on Sunday
A Series Of Bird's
Monty Python: Almost the Truth (The Lawyer's Cut)
Self
G.B.H.
Jim Nelson
The Complete and Utter History of Britain
Pole to Pole
Himself
Monty Python's Flying Circus
Various / "It's" man
Pebble Mill at One
The One Show
Self - Guest
Monty Python's Personal Best
Self / Various Characters
Going Live!
Self
Late Night with Conan O'Brien
Self - Guest
Movie Connections
Self
The Alan Titchmarsh Show
Self
The Frank Skinner Show
Self
Clive Anderson All Talk
Self
Daytime Live
Fantasy World Cup
Self
Brazil with Michael Palin
Self (Presenter)
Saturday Night Live
Self - Host
Ripping Yarns
Clangers
Narrator
Travels with Palin
Himself
Sahara with Michael Palin
Self - Presenter
Wogan
Self
Vanity Fair
William Makepeace Thackeray
Michael Palin in North Korea
Himself - Host
A Life on Screen
Himself
Great Railway Journeys
Self - Presenter
The Graham Norton Show
Self
Worzel Gummidge
The Green Man
The Simpsons
Springfield History Museum curator (voice)
Michael Palin: Travels of a Lifetime
Self - Host
Staged
Michael
The Secret Policeman's Ball
Self
Omnibus Presents Comic Relief
Monty Python's Fliegender Zirkus
Various Characters
Saturday Night Live
Self - Cameo (uncredited)
Michael Palin: Into Iraq
Les Rendez-vous du dimanche
Self
Legends
Self
Michael Palin: The Art of Travel
Michael Palin in Nigeria
Self
The Jonathan Ross Show
Self