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
Monty Python & the Holy Grail Location Report
Self
Jabberwocky
Dennis Cooper
Monty Python Live at the Hollywood Bowl
Various Roles
Fierce Creatures
Adrian 'Bugsy' Malone
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
Life Of Brian Screenplay
Wise Man #3, Mr. Big Nose, Francis, Mrs. A, Ex-Leper
Monty Python's Flying Circus - Graham Chapman's Personal Best
Various Characters
Rik Mayall: Lord of Misrule
Self
Time Bandits
Vincent
Remember the Secret Policeman's Ball?
Self
50 Films to See Before You Die
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
The Wind in the Willows
The Sun
Inside Shabby Road: The Music of 'The Rutles'
Self
Hitler: The Comedy Years
Heinrich Himmler (archive footage) (uncredited)
Get Up and Go: The Making of 'The Rutles'
Self
How to Irritate People
Various
Arthur Christmas
Ernie Clicker (voice)
Around the World in 20 Years
Himself
Is This a Record?
Various
The Missionary
The Reverend Charles Fortescue
American Friends
Rev. Francis Ashby
A Private Function
Gilbert Chilvers
Pleasure at Her Majesty's
Self
The Secret Policeman's Ball
Various Roles
The Secret Policeman's Other Ball
Self - Various Roles
The Secret Policeman’s Biggest Ball
Self
Three Men in a Boat
Harris
Absolutely Anything
Kindly Alien (voice)
The Pythons: Somewhere in Tunisia, Circa A.D. 1979
Self
The Wind in the Willows
Rat
The Willows in Winter
Rat
Close-Up Toothpaste Relaunch
salesman
Ending It All
A Liar's Autobiography: The Untrue Story of Monty Python's Graham Chapman
Various (voice)
Palin on Redpath
Himself / Presenter
Frost on Sketch Shows
Self
Anatomy of a Liar
Self
The Wipers Times
General Mitford
The Quest for the Holy Grail Locations
Self
The Seventh Python
Self
Life of Python
Self / Various Roles
The Box
(voice)
The Secret Policeman's Ball
Self
Parrot Sketch Not Included: Twenty Years of Monty Python
Self / Various Characters
The Movie Life of George
Self
Monty Python Live (Mostly)
Self, others
The Crimson Permanent Assurance
Workman
The Fringe, Fame and Me
Self
50 Years of BBC Two Comedy
Self
Euroshow '71: May Day Special
Various (as Montypython Flyingcircus)
Fawlty Towers: Re-Opened
Self
Monty Python: The Meaning of Live
Self
Fawlty Towers: 50 Years of Laughs
Self
Attenborough at 90
Self
The Meaning of Making 'The Meaning of Life'
Self
Spike Milligan: Love, Light and Peace
Himself
Marty Feldman: Six Degrees of Separation
Self
Generation '66
Spike Milligan I told you I was ill... A live tribute
Self
Tracey Ullman: A Class Act
Various
Michael Palin & the Mystery of Hammershøi
Host
The Grand Knockout Tournament
Self
The Magic Faraway Tree
Michael Palin and the Ladies Who Loved Matisse
Narrator
The Death of Stalin
Vyacheslav Molotov
The Last Day of World War One
Presenter
Monty Python in Aberystwyth
Self
The South Bank Show: Terry Gilliam
The South Bank Show: Spamalot
Not The Messiah: The Road To Albert Hall
The New Incomplete And Utter History Of Everything
Tomkinson's Schooldays
Tomkinson
The Testing of Eric Olthwaite
Eric Olthwaite
Comic Roots: Michael Palin
Making Qi
Self
Escape from Stalag Luft 112B
Major Errol Phipps
Across the Andes by Frog
Captain Walter Snetterton
Whinfrey's Last Case
Gerald Whinfrey
Murder at Moorstones Manor
Charles Chiddingford
The Curse of the Claw
Kevin Orr
Golden Gordon
Gordon Ottershaw
Roger of the Raj
Roger
Isadora Duncan, the Biggest Dancer in the World
Jazz Band Undertaker (uncredited)
Alexander Armstrong's Real Ripping Yarns
Self
Michael Palin's Greatest Railway Journey: Derry To Kerry
Self
The Art Of Travel With Michael Palin
Self
The Broken Bottle
Great Railway Journeys - Derry to Kerry
Himself
Comedians Do It On Stage
Self
The Roots of Monty Python
Self (archive footage)
Robbie the Reindeer in Close Encounters of the Herd Kind
Gariiiiiii (voice)
Monty Python In The Netherlands
Michael Palin's Quest for Artemisia
Himself
What the Pythons Did Next...
Self (archive footage)
Henry Cleans Up
Henry
Best Sellers or: Peter Sellers and 'Dr. Strangelove'
Self
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)
The Best of Monty Python's Flying Circus Volume 3
Self (archive footage)
The Meaning of Monty Python
Self
Monty Python: From Spam to Sperm
Self
The Monty Python Story
Self
Monty Python: 30th Anniversary Sketches
Self
Monty Python: Pythonland
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
Life on Air: David Attenborough's 50 Years in Television
Himself - Presenter
Monty Python: And Now for Something Rather Similar
Self
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
Self
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
How To Make It In Comedy
Rabbit Ears - Jack and the Beanstalk
Narrator (voice)
The Bigger Bubble
Dennis (Monty Python and the Holy Grail)
Monty Python: Almost the Truth (The Lawyer's Cut) - Theatrical Release
Self
Shows
Full Circle with Michael Palin
Himself
Sahara with Michael Palin
Self - Presenter
Michael Palin: Around the World in 80 Days
Himself
Pole to Pole
Himself
Ripping Yarns
Michael Palin's Hemingway Adventure
Monty Python's Flying Circus
Various / "It's" man
Himalaya with Michael Palin
Self - Presenter
G.B.H.
Jim Nelson
The Complete and Utter History of Britain
Pebble Mill at One
The One Show
Self - Guest
Going Live!
Self
Monty Python's Personal Best
Self / Various Characters
Do Not Adjust Your Set
Various Characters
Staged
Michael
The Secret Policeman's Ball
Self
Twice a Fortnight
Late Night with Conan O'Brien
Self - Guest
Michael Palin's New Europe
Himself
Omnibus Presents Comic Relief
Movie Connections
Self
The Alan Titchmarsh Show
Self
Clive Anderson All Talk
Self
The Frank Skinner Show
Self
Frost on Sunday
A Series Of Bird's
Daytime Live
Brazil with Michael Palin
Self (Presenter)
Monty Python: Almost the Truth (The Lawyer's Cut)
Self
Fantasy World Cup
Self
Saturday Night Live
Self - Host
Michael Palin: The Art of Travel
Remember Me
Tom Parfitt
Travels with Palin
Himself
Clangers
Narrator (voice)
Monty Python's Fliegender Zirkus
Various Characters
Saturday Night Live
Self - Cameo (uncredited)
Artsnight
Self
Wogan
Self
Vanity Fair
William Makepeace Thackeray
Michael Palin in North Korea
Himself - Host
Great Railway Journeys
Self - Presenter
A Life on Screen
Himself
Michael Palin: Into Iraq
Michael Palin in Nigeria
Self
Les Rendez-vous du dimanche
Self
The Jonathan Ross Show
Self
Legends
Self
The Graham Norton Show
Self
Worzel Gummidge
The Green Man
Ripping Yarns
Gerald Whinfrey
Ripping Yarns
Roger
Ripping Yarns
Kevin Orr / Uncle Jack
ZULU Comedy Galla
Michael Palin
Alexander Armstrong's Real Ripping Yarns
Monty Python's Best Bits (Mostly)
Self (archive footage)
The Simpsons
Springfield History Museum curator (voice)
Michael Palin: Travels of a Lifetime
Self - Host
Parkinson
Self