Michael Palin

Sir Michael Edward Palin KCMG, CBE, FRGS, FRSGS, FRSL (/ˈpeɪlɪn/; born 5 May 1943) is an English actor, comedian, writer, and television presenter. He was a member of the Monty Python comedy group. Though he started in television working on programs including the Ken Dodd Show, The Frost Report, and Do Not Adjust Your Set, he became best known for joining Monty Python's Flying Circus (1969–1974) alongside John Cleese, Eric Idle, Terry Gilliam, Terry Jones, and Graham Chapman, acting in many of the most famous Python sketches. He continued to work with Jones after Python, co-writing Ripping Yarns. In addition to the Python repertoire, he co-wrote and starred in Monty Python and the Holy Grail (1975), Life of Brian (1979) and The Meaning of Life (1983). He won the BAFTA Award for Best Actor in a Supporting Role for A Fish Called Wanda (1988). Other notable films include Jabberwocky (1977), Time Bandits (1981), The Missionary (1982), A Private Function (1984), Fierce Creatures (1997), and The Death of Stalin (2017). Since 1980, he has made numerous television travel documentaries as a writer and presenter. His travels took him across the world, including the North and South Poles, the Sahara, the Himalayas, Eastern Europe, Brazil, and North Korea among others.