One-sixth of the comic genius of Monty Python's Flying Circus, Eric Idle was the long-faced, bugged-out-eyed bloke who immortalized "nudge-nudge wink-wink" as a catchphrase of its time. He met future Python mates John Cleese and Graham Chapman at Cambridge where the three were members of the prestigious Footlights comedy troupe (for which he eventually served as president). Idle went on to make his professional stage debut in "One for the Pot" in 1965 and his TV acting debut in Ken Russell's "Isadora" the following year. The paths of Cleese, Chapman and Idle crossed those of Terry Jones and Michael Palin when they were all contributing writers to the British TV series "The Frost Report" (BBC, 1966-67), and Idle subsequently collaborated with Chapman on scripts for the comedy series "No--That's Me Over Here!" (Rediffusion, 1967-68) and with Palin and Jones for "Do Not Adjust Your Set" (Rediffusion, 1967-68; Thames Television 1968-69) before co-founding the celebrated Python comedy troupe with Cleese, Chapman, Palin, Jones and American animation specialist Terry Gilliam.
Lauded by critics and embraced by the public, the irreverent and often surreal humor of "Monty Python's Flying Circus" aired on BBC-1 from 1969-70 and 1972-74 and on BBC-2 without Cleese (under the title of "Monty Python") for the last few months of 1974. Rebroadcasts on PBS, two ABC late-night specials in 1975 and five feature films created and nurtured a large and appreciative American audience for their inspired lunacy. The first picture, "And Now for Something Completely Different" (1971), was just a series of television vignettes released for theaters, but for their next two big screen ventures, the troupe concocted conventional narratives transporting the gang back to the Middle Ages and to the Judea of Christ. Idle's roles in "Monty Python and the Holy Grail" (1972) included Brave Sir Robin (who "bravely turned his tail and fled") and one of the dreaded knights who said "Nit". In "Monty Python's Life of Brian" (1979), he memorably played Stan Called Loretta, a confused member of the Peoples' Front of Judea, and philosophically sang "Always Look on the Bright Side of Life" (which he also wrote) while being crucified. When they were unable to acquire backing for the blasphemously perceived "Brian", George Harrison saved the day with financing and provided a very Liverpudlian touch in his brief cameo.
After Python went off the air in England, Idle wrote and starred in "Rutland Weekend Television" (BBC-2, 1975-76), out of which gestated the brilliant Beatles spoof "All You Need Is Cash" (NBC, 1978). The original Rutles clip actually debuted on NBC's "Saturday Night Live" six weeks prior to its UK airing, and producer Lorne Michaels, loving the concept, commissioned Idle to write a full-length script (he would also co-direct and act) and "Rutland" pal Neil Innes to come up with the music, which included such gems as "All You Need Is Lunch" and "W.C. Fields Forever". The semi-legendary story of the "pre-Fab Four" brought together elements of "Python" (Palin), "SNL" (Dan Aykroyd, Bill Murray, Gilda Radner, John Belushi) and "Rutland" (Henry Woolf, Gwen Taylor); featured rock legends like Harrison, Mick Jagger and Ron Wood; and sparked a Rutles cult that survives to this day. Idle published his first novel ("Hello Sailor" 1975), saw his first stage play produced ("Pass the Butler" 1982) and that year also wrote and directed "The Frog Prince", the award-winning debut episode of Showtime's "Faerie Tale Theatre", starring Robin Williams and Terri Garr.
After participating in two more Python movies (reverting to sketch format), Idle appeared as the accident-prone bike rider in "National Lampoon's European Vacation" (1985) and played the fastest man on earth in Gilliam's lavish commercial flop "The Adventures of Baron Munchausen" (1988). He then starred in the short-lived NBC fantasy sitcom "Nearly Departed" (1989), took to the habit with Robbie Coltrane as "Nuns on the Run" (1990) and executive produced, wrote, and starred in "Splitting Heirs" (1993), a mistaken identity comedy reuniting him with Cleese, which unfortunately did not live up to the genius of Python. Terry Jones' live-action "The Wind in the Willows" (1996) was much better, creatively reteaming Python's four surviving Brits (Graham Chapman having died in 1989) in a delightful rendition of the Kenneth Grahame classic that captured its satire of British class pretensions alarmed at the Industrial Age's assault on the pastoral life. Columbia's refusal to promote its acquisition (Disney still retained the video rights) relegated the gem to a very limited US release.
Idle contributed to three 1998 animated features, "The Quest for Camelot", "The Secret of NIHM II: Timmy to the Rescue" and "Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer: The Movie", as well as voicing Parenthesis for "Disney's Hercules" (ABC, 1998- ) series and Dr. Vosknocker in "South Park: Bigger, Longer and Uncut" (1999). Though he starred as Alan Smithee in "Burn, Hollywood, Burn" (1997), others shouldered the blame for that debacle, and he remained a "creative consultant" for the 1999 Toronto workshop of the stage musical "Seussical" after his version of its book had been scrapped. Resurfacing as a series regular for the 1999-2000 season of NBC's "Suddenly Susan", he played Ian Maxtone-Graham, an eccentric, former publishing whiz-kid (and "snotty Englishman") who became Brooke Shield's new boss. His feature appearances didn't slow: he played Prospector Kim Jay Darling in "Dudley Do-Right" (1999), cameoed as a celebrity in the Harrison Ford thriller "Hollywood Homicide" (2003) and revisited the Griswald family in the direct-to-video "Christmas Vacation 2: Cousin Eddie's Island Adventure" (2003). Idle also continued to build a busy side career as a voice actor, lending his distinctive Brit vocals to such projects as "Mickey Mouse Works" (1999), and "102 Dalmations" (2000), "House of Mouse" (2001), the U.S. version of Roberto Benigni's "Pinocchio" (2002) and as the narrator of the fairy tale update "Ella Enchanted" (2004).
Instrumental in creating the Python Web site, he has also enjoyed reworking various Python projects for CD-ROM, notably "Monty Python and the Holy Grail" (1996), now replete with goofy games like Spank the Virgin. His Python legacy continued when the Idle-composed song "Always Look on the Bright Side of Life" from "The Life of Brian" was prominently featured in the hit James L. Brooks/Jack Nicholson film "Something's Got to Give" (1997). Idle secured the blessings of the surviving members of the Monty Python troupe to move forward with the musical production "Spamalot," inspired by, or in Idle's words "ripped off" and "largely cribed" from their classic film "Monty Python & the Holy Grail" because they all found the script hilarious. With book and lyrics by Idle and music by Idle and John Du Prez, directed by Mike Nichols and an original cast featuring David Hyde Pierce, Hank Azaria and Tim Curry, "Spamalot" featured much of the satirical absurdity from the 1975 film, along with the show's best and more original bits built around potshots at Lloyd Webber and Sondheim, "Dreamgirls" and "The Boy From Oz," and the show-stopping song "You Won't Succeed on Broadway." The production opened at Broadway's Shubert Theatre in March 2005 to rave reviews, record advance ticket sales surpassing even "The Producers" and teary reunion of the remaining original knights-errants Michael Palin, Terry Jones, Terry Gilliam and John Cleese for the first time in seven years to cheer on their fellow Python. Shortly after the show's debut, it scored three Tony awards, including Best Musical, Best Director and a Best Supporting Actress trophy for the show's scene-stealing breakout star Sara Ramirez; it also raked in 12 Drama Desk Awards nominations.