Meet the lady Python
Graham Chapman, Eric Idle, Terry Gilliam, Terry Jones, John Cleese and Michael Palin; the six names that spring to mind whenever the words Monty Python are uttered. But there was also an honorary ‘seventh Python’ – in the words of Terry Jones – a Python who appeared in every film they made. Better still, this Python was a woman.
Carol Cleveland, the ‘glamour stooge’ as she describes herself, never imagined life as a comedian when she embarked on an acting career.
‘I went to Rada to learn to be a good all-round actress…’ she says. ‘I was at the BBC and I was offered my first comedy role: they were looking for an attractive woman, you know, a dolly bird, and I was cast. Then I suddenly found myself working with lots of comedians: Roy Hudd, Ronnie Corbett, Ronnie Barker.
‘I was fast becoming what I’ve always described as a sort of glamour stooge,’ she laughs.
1. Carol joins the Ministry of Silly Walks. 2. In Monty Python's Life of Brian. 3. With John Cleese as Mr and Mrs Attila the Hun. 4. An early modelling shoot in 1965. 5. Carol today with her dog, Tallulah
‘Suddenly I was called into the office of John Hall Davies who was the producer and director of the first five episodes of Monty Python [the Flying Circus series]. I didn’t know any of the guys, I knew who they were, but I hadn’t met any of them... they’d only written five episodes, and I was cast to be in four of them.
‘The first day they were just larking about like schoolboys, all laughing and giggling, throwing themselves around. I remember I arrived home at the end of that day and I called my mother and said. “Mum, I don’t think this is going to last more than five episodes.”
‘I was very wrong.’
Luckily for Carol, despite being cast as the ‘dolly bird’, the group soon realised that there was rather more to her.
‘The guys realised that I wasn’t just a pretty face, that I also could be quite funny… Michael Palin said to me, “Carol, I’m so sorry we don’t have more for you to do, we’re just not very good at writing parts for women…”
‘I came in to do what I knew was my final episode, and Michael came rushing up to me and he said, “Carol, we’ve got a really good part for you in episode seven, we’ve written it with you in mind.” I said, “Michael, I’m not in episode seven, this is my last episode”… they put their big Python foot down and said, “We want Carol.” So I end up being in all the series and all the films and all the stage shows and here we are 44 years later, appearing at the O2 Arena.’
Admitting that she didn’t really understand the scripts at first glance, I asked her why she took the part. ‘I didn’t turn any work down,’ she says. ‘I think it was the first time I’d done more than one episode of anything and they were offering me four episodes so I wasn’t going to turn it down, not at all. I’m so glad I didn’t.’
So how does it feel to be linked to one of the greatest British comedy groups?
‘Fantastic. Nobody knew that it was going to become a cult. I wish in my contract it had said that I was signing on to do a cult TV show. I would have asked for a lot more money, but they didn’t know,’ she laughs.
And of the six men, did she have a favourite? ‘Michael was always lovely, he’s always been the most supportive,’ she admits.
‘I quite fancied John to begin with… I liked his humour, he was the one who made me laugh the most, and we seemed to have a nice rapport. But as time went on, John went through a very odd stage. He changed while he was going through his divorce with Connie [Booth], which made him become rather grumpy. It was difficult, it was almost like the relationship I thought I had with him disappeared for a time.
‘But Michael has never changed at all, he’s always been sweet and lovely. I always thought he was the best actor… he’s everyone’s favourite, isn’t he? Just because he’s such a lovely, nice man. And he’s got a cute face.’
But despite the huge success, she admits that her links to Monty Python can sometimes be a burden.
‘I wouldn’t have not done it for the world, obviously,’ she explains. ‘But it has been a bit of a ball and chain, in that it has prevented me being taken as seriously as I would have liked to have been. I don’t get offered as many straight dramatic roles as I’d like to because of Python.’
Although she has recently been cast in a number of ‘serious’ roles (she starred in sci-fi comedy/drama feature film, The Search For Simon), does she regret the path she took?
‘No, it was a wonderful ball and chain. I was having a wonderful time and it’s made my name. If not for them, then who knows, I might not even be in the business any more. I’m eternally grateful.’
Her recently released book, Pom- Poms Up! (her good friend Lynda La Plante had urged her to write a book for some time) is full of stories about the stars she met during her career.
‘I enjoyed reminiscing about the people I’ve worked with, such as the happy memories of working with Peter Sellers on The Return Of The Pink Panther. He was a fascinating man, not easy to understand, and he would be very moody one minute and extremely friendly the next.
‘We were filming in Switzerland and the cast would gather in the evenings… we didn’t want to bother Peter because we thought he probably likes to be on his own. One evening he joined us... Well, it was a magical evening. He was on top form, telling these wonderful anecdotes and we were all laughing and at the end of it he insisted upon picking up the bill. It was a brilliant night.
6. With Roger Moore in The Saint. 7. Carol in the film Salt & Pepper with Sammy Davis Jr and Peter Lawford
‘The next night we all gathered again, and someone said “Anyone seen Peter? We should invite him,” and suddenly we saw him. It was a large restaurant area and there he was, sitting by himself in the corner, so somebody rushed over, saying, “Peter, come and join us, our treat this time.” But in no uncertain terms he said, “Leave me alone” – totally different.’
Another eye-opener was when she had a small part alongside an actress she had long admired.
‘I’d always been a fan of Shirley MacLaine so I was delighted to be playing alongside her. Normally the director or first assistant would introduce you. Well, he didn’t, so I’m standing next to her and she’s chatting, and we still haven’t been introduced, so I thought I should do it myself. ‘I said, “Um, excuse me, Miss MacLaine, we haven’t been introduced. I’m Carol,” and I offered my hand… I think she just grunted. I went off her very quickly.
‘Then,’ she continues, ‘there’s people like David Niven. ‘He was the most wonderful person to work with, he had time for everybody and he treated everyone, each member of the film crew, the same. In between takes, he’d regale us with his wonderful stories.
‘I’ve been lucky to work with all sorts.’
PomPoms Up! by Carol Cleveland is published by Dynasty Press, priced £10.99.
Monty Python Live (Mostly) is at the O2 in London until 20 July: 0844-856 0202, www.theo2.co.uk
Carol Cleveland, the ‘glamour stooge’ as she describes herself, never imagined life as a comedian when she embarked on an acting career.
‘I went to Rada to learn to be a good all-round actress…’ she says. ‘I was at the BBC and I was offered my first comedy role: they were looking for an attractive woman, you know, a dolly bird, and I was cast. Then I suddenly found myself working with lots of comedians: Roy Hudd, Ronnie Corbett, Ronnie Barker.
‘I was fast becoming what I’ve always described as a sort of glamour stooge,’ she laughs.
1. Carol joins the Ministry of Silly Walks. 2. In Monty Python's Life of Brian. 3. With John Cleese as Mr and Mrs Attila the Hun. 4. An early modelling shoot in 1965. 5. Carol today with her dog, Tallulah‘Suddenly I was called into the office of John Hall Davies who was the producer and director of the first five episodes of Monty Python [the Flying Circus series]. I didn’t know any of the guys, I knew who they were, but I hadn’t met any of them... they’d only written five episodes, and I was cast to be in four of them.
‘The first day they were just larking about like schoolboys, all laughing and giggling, throwing themselves around. I remember I arrived home at the end of that day and I called my mother and said. “Mum, I don’t think this is going to last more than five episodes.”
‘I was very wrong.’
Luckily for Carol, despite being cast as the ‘dolly bird’, the group soon realised that there was rather more to her.
‘The guys realised that I wasn’t just a pretty face, that I also could be quite funny… Michael Palin said to me, “Carol, I’m so sorry we don’t have more for you to do, we’re just not very good at writing parts for women…”
‘I came in to do what I knew was my final episode, and Michael came rushing up to me and he said, “Carol, we’ve got a really good part for you in episode seven, we’ve written it with you in mind.” I said, “Michael, I’m not in episode seven, this is my last episode”… they put their big Python foot down and said, “We want Carol.” So I end up being in all the series and all the films and all the stage shows and here we are 44 years later, appearing at the O2 Arena.’
Admitting that she didn’t really understand the scripts at first glance, I asked her why she took the part. ‘I didn’t turn any work down,’ she says. ‘I think it was the first time I’d done more than one episode of anything and they were offering me four episodes so I wasn’t going to turn it down, not at all. I’m so glad I didn’t.’
So how does it feel to be linked to one of the greatest British comedy groups?
‘Fantastic. Nobody knew that it was going to become a cult. I wish in my contract it had said that I was signing on to do a cult TV show. I would have asked for a lot more money, but they didn’t know,’ she laughs.
And of the six men, did she have a favourite? ‘Michael was always lovely, he’s always been the most supportive,’ she admits.
‘I quite fancied John to begin with… I liked his humour, he was the one who made me laugh the most, and we seemed to have a nice rapport. But as time went on, John went through a very odd stage. He changed while he was going through his divorce with Connie [Booth], which made him become rather grumpy. It was difficult, it was almost like the relationship I thought I had with him disappeared for a time.
‘But Michael has never changed at all, he’s always been sweet and lovely. I always thought he was the best actor… he’s everyone’s favourite, isn’t he? Just because he’s such a lovely, nice man. And he’s got a cute face.’
But despite the huge success, she admits that her links to Monty Python can sometimes be a burden.
‘I wouldn’t have not done it for the world, obviously,’ she explains. ‘But it has been a bit of a ball and chain, in that it has prevented me being taken as seriously as I would have liked to have been. I don’t get offered as many straight dramatic roles as I’d like to because of Python.’
Although she has recently been cast in a number of ‘serious’ roles (she starred in sci-fi comedy/drama feature film, The Search For Simon), does she regret the path she took?
‘No, it was a wonderful ball and chain. I was having a wonderful time and it’s made my name. If not for them, then who knows, I might not even be in the business any more. I’m eternally grateful.’
Her recently released book, Pom- Poms Up! (her good friend Lynda La Plante had urged her to write a book for some time) is full of stories about the stars she met during her career.
‘I enjoyed reminiscing about the people I’ve worked with, such as the happy memories of working with Peter Sellers on The Return Of The Pink Panther. He was a fascinating man, not easy to understand, and he would be very moody one minute and extremely friendly the next.
‘We were filming in Switzerland and the cast would gather in the evenings… we didn’t want to bother Peter because we thought he probably likes to be on his own. One evening he joined us... Well, it was a magical evening. He was on top form, telling these wonderful anecdotes and we were all laughing and at the end of it he insisted upon picking up the bill. It was a brilliant night.
6. With Roger Moore in The Saint. 7. Carol in the film Salt & Pepper with Sammy Davis Jr and Peter Lawford‘The next night we all gathered again, and someone said “Anyone seen Peter? We should invite him,” and suddenly we saw him. It was a large restaurant area and there he was, sitting by himself in the corner, so somebody rushed over, saying, “Peter, come and join us, our treat this time.” But in no uncertain terms he said, “Leave me alone” – totally different.’
Another eye-opener was when she had a small part alongside an actress she had long admired.
‘I’d always been a fan of Shirley MacLaine so I was delighted to be playing alongside her. Normally the director or first assistant would introduce you. Well, he didn’t, so I’m standing next to her and she’s chatting, and we still haven’t been introduced, so I thought I should do it myself. ‘I said, “Um, excuse me, Miss MacLaine, we haven’t been introduced. I’m Carol,” and I offered my hand… I think she just grunted. I went off her very quickly.
‘Then,’ she continues, ‘there’s people like David Niven. ‘He was the most wonderful person to work with, he had time for everybody and he treated everyone, each member of the film crew, the same. In between takes, he’d regale us with his wonderful stories.
‘I’ve been lucky to work with all sorts.’
PomPoms Up! by Carol Cleveland is published by Dynasty Press, priced £10.99.
Monty Python Live (Mostly) is at the O2 in London until 20 July: 0844-856 0202, www.theo2.co.uk