John Cleese Filmography: Movies and Television Credits

This John Cleese filmography covers 77 movie titles and 19 television titles from the available cast credits. Multiple roles in the same title are grouped together. It is a selection of screen credits, rather than a complete record of every performance. Credits may include acting, voice work, uncredited roles and appearances as themselves.

John Cleese movies by release year

The years below are film release years, not filming dates.

• How to Irritate People (1969) as Himself - Various
• The Magic Christian (1969) as Director in Sotheby's
• And Now for Something Completely Different (1971) as Announcer / Hungarian Citizen / self - Defence Teacher / Sir George Head / Policeman / Interviewer / Mr. Praline / Second General / Christopher Columbus / Mungo the Cook / Bank Robber / Accountant #2 (falling past the window) / Vocational Guidance Counselor / Vivian Smith Smythe Smith / Mountie / Town Guild Lady
• Monty Python and the Holy Grail (1975) as Second Swallow-Savvy Guard / The Black Knight / Peasant 3 / Sir Launcelot the Brave / Taunting French Guard / Tim the Enchanter
• Life of Brian (1979) as Wise Man #1 / Reg / Jewish Official / First Centurion / Deadly Dirk / Arthur
• The Great Muppet Caper (1981) as Neville
• Time Bandits (1981) as Robin Hood
• Monty Python Live at the Hollywood Bowl (1982) as Various Roles
• Monty Python's The Meaning of Life (1983) as Various Roles
• Privates on Parade (1983) as Major Giles Flack
• Yellowbeard (1983) as Harvey 'Blind' Pew
• Silverado (1985) as Sheriff John T. Langston
• Clockwise (1986) as Brian Stimpson
• A Fish Called Wanda (1988) as Archie Leach
• Erik the Viking (1989) as Halfdan the Black
• The Big Picture (1989) as Bartender
• Bullseye! (1990) as Man on the Beach in Barbados Who Looks Like John Cleese
• The Muppets Celebrate Jim Henson (1990) as Self
• An American Tail: Fievel Goes West (1991) as Cat R. Waul (voice)
• Splitting Heirs (1993) as Raoul P. Shadgrind
• Mary Shelley's Frankenstein (1994) as Prof. Waldman
• The Jungle Book (1994) as Dr. Julius Plumford
• The Swan Princess (1994) as Jean-Bob (voice)
• The Wind in the Willows (1996) as Mr. Toad's Lawyer
• Fierce Creatures (1997) as Rollo Lee
• George of the Jungle (1997) as An Ape Named 'Ape' (voice)
• The Out-of-Towners (1999) as Mr. Mersault
• The World Is Not Enough (1999) as R
• Isn't She Great (2000) as Henry Marcus
• Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone (2001) as Nearly Headless Nick
• Mickey's Magical Christmas: Snowed in at the House of Mouse (2001) as Narrator (segment 'The Nutcracker') (voice)
• Rat Race (2001) as Donald P. Sinclair
• Die Another Day (2002) as Q
• Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (2002) as Nearly Headless Nick (Sir Nicholas)
• Mickey's House of Villains (2002) as Narrator (“Mickey's Mechanical House") (uncredited)
• The Adventures of Pluto Nash (2002) as James
• Charlie's Angels: Full Throttle (2003) as Mr. Munday
• Concert for George (2003) as Self
• George of the Jungle 2 (2003) as An Ape Named 'Ape' (voice)
• Scorched (2003) as Charles Merchant
• Around the World in 80 Days (2004) as Grizzled Sergeant
• Shrek 2 (2004) as King Harold (voice)
• Return of the Goodies (2005) as Himself
• Valiant (2005) as Mercury (voice)
• Charlotte's Web (2006) as Samuel the Sheep (voice)
• L'Entente cordiale (2006) as Lord Conrad
• Man About Town (2006) as Dr. Primkin
• Shrek the Third (2007) as King Harold (voice)
• The Secret Life of Brian (2007) as Self
• Igor (2008) as Dr. Glickenstein (voice)
• The Day the Earth Stood Still (2008) as Professor Barnhardt
• Planet 51 (2009) as Professor Kipple (voice)
• The Pink Panther 2 (2009) as Dreyfus
• Shrek Forever After (2010) as King Harold (voice)
• Spud (2010) as Mr. 'The Guv' Edly
• Beethoven's Christmas Adventure (2011) as Narrator
• The Big Year (2011) as Historical Montage Narrator (voice)
• Winnie the Pooh (2011) as Narrator (voice)
• A Liar's Autobiography: The Untrue Story of Monty Python's Graham Chapman (2012) as Various (voice)
• God Loves Caviar (2012) as McCormick
• Planes (2013) as Bulldog (voice)
• Spud 2: The Madness Continues (2013) as Mr. 'The Guv' Edly
• Monty Python Live (Mostly) (2014) as Self, others
• Monty Python: The Meaning of Live (2014) as Self
• Spud 3: Learning to Fly (2014) as Mr. 'The Guv' Edly
• Absolutely Anything (2015) as Chief Alien (voice)
• Albion: The Enchanted Stallion (2016) as General Eeder
• Trolls (2016) as Roi Gristle (voice)
• Charming (2018) as Fairy Godmother / Executioner (voice)
• Elliot: The Littlest Reindeer (2018) as Donner (voice)
• Arctic Dogs (2019) as Otto von Walrus (voice)
• The Very Excellent Mr. Dundee (2020) as John
• Clifford the Big Red Dog (2021) as Mr. Bridwell
• Father Christmas Is Back (2021) as John Christmas
• Daddy Daughter Trip (2022) as Frank
• Rally Road Racers (2023) as Archie Vainglorious (voice)
• The Palace (2023) as Arthur William Dallas III

John Cleese television roles and appearances

Television titles are listed alphabetically. An appearance date is included only where verified for John Cleese; a programme's premiere year does not establish when a performer appeared in it.

• 3rd Rock from the Sun as Dr. Liam Neesam
• Cheers as Dr. Simon Finch-Royce
• Disney's House of Mouse as Narrator (voice)
• Doctor Who as Art Gallery Visitor
• E! True Hollywood Story
• Entourage as John Cleese
• Fawlty Towers as Basil Fawlty
• LOL: Last One Laughing as Self
• MADtv as Self
• Monty Python: Almost the Truth (The Lawyer's Cut) as Self
• Monty Python's Flying Circus as Various / Announcer
• Not the Nine O'Clock News
• Over the Garden Wall as Adelaide (voice); Quincy Endicott (voice)
• Ripping Yarns
• Speechless as Martin
• The Avengers as Marcus Rugman
• The Muppet Show as Self - Special Guest Star
• Whitney as Dr. Grant
• Will & Grace as Lyle Finster (uncredited)

Credit information: TMDB, with additional sources listed below where used. The titles shown here do not establish the beginning or end of John Cleese's career, and omissions should not be treated as evidence that a credit does not exist.