John Cleese has openly acknowledged that he is “glad” to have experienced a nervous breakdown after his third divorce, revealing that the challenging period gave him “a much more realistic grasp of what was important in life.”
The Monty Python legend, originally from Western-Super-Mare, details enduring “two and a half, three months of a nervous breakdown with suicidal thoughts” in the recently released documentary, John Cleese Packs It In.
The 90-minute film follows the actor on a European tour, where Cleese candidly discusses continuing to perform into his 80s partly due to the financial strains after his 2008 split from psychotherapist Alyce Faye Eichelberger.
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“It was very unpleasant waking up in the morning because you feel very, very depressed for the first couple of hours,” Cleese shared with the PA news agency. “But once they got me on a mild dose of an antidepressant, I got rid of it fairly quickly and was performing again within about three or four months.”
Reflecting on the experience, he added, “I think I’m glad it happened to me because it gave me a much more realistic grasp of what was important in life, because we can certainly get distracted.”
During his tour, Cleese visited cities like Gothenburg, Ghent, and Rotterdam, where he enjoyed activities such as cheese tasting. Known for his iconic role as Basil Fawlty in Fawlty Towers, Cleese expressed his joy in hearing the audience’s laughter while performing live.
“TV and streaming are worlds so different from what I grew up in,” he said. “In the old days, I used to have a lot of stage fright, but now when I perform, the people have bought tickets because they like me. As I come out, there’s a lovely reception because they enjoy the kind of humour that I do.”
When asked about allowing cameras into his personal life for the documentary, Cleese remarked, “This is what we have to live with now, isn’t it? And I don’t have anything particularly to hide.”
On the evolving comedy landscape and discussions surrounding “woke” culture, Cleese offered nuanced insights. He described “woke” as “a whole spectrum” ranging from “totally sensible and admirable” perspectives to opposing views.
He emphasized the essential nature of comedy as a critical art form. “What I think few people really understand is that all comedy is critical,” Cleese explained. “If you have a very clever, kind, generous, wise, amusing person, there’s nothing to laugh at. We don’t laugh at people who are very likeable and friendly and kind and generous. We laugh at people who are torn apart by ridiculous, egotistical emotions like competitiveness or anger.”
However, he cautioned against comedy intended to hurt others. “Just because we’re laughing at people doesn’t mean that it’s unkind. It can be unkind, and it’s very nasty when it is. When people make, not so much jokes, but pretend jokes that are intended to hurt people’s feelings and make them feel bad about themselves, it’s wrong, as simple as that. It’s wrong.”
John Cleese Packs It In is set to screen at over 350 UK cinemas on November 13.