Episode 113: John Cleese

5 Questions With Dan Schawbel

My guest today is actor, comedian, producer and author, John Cleese. John is most known as the co-founder of the legendary Monty Python comedy group, writing and performing in the TV series and in films that include Monty Python and the Holy Grail and Monty Python’s Life of Brian. He has appeared in many other films, from James Bond to Harry Potter, and has guest-starred in numerous TV shows. After decades in the entertainment industry, John wrote about his views on Creativity in his new book by that title, which we discuss in this podcast episode.

The 5 questions I ask in this episode:

1. You dispel the myth that creativity is something you have to be born with. What are some ways to bring out our creativity even in professions and industries that don’t require it like the legal and accounting fields?
2. As children we are always playing then we get older and we become serious adults, disregarding play. How have you created space in your life for playfulness and how has that led to more creative projects?
3. I find that the act of being creative is an outlet for me. How can creativity help us through this dark period of time where people are suffering mentally and physically?
4. A lot of people have creative ideas and many of them produce creative work, but fewer are able to get their work published and viewed by a mass audience. You recently said that Monty Python “would not get commissioned today”. What’s your advice for overcoming the resistance that gets in the way of bringing our creativity to life?
5. What is your best piece of career advice?

Follow John’s journey:

• Website
• Book
• Instagram
• Facebook
• Twitter