Cleese

Cleese is an English surname. It is most closely associated with John Cleese (born 1939), an English actor, comedian, and writer who co-founded the Monty Python comedy group and achieved wide recognition for his work in television and film.

John Cleese's career spans television and film. He helped develop and perform with Monty Python's Flying Circus (1969–1974); the Python films Monty Python and the Holy Grail (1975), Life of Brian (1979), and The Meaning of Life (1983); and he starred as Basil Fawlty in the sitcom Fawlty Towers (1975–1979). In film, he co-wrote and starred in A Fish Called Wanda (1988), a critical and commercial success that won the Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay. He has received various honors for his contributions to the arts, including a knighthood.

The surname Cleese is relatively uncommon and is most often recognized from John Cleese; other individuals with the surname have not achieved comparable public prominence.