John Cleese: I have one last installment left – Aftonbladet

John Cleese is funny. We know that.

He is entertaining even when he writes of his mother in his autobiography “But anyway …” Although she gave him a painful childhood.

– If the you are not comfortable with the first woman in his life, it takes longer to become comfortable around other women, says John Cleese, 75.

In the book He describes how modern Muriel struck the father. How Little John and his father, Reggie was afraid of her mother’s violent temper and always tiptoed around her.

– There may be no coincidence that during such a big part of my life has gone in some form of therapy and that the vast majority of problems that I have struggled with’ve applied my relationships with women.

He writes how he became overly polite and afraid of controversy, unsexy.

– The foundation for one’s self-confidence to get in early contact with her mother, but if there is, you can not moan about it when you’re 50, says John Cleese. I do not blame my mother. She herself was afraid very much. But also had humor and could laugh at my jokes.

“The last installment left”

John Cleese married for the fourth time. The third marriage ended with him became liable to pay a large maintenance. To raise money, he toured around the world with the solo show “The alimony tour”.

Did you get together the money needed?

– Yes, I have one last installment left, and has set aside money for it, says John Cleese. It was $ 20 million so I’ve done a lot for the past seven years, only for money.

The book he wrote for other reasons.

– I have thought about it before, but 15 years ago I had lunch with Michael Caine, who said he liked to write his biography. With writing, he retracted parts of life that he forgot. I liked the idea that it triggers memories and associations.

That did it too. Plenty of details from childhood and school years. Narrated by his distinctive voice.

– People say that reading is which to converse with me, says John Cleese. Though I’ve written a lot, I have never written such a text. I signed up with this: A pencil with eraser on one end.

He takes up the pen from his pocket and show.

– I read the text aloud to myself and listening. If that does not sound right do I change. I am skeptical about computers.

But you write on Twitter.

– Yes, to avoid having to talk to the British press. Stephen Fry said it was a good way to avoid interviews, but meet the fans. I have 3.5 million followers, and when I reach enough if I want to tell you about something I do.

Can release sequels

“Fawlty Towers” was played for the first time on stage as outdoor theater in Helsingborg last summer.

– I was hesitant in advance, but my agent said that the show was excellent, says John Cleese. I did not have time to see it because I wrote clearly the book and did the Monty Python show in London.

Fredriksdal Theatre’s version of “Fawlty Towers” making it more and more.

– We’ll put it up somewhere else, säegr John Cleese. It will probably be the first in Australia.

Is it your next job?

– No, I’m translating a farce by Georges Feydeau. I want to make a really good comedy in a theater in London, and now I have found it. But I do not say what the play is. I start writing Dec. 29.

Your biography jumps sometimes in time, but by and large ends on at the start of Monty Python. Will there be a continuation of “But anyway …”?

– Yes, I’ll write more because I think it was funny, says John Cleese. If this book is successful it will hopefully be more writing and less on stage. I’d rather eat dinner with my friends.