Quotes By John Cleese

Don't let anyone tell you what you ought to like... Some wines that some experts think are absolutely exquisite don't appeal to me at all.

I used to desire many, many things, but now I have just one desire, and that's to get rid of all my other desires.

The thrill I got discovering Buster Keaton when I was growing up was so exciting. He was one of the greats.

If you want creative workers, give them enough time to play.

In Britain, girls seem to be either bright or attractive. In America, that's not the case. They're both.

I find it rather easy to portray a businessman. Being bland, rather cruel and incompetent comes naturally to me.

Comedy always works best when it is mean-spirited.

I think it's because in America you always get the sense that if you fail, you can just pack up your things and go somewhere else and try again. But in England, it's so geographically small that if somebody succeeds here, it reduces your chances of succeeding.

I had a very, very difficult relationship with my mother, who was supremely self-centred. She was hilariously self-centred. She did not really take interest in anything that didn't immediately affect her.

I want to write a book which is the history of comedy.

The most creative people have this childlike facility to play.

When the target audience is American teenage kids, you can have problems. My generation prized really fine acting and writing. Sometimes you have to go back to the basic principles which underpin great visual comedy.

Wine is wonderful stuff. But so many people are put off by the snobbery of it.

The English contribution to world cuisine - the chip.

I don't miss London much. I find it crowded, vast and difficult to get around. Cabs are incredibly expensive.