Michael Palin
Biography
Michael Edward Palin, CBE FRGS (born 5 May 1943) is an English comedian, actor, writer and television presenter best known for being one of the members of the comedy group Monty Python and for his travel documentaries. Palin wrote most of his comedic material with Terry Jones. Before Monty Python, they had worked on other shows such as The Ken Dodd Show, The Frost Report and Do Not Adjust Your Set. Palin appeared in some of the most famous Python sketches, including "Argument Clinic", "Dead Parrot", "The Lumberjack Song", and "The Spanish Inquisition". Palin continued to work with Jones after Python, co-writing Ripping Yarns. He has also appeared in several films directed by fellow Python Terry Gilliam and made notable appearances in other films such as A Fish Called Wanda, for which he won the BAFTA Award for Best Actor in a Supporting Role. In a 2005 poll to find The Comedian's Comedian, he was voted the 30th favourite by fellow comedians and comedy insiders. After Python, he began a new career as a travel writer and travel documentarian. His journeys have taken him across the world, including the North and South Poles, the Sahara desert, the Himalayas and, most recently, Eastern Europe. In 2000 Palin was honoured as a Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) for his services to television.
Movies (146)
David Attenborough’s 100 Years on Planet Earth
2026
The Magic Faraway Tree
2026
Joke
2026
When Bruce Springsteen Came to Britain
2025
Innes Lloyd: The Producer
2025
The Academy of Armando
2025
Dame Maggie Smith - A Celebration
2024
Fawlty Towers: 50 Years of Laughs
2023
The Fringe, Fame and Me
2022
Monty Python's Best Bits Celebrated
2021
Jeepers Creepers
2020
Peter Sellers: A State of Comic Ecstasy
2020
Python at 50: Silly Talks and Holy Grails
2019
An Accidental Studio
2019
Final Ascent: The Legend of Hamish MacInnes
2019
Michael Palin: A Life on Screen
2018
The Death of Stalin
2017
Generation '66
2016
Attenborough at 90
2016
Michael Palin's Quest for Artemisia
2015
Absolutely Anything
2015
Rik Mayall: Lord of Misrule
2014
Spike Milligan: Love, Light and Peace
2014
Monty Python: The Meaning of Live
2014
Monty Python Live (Mostly)
2014
Monty Python: And Now for Something Rather Similar
2014
50 Years of BBC Two Comedy
2014
The New Incomplete And Utter History Of Everything
2014
Alexander Armstrong's Real Ripping Yarns
2014
New Tales from Around the World in 80 Days
2014
Michael Palin In Wyeth's World
2013
The Meaning of Monty Python
2013
The Wipers Times
2013
Frost on Sketch Shows
2013
Anatomy of a Liar
2012
Produced by George Martin
2012
A Liar's Autobiography: The Untrue Story of Monty Python's Graham Chapman
2012
The Secret Policeman's Ball
2012
Arthur Christmas
2011
Making Qi
2011
Not The Messiah: The Road To Albert Hall
2010
Not the Messiah (He's a Very Naughty Boy)
2010
Monty Python: Almost the Truth (The Lawyer's Cut) - Theatrical Release
2010
Monty Python in Aberystwyth
2009
Fawlty Towers: Re-Opened
2009
Around the World in 20 Years
2008
Inside Shabby Road: The Music of 'The Rutles'
2008
Get Up and Go: The Making of 'The Rutles'
2008
Timewatch: The Last Day of World War One
2008
Monty Python: Before the Flying Circus
2008
The Seventh Python
2008
What Is Brazil?
2008
Marty Feldman: Six Degrees of Separation
2008
Monty Python Conquers America
2008
Robbie the Reindeer in Close Encounters of the Herd Kind
2007
Hitler: The Comedy Years
2007
What the Pythons Did Next...
2007
The Secret Life of Brian
2007
50 Films to See Before You Die
2006
Monty Python's Flying Circus—John Cleese's Personal Best
2006
Monty Python's Flying Circus—Michael Palin's Personal Best
2006
Monty Python's Flying Circus—Terry Gilliam's Personal Best
2006
Monty Python's Flying Circus—Terry Jones' Personal Best
2006
Monty Python's Flying Circus—Graham Chapman's Personal Best
2006
Monty Python's Flying Circus—Eric Idle's Personal Best
2006
Monty Python's Flying Circus—Graham Chapman's Personal Best
2006
The Roots of Monty Python
2005
John Peel's Record Box
2005
Michael Palin & the Mystery of Hammershøi
2005
Remember the Secret Policeman's Ball?
2004
Best Sellers or: Peter Sellers and 'Dr. Strangelove'
2004
The Best of Monty Python's Flying Circus Volume 2
2004
The Best of Monty Python's Flying Circus Volume 1
2004
The Best of Monty Python's Flying Circus Volume 3
2004
Concert for George
2003
The Meaning of Making 'The Meaning of Life'
2003
Michael Palin and the Ladies Who Loved Matisse
2003
Life on Air: David Attenborough's 50 Years in Television
2002
Spike Milligan I told you I was ill... A live tribute
2002
The Quest for the Holy Grail Locations
2001
The Unknown Peter Sellers
2000
Monty Python: From Spam to Sperm
1999
The Monty Python Story
1999
Monty Python: 30th Anniversary Sketches
1999
Monty Python: Pythonland
1999
Monty Python: Live at Aspen
1998
Palin on Redpath
1997
Fierce Creatures
1997
The Willows in Winter
1996
The Wind in the Willows
1996
The Wind in the Willows
1995
Tracey Ullman: A Class Act
1993
Rabbit Ears - Jack and the Beanstalk
1991
American Friends
1991
The Witches
1990
Viz: The Documentary
1990
Life of Python
1990
Parrot Sketch Not Included: Twenty Years of Monty Python
1989
The Art Of Travel With Michael Palin
1989
The Movie Life of George
1989
The Secret Policeman’s Biggest Ball
1989
A Fish Called Wanda
1988
Nelson Mandela 70th Birthday Tribute
1988
The Grand Knockout Tournament
1987
Comedians Do It On Stage
1986
Brazil
1985
A Private Function
1984
The Dress
1984
Comic Roots: Michael Palin
1983
Monty Python's The Meaning of Life
1983
The Crimson Permanent Assurance
1983
The Missionary
1982
Monty Python Live at the Hollywood Bowl
1982
The Secret Policeman's Other Ball
1982
Time Bandits
1981
The Box
1981
The Secret Policeman's Ball
1979
Roger of the Raj
1979
Golden Gordon
1979
Whinfrey's Last Case
1979
Life of Brian
1979
The Pythons: Somewhere in Tunisia, Circa A.D. 1979
1979
The Rutles: All You Need Is Cash
1978
The Curse of the Claw
1977
Across the Andes by Frog
1977
Murder at Moorstones Manor
1977
Escape from Stalag Luft 112B
1977
The Testing of Eric Olthwaite
1977
The Broken Bottle
1977
Jabberwocky
1977
Pleasure at Her Majesty's
1976
Tomkinson's Schooldays
1976
Three Men in a Boat
1975
Monty Python and the Holy Grail
1975
Monty Python & the Holy Grail Location Report
1974
Henry Cleans Up
1974
Is This a Record?
1973
Monty Python In The Netherlands
1973
The Great Birds Eye Peas Relaunch 1971
1971
And Now for Something Completely Different
1971
Euroshow '71: May Day Special
1971
Monty Python: Who's There?
1970
Ending It All
1970
How to Irritate People
1969
Isadora Duncan, the Biggest Dancer in the World
1966
Close-Up Toothpaste Relaunch
TV Shows (61)
Small Prophets
2026
Michael Palin in Venezuela
2025
The Secret Life of Trees
2025
David Frost Vs
2025
Michael Palin in Nigeria
2024
Michael Palin: Into Iraq
2022
Remembers…
2022
Michael Palin: Travels of a Lifetime
2020
Staged
2020
Worzel Gummidge
2019
Michael Palin in North Korea
2018
Vanity Fair
2018
Clangers
2015
A Life on Screen
2014
Remember Me
2014
Monty Python's Best Bits (Mostly)
2014
Brazil with Michael Palin
2012
The Jonathan Ross Show
2011
Perspectives
2011
ZULU Comedy Galla
2010
Monty Python: Almost the Truth (The Lawyer's Cut)
2009
Michael Palin's New Europe
2007
Movie Connections
2007
The Graham Norton Show
2007
Legends
2006
The One Show
2006
Monty Python's Personal Best
2006
Himalaya with Michael Palin
2004
Sahara with Michael Palin
2002
Michael Palin's Hemingway Adventure
1999
Parkinson
1998
Full Circle with Michael Palin
1997
The Frank Skinner Show
1995
Late Night with Conan O'Brien
1993
Pole to Pole
1992
G.B.H.
1991
The Simpsons
1989
Michael Palin: The Art of Travel
1989
Michael Palin: Around the World in 80 Days
1989
Going Live!
1987
Omnibus Presents Comic Relief
1986
Wogan
1982
Travels with Palin
1980
Great Railway Journeys
1980
Friday Night, Saturday Morning
1979
The Secret Policeman's Ball
1976
Ripping Yarns
1976
Ripping Yarns
1976
Ripping Yarns
1976
Ripping Yarns
1976
Saturday Night Live
1975
Saturday Night Live
1975
Saturday Night Live
1975
Saturday Night Live
1975
Saturday Night Live
1975
Les Rendez-vous du dimanche
1975
Pebble Mill at One
1972
Monty Python's Fliegender Zirkus
1972
Monty Python's Flying Circus
1969
The Complete and Utter History of Britain
1969
Do Not Adjust Your Set
1967