The hilarious moment Terry Gilliam returned from the dead
Terry Gilliam has enjoyed a career that has seen him become a crucial component of one of the most lauded troupes of surrealists, Monty Python, as well as a respected auteur in his own right. The only American member of the Python, it was his imaginative artworks and animations that augmented their utterly bizarre, fantastical style, helping to bring their scripts to life.
Gilliam’s early work as a strip cartoonist and animator introduced him to the other future members of Monty Python; John Cleese, Eric Idle, Terry Jones, and Michael Palin. He first met Cleese when working for the US magazine Help, and after the publication folded, he moved to Europe. There, he eventually found work on the children’s series Do Not Adjust Your Set alongside Idle, Jones and Palin. Gilliam worked as an animator on the show, and thus, the wheels were set in motion for the foundations of Monty Python.
Their first show was Monty Python’s Flying Circus, which debuted in 1969 and established the group as true boundary-pushers of comedy. Gilliam was a member from the outset but was initially only credited as its animator before he was later listed as a full member, with his importance increasingly apparent to the others. Changing the world of comedy forever, they became an overnight success, with a range of famous fans that included The Beatles guitarist George Harrison.
Thanks to the love of Harrison and other eminent rockers such as Led Zeppelin, Python’s foray into cinema was partially financed by these musical titans, a factor which would crystallise their legacy with features such as Monty Python and the Holy Grail and Monty Python’s Life of Brian. This work would also be highly significant for Gilliam’s creative development, helping him cut his teeth and effectively setting the stage for him to become a fully-fledged auteur.
After the release of 1981’s hit adventure Time Bandits, Gilliam then released what is widely regarded to be his masterpiece, the dystopian black comedy Brazil, in 1985. He then followed it up with the likes of The Adventures of Baron Munchausen, The Fisher King, 12 Monkeys and Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas, with his last outing – 2018’s The Man Who Killed Don Quixote – a project he’d attempted to make for 29 years.
Just like his work with Monty Python, Gilliam’s films are noted for the heavy dose of surrealism that they contain, with him delivering a unique form of fantasy that has inspired many others to pursue a career behind the camera. As one would expect, Gilliam’s life outside of fiction has been comprised of some rather absurd moments. The tip of the iceberg came in 2015 when the news of his death was mistakenly published.
On the afternoon of Tuesday, September 18th, Gilliam took to Twitter to deliver a Pythonesque quip that it was now 75 days until his 75th birthday. Duly, as “an early present”, he suggested that fans have a peek at his upcoming book, Gilliamesque. However, things took a morbid tone when only hours later, Gilliam was dead, or so it appeared. Variety reported: “Monty Python’s Terry Gilliam, Director of ‘Brazil,’ Dies at XXX”. However, Gilliam was very much alive and well. The publication had accidentally published his obituary, and when fans pointed out the mistake, it was quickly taken down.
As expected, Gilliam reacted to the news humorously. “I APOLOGISE FOR BEING DEAD, especially to those who have already bought tickets to the upcoming talks,” he wrote on Facebook. Speaking of Variety, he continued: “Don’t believe their retraction and apology!”
The director’s post included a photo of him lying on his death bed, with a woman beside him holding a sign that blamed his rapid ageing on bad reviews from Variety.
