Michael Palin
Acting
1943-05-05 · Broomhill, Sheffield, England, UK
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.
Filmography
Michael Palin in the Philippines
2026 · Series
David Attenborough's 100 Years on Planet Earth
2026 · Movie
The Magic Faraway Tree
2026 · Movie
Small Prophets
2026 · Series
Joke
2026 · Movie
Michael Palin in Venezuela
2025 · Series
The Secret Life of Trees
2025 · Series
When Bruce Springsteen Came to Britain
2025 · Movie
Innes Lloyd: The Producer
2025 · Movie
The Academy of Armando
2025 · Movie
David Frost Vs
2025 · Series
Dame Maggie Smith - A Celebration
2024 · Movie
Time Bandits
2024 · Series
My National Gallery, London
2024 · Movie
Michael Palin in Nigeria
2024 · Series
Fawlty Towers: 50 Years of Laughs
2023 · Movie
Michael Palin: Into Iraq
2022 · Series
The Fringe, Fame and Me
2022 · Movie
Remembers…
2022 · Series
Monty Python's Best Bits Celebrated
2021 · Movie
Jeepers Creepers
2020 · Movie
Michael Palin: Travels of a Lifetime
2020 · Series
Sir David Attenborough and Sir Michael Palin in Conversation
2020 · Movie
Staged
2020 · Series
Peter Sellers: A State of Comic Ecstasy
2020 · Movie
Worzel Gummidge
2019 · Series
Python at 50: Silly Talks and Holy Grails
2019 · Movie
An Accidental Studio
2019 · Movie
Final Ascent: The Legend of Hamish MacInnes
2019 · Movie
Michael Palin in North Korea
2018 · Series
Vanity Fair
2018 · Series
Michael Palin: A Life on Screen
2018 · Movie
The Death of Stalin
2017 · Movie
Generation '66
2016 · Movie
Attenborough at 90
2016 · Movie
Michael Palin's Quest for Artemisia
2015 · Movie
Clangers
2015 · Series
Artsnight
2015 · Series
Absolutely Anything
2015 · Movie
A Life on Screen
2014 · Series
Rik Mayall: Lord of Misrule
2014 · Movie
Spike Milligan: Love, Light and Peace
2014 · Movie
Remember Me
2014 · Series
Monty Python: The Meaning of Live
2014 · Movie
Monty Python's Best Bits (Mostly)
2014 · Series
Monty Python Live (Mostly)
2014 · Movie
Monty Python: And Now for Something Rather Similar
2014 · Movie
50 Years of BBC Two Comedy
2014 · Movie
The New Incomplete And Utter History Of Everything
2014 · Movie
Alexander Armstrong's Real Ripping Yarns
2014 · Movie
New Tales from Around the World in 80 Days
2014 · Movie
Michael Palin In Wyeth's World
2013 · Movie
The Meaning of Monty Python
2013 · Movie
The Wipers Times
2013 · Movie
Frost on Sketch Shows
2013 · Movie
A Liar's Autobiography: The Untrue Story of Monty Python's Graham Chapman
2012 · Movie
Anatomy of a Liar
2012 · Movie
Brazil with Michael Palin
2012 · Series
Produced by George Martin
2012 · Movie
Python Legs!
2012 · Movie
The Secret Policeman's Ball
2012 · Movie
Arthur Christmas
2011 · Movie
Making Qi
2011 · Movie
The Jonathan Ross Show
2011 · Series
Perspectives
2011 · Series
The Phoenix: A Century of Cinema
2011 · Movie
ZULU Comedy Galla
2010 · Series
Not The Messiah: The Road To Albert Hall
2010 · Movie
Not the Messiah (He's a Very Naughty Boy)
2010 · Movie
Monty Python: Almost the Truth (The Lawyer's Cut) - Theatrical Release
2010 · Movie
Monty Python: Almost the Truth (The Lawyer's Cut)
2009 · Series
Monty Python in Aberystwyth
2009 · Movie
Fawlty Towers: Re-Opened
2009 · Movie
Around the World in 20 Years
2008 · Movie
Timewatch: The Last Day of World War One
2008 · Movie
Inside Shabby Road: The Music of 'The Rutles'
2008 · Movie
Get Up and Go: The Making of 'The Rutles'
2008 · Movie
Monty Python: Before the Flying Circus
2008 · Movie
The Seventh Python
2008 · Movie
What Is Brazil?
2008 · Movie
Marty Feldman: Six Degrees of Separation
2008 · Movie
Life Of Brian Screenplay
2008 · Movie
Monty Python Conquers America
2008 · Movie
Robbie the Reindeer in Close Encounters of the Herd Kind
2007 · Movie
Michael Palin's New Europe
2007 · Series
Movie Connections
2007 · Series
The Alan Titchmarsh Show
2007 · Series
Hitler: The Comedy Years
2007 · Movie
The Graham Norton Show
2007 · Series
The Secret Life of Brian
2007 · Movie
What the Pythons Did Next...
2007 · Movie
Legends
2006 · Series
The One Show
2006 · Series
50 Films to See Before You Die
2006 · Movie
Monty Python's Flying Circus—John Cleese's Personal Best
2006 · Movie
Monty Python's Flying Circus—Terry Gilliam's Personal Best
2006 · Movie
Monty Python's Flying Circus—Michael Palin's Personal Best
2006 · Movie
Monty Python's Personal Best
2006 · Series
Monty Python's Flying Circus—Graham Chapman's Personal Best
2006 · Movie
Monty Python's Flying Circus—Graham Chapman's Personal Best
2006 · Movie
Monty Python's Flying Circus—Eric Idle's Personal Best
2006 · Movie
The Roots of Monty Python
2005 · Movie
John Peel's Record Box
2005 · Movie
Michael Palin & the Mystery of Hammershøi
2005 · Movie
Remember the Secret Policeman's Ball?
2004 · Movie
Best Sellers or: Peter Sellers and 'Dr. Strangelove'
2004 · Movie
Himalaya with Michael Palin
2004 · Series
The Best of Monty Python's Flying Circus Volume 2
2004 · Movie
The Best of Monty Python's Flying Circus Volume 3
2004 · Movie
The Best of Monty Python's Flying Circus Volume 1
2004 · Movie
Concert for George
2003 · Movie
The Meaning of Making 'The Meaning of Life'
2003 · Movie
Michael Palin and the Ladies Who Loved Matisse
2003 · Movie
Life on Air: David Attenborough's 50 Years in Television
2002 · Movie
Sahara with Michael Palin
2002 · Series
Spike Milligan I told you I was ill... A live tribute
2002 · Movie
The Quest for the Holy Grail Locations
2001 · Movie
The Unknown Peter Sellers
2000 · Movie
Michael Palin's Hemingway Adventure
1999 · Series
The Monty Python Story
1999 · Movie
Monty Python: From Spam to Sperm
1999 · Movie
Monty Python: 30th Anniversary Sketches
1999 · Movie
Monty Python: Pythonland
1999 · Movie
Fantasy World Cup
1998 · Series
Monty Python: Live at Aspen
1998 · Movie
Parkinson
1998 · Series
Palin on Redpath
1997 · Movie
Full Circle with Michael Palin
1997 · Series
Fierce Creatures
1997 · Movie
The Willows in Winter
1996 · Movie
The Wind in the Willows
1996 · Movie
Clive Anderson All Talk
1996 · Series
TFI Friday
1996 · Series
The Wind in the Willows
1995 · Movie
The Frank Skinner Show
1995 · Series
Late Night with Conan O'Brien
1993 · Series
Tracey Ullman: A Class Act
1993 · Movie
Meridian: The First Ten Minutes
1993 · Movie
The First Night of Meridian
1993 · Movie
Pole to Pole
1992 · Series
Rabbit Ears - Jack and the Beanstalk
1991 · Movie
G.B.H.
1991 · Series
American Friends
1991 · Movie
The Witches
1990 · Movie
Viz: The Documentary
1990 · Movie
Life of Python
1990 · Movie
The Simpsons
1989 · Series
Parrot Sketch Not Included: Twenty Years of Monty Python
1989 · Movie
Michael Palin: The Art of Travel
1989 · Series
The Art Of Travel With Michael Palin
1989 · Movie
Michael Palin: Around the World in 80 Days
1989 · Series
The Movie Life of George
1989 · Movie
The Secret Policeman’s Biggest Ball
1989 · Movie
Number 27
1988 · Movie
A Fish Called Wanda
1988 · Movie
Nelson Mandela 70th Birthday Tribute
1988 · Movie
Consuming Passions
1988 · Movie
Daytime Live
1987 · Series
Going Live!
1987 · Series
The Grand Knockout Tournament
1987 · Movie
East of Ipswich
1987 · Movie
Omnibus Presents Comic Relief
1986 · Series
Comedians Do It On Stage
1986 · Movie
Brazil
1985 · Movie
Screen Two
1985 · Series
Friday People
1985 · Series
A Private Function
1984 · Movie
The Dress
1984 · Movie
Comic Roots: Michael Palin
1983 · Movie
Monty Python's The Meaning of Life
1983 · Movie
The Crimson Permanent Assurance
1983 · Movie
The Missionary
1982 · Movie
Monty Python Live at the Hollywood Bowl
1982 · Movie
Wogan
1982 · Series
The Secret Policeman's Other Ball
1982 · Movie
Time Bandits
1981 · Movie
The Box
1981 · Movie
Travels with Palin
1980 · Series
Great Railway Journeys
1980 · Series
The Secret Policeman's Ball
1979 · Movie
Roger of the Raj
1979 · Movie
Golden Gordon
1979 · Movie
Whinfrey's Last Case
1979 · Movie
Friday Night, Saturday Morning
1979 · Series
Life of Brian
1979 · Movie
The Pythons: Somewhere in Tunisia, Circa A.D. 1979
1979 · Movie
The Rutles: All You Need Is Cash
1978 · Movie
Michael Palin’s Super 8mm - “Life of Brian”
1978 · Movie
The Curse of the Claw
1977 · Movie
Across the Andes by Frog
1977 · Movie
Murder at Moorstones Manor
1977 · Movie
Escape from Stalag Luft 112B
1977 · Movie
The Testing of Eric Olthwaite
1977 · Movie
The Broken Bottle
1977 · Movie
Jabberwocky
1977 · Movie
Pleasure at Her Majesty's
1976 · Movie
The Secret Policeman's Ball
1976 · Series
Ripping Yarns
1976 · Series
Tomkinson's Schooldays
1976 · Movie
Three Men in a Boat
1975 · Movie
Saturday Night Live
1975 · Series
Monty Python and the Holy Grail
1975 · Movie
Les Rendez-vous du dimanche
1975 · Series
Monty Python & the Holy Grail Location Report
1974 · Movie
Henry Cleans Up
1974 · Movie
Black and Blue
1973 · Series
Secrets
1973 · Movie
Is This a Record?
1973 · Movie
Monty Python In The Netherlands
1973 · Movie
Full House
1972 · Series
Pebble Mill at One
1972 · Series
The Philosophers' Football Match
1972 · Movie
Monty Python's Fliegender Zirkus
1972 · Series
The Great Birds Eye Peas Relaunch 1971
1971 · Movie
Film '72
1971 · Series
And Now for Something Completely Different
1971 · Movie
Euroshow '71: May Day Special
1971 · Movie
The Two Ronnies
1971 · Series
Monty Python: Who's There?
1970 · Movie
Ending It All
1970 · Movie
Monty Python's Flying Circus
1969 · Series
How to Irritate People
1969 · Movie
The Complete and Utter History of Britain
1969 · Series
Frost on Sunday
1968 · Series
Do Not Adjust Your Set
1967 · Series
Twice a Fortnight
1967 · Series
A Series of Bird's
1967 · Series
Isadora Duncan, the Biggest Dancer in the World
1966 · Movie
Monty Python: Live at Aspen
Series
Eric Idle Exploits Monty Python
Movie
Close-Up Toothpaste Relaunch
Movie