He had been trained as a French polisher for a coffin-maker before entering the police force in the 1930s. Chapman had an elder brother, John, who was born in 1936.
He had been trained as a French polisher for a coffin-maker before entering the police force in the 1930s. Chapman had an elder brother, John, who was born in 1936.
Graham Chapman (8 January 1941 – 4 October 1989) was an English comedian, writer, actor, and author and one of the six members of the British surreal comedy group Monty Python.
His life and legacy were commemorated at a private memorial service at St Bartholomew's with the other five Pythons. == Early life and education == Graham Chapman was born on 8 January 1941 at the Stoneygate Nursing Home, Stoneygate, Leicester, the son of policeman Walter Chapman and Edith Towers.
Chapman, Cleese, and Tim Brooke-Taylor later joined Feldman in the television comedy series At Last the 1948 Show.
In between the two series of At Last The 1948 Show, he completed his studies at St.
Biographer Jim Yoakum said "the radio shows didn't necessarily make him laugh". In 1959, Chapman began to study medicine at Emmanuel College, Cambridge.
Chapman was intended to be cast in the Red Dwarf episode "Timeslides", but died before shooting could begin. == Personal life == Chapman first met his long-term partner David Sherlock in Ibiza in 1966.
Chapman also co-wrote several episodes of Doctor in the House follow up, Doctor in Charge, with Bernard McKenna. === Monty Python === In 1969, Chapman and Cleese joined the other Pythons, Michael Palin, Eric Idle, Terry Jones and Terry Gilliam, for their sketch comedy series Monty Python's Flying Circus.
Chapman eventually established a writing partnership with John Cleese, which reached its critical peak with Monty Python during the 1970s.
Chapman did not mind being filmed fully nude in front of a crowd in Life of Brian, but the scene, filmed in Tunisia, caused problems with the female Muslim extras. === Other work === In 1975, Chapman and Douglas Adams wrote a pilot for a television series, entitled Out of the Trees, but it received poor ratings after being broadcast at the same time as Match of the Day and only the initial episode was produced.
Chapman guest-starred on several television series including The Big Show. In 1976, Chapman began writing a pirate film, Yellowbeard (1983), which came out of conversations between Chapman and Moon while in Los Angeles.
In 1978, Chapman co-wrote the comedy film The Odd Job with McKenna, and starred as one of the main characters.
Moon died in 1978 and the work stalled, eventually being rewritten by McKenna, then by Peter Cook.
He subsequently left Britain for Los Angeles, where he attempted to be a success on American television, speaking on the college circuit and producing the pirate film Yellowbeard (1983), before returning to Britain in the early 1980s. In his personal life, Chapman was openly homosexual and a strong supporter of gay rights, and was in a long-term partnership with David Sherlock.
David Robinson, reviewing the film in The Times, said that "the Monty Python style of comic anarchy requires more than scatology, rude words and funny faces". Chapman published his memoirs, A Liar's Autobiography, in 1980, choosing the title because he said "it's almost impossible to tell the truth".
It marked the last appearance of Feldman, who suffered a fatal heart attack in December 1982.
Saturday Night Live creator and Python fan Lorne Michaels persuaded Chapman to star in The New Show. In 1988, Chapman appeared in the Iron Maiden video "Can I Play with Madness".
In 1988, he also appeared on stage with three other Pythons (Gilliam, Jones and Palin) at the 41st British Academy Film Awards where Monty Python received the BAFTA Award for Outstanding British Contribution To Cinema. Broadcast in November 1989, the 20th anniversary television special, Parrot Sketch Not Included – 20 Years of Monty Python, hosted by Python fan Steve Martin, was Chapman's final onscreen appearance with the other five Python members.
Graham Chapman (8 January 1941 – 4 October 1989) was an English comedian, writer, actor, and author and one of the six members of the British surreal comedy group Monty Python.
Chapman died of tonsil cancer which spread to his spine in 1989, on the Pythons' 20th anniversary.
In 1988, he also appeared on stage with three other Pythons (Gilliam, Jones and Palin) at the 41st British Academy Film Awards where Monty Python received the BAFTA Award for Outstanding British Contribution To Cinema. Broadcast in November 1989, the 20th anniversary television special, Parrot Sketch Not Included – 20 Years of Monty Python, hosted by Python fan Steve Martin, was Chapman's final onscreen appearance with the other five Python members.
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