John Cleese has said he is 'glad' he had a nervous breakdown following his third divorce, as it gave him 'a much more realistic grasp of what was important in life'. The Monty Python star describes having 'two and a half, three months of a nervous breakdown with suicidal thoughts' in his new documentary, John Cleese Packs It In.
In the 90-minute film, which sees Cleese embark on a European tour, the actor explains that he is still touring in his 80s because of the financial impact of his split from psychotherapist Alyce Faye Eichelberger in 2008. He told the PA news agency: 'It was very unpleasant waking up in the morning, because you feel very, very depressed for the first couple of hours. But once they got me on a mild dose of an antidepressant, then I got rid of it fairly quickly and was performing again within about three or four months.'
Cleese, known for his role as Basil in Fawlty Towers, said he enjoys the 'good feeling' of audience laughter while touring. He added that TV and streaming 'is a world so different to what I grew up in'. Reflecting on the changing comedy scene, he said the idea of 'woke' is 'a whole spectrum' that is 'totally sensible and admirable' at one end, and the opposite at the other end. He commented: 'I feel that we're in danger of not understanding the nature of comedy. What I think few people really understand is that all comedy is critical.'
John Cleese Packs It In will play at more than 350 UK cinemas on November 13.
