"John Cleese was with a group called Cambridge Circus, who had come to New York, and we became friends. Years later that produced a certain team effort"
About this Quote
The intent reads like a quiet correction to the myth of genius. By refusing to say “Monty Python” outright, he deflates the brand and emphasizes the human wiring underneath it: networks, hangouts, mutual recognition. “Produced” is a sly verb here, half industrial, half organic, suggesting that the most influential comedy troupe of its era wasn’t engineered so much as fermented.
Context matters: Gilliam was an American in a deeply British comedic ecosystem, arriving through animation and visual imagination rather than Oxbridge pedigree. The New York detail signals that the group’s formation wasn’t purely an insular UK club; it had an outward-facing, transatlantic restlessness. “A certain team effort” also hints at the tension baked into Python’s legend: collective brilliance, yes, but also ego, negotiation, and the strange alchemy of incompatible temperaments.
It works because it treats history like something that happens sideways. Not destiny, not a master plan - just friendship with a long fuse.
Quote Details
| Topic | Friendship |
|---|---|
| Source | Help us find the source |
| Cite |
Citation Formats
APA Style (7th ed.)
Gilliam, Terry. (2026, January 16). John Cleese was with a group called Cambridge Circus, who had come to New York, and we became friends. Years later that produced a certain team effort. FixQuotes. https://fixquotes.com/quotes/john-cleese-was-with-a-group-called-cambridge-92125/
Chicago Style
Gilliam, Terry. "John Cleese was with a group called Cambridge Circus, who had come to New York, and we became friends. Years later that produced a certain team effort." FixQuotes. January 16, 2026. https://fixquotes.com/quotes/john-cleese-was-with-a-group-called-cambridge-92125/.
MLA Style (9th ed.)
"John Cleese was with a group called Cambridge Circus, who had come to New York, and we became friends. Years later that produced a certain team effort." FixQuotes, 16 Jan. 2026, https://fixquotes.com/quotes/john-cleese-was-with-a-group-called-cambridge-92125/. Accessed 13 Feb. 2026.
