John Cleese has admitted he became "depressed" after reflecting on the deaths of his comedy co-stars and friends. The 85-year-old Monty Python star spoke candidly about ageing and loss in a new interview with The Times.
The Fawlty Towers actor confessed the realisation had been deeply painful. He said: "All these lovely people. Geoffrey Palmer, Joan Sanderson, Ken Campbell, Bernard Cribbins, all these wonderful people that I'd really enjoyed working with, all dead."
© GettyJohn continued: "Every time somebody came up and I thought, are they still alive? Dead! And I started getting a bit depressed and it was just loss, really, a realisation of the loss."
He added: "I ought to warn your readers that when you get to your eighties, you're not prepared. I think Philip Roth once finished one novel about old age by saying it's a massacre."
John reveals the realities of ageing
© GettyDespite his emotional honesty about ageing, John is doing what he can to stay healthy. He revealed that he spends around £17,000 a year on stem cell therapy.
Speaking to Saga magazine, he explained: "These cells travel around the body and when they discover a place that needs repair, they'll then change into the cells that you want for repair, so they might become cartilage cells or liver cells."
He added: "So I think that's why I don't look bad for 84," referring to his appearance in 2024.
When asked about the high cost of the treatment, John said: "If you're buying yourself a few extra years, I think it's worth it."
Reflecting on life with wife Jennifer Wade
© GettyJohn also reflected on his marriage to his fourth wife, Jennifer Wade, who is 32 years his junior. The couple married in 2012.
Speaking about their relationship, John said: "What I love is that she's 30 years younger than I am, but she keeps me young."
He added: "I mean, it is sad to think I shall die some time before she will, but I'm in pretty good health. I'm not fit, but the way I put it is the doctors don't yet know what I'm going to die of."
Health battles over the years
© GettyJohn has been open about his health challenges in recent years. In 2021, he shared on social media that he had undergone a minor operation to remove a cancerous patch from his leg.
He wrote at the time: "Had a minor operation on Friday. A surgeon cut a small cancerous bit out of my leg. Very minor."
In typical John fashion, he made light of the situation, adding: "At my age this sort of thing happens about once a week. He did a beautiful job, sewed it up and said, 'Tis but a scratch.'"
