Editing Time Bandits (section)

===Casting===
[[Sean Connery]] was cast as Agamemnon after he met producer O'Brien on a golf course. A reference in the script introduced the character with the joke description: "Removing his helmet reveals himself to be none other than Sean Connery or an actor of equal but cheaper stature". Connery was a Python fan and agreed to do the role for a nominal fee in return for a share of the gross profits.<ref name="Gilliam/Palin 1">{{cite AV media |title='Gilliam/Palin Interview on Time Bandits, Part 1 of 3' |url=https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=x5LHk-OrcWo&feature=youtu.be |date=16 March 2008 |publisher=Oddmartian2 |via=[[YouTube]]}}</ref><ref name="gizmodo" />

The part of Robin Hood was originally written for Palin but [[John Cleese]] was eventually cast as his name was considered more bankable. Palin decided to appear with [[Shelley Duvall]] in the small recurring roles of Vincent and Pansy. Cleese based his performance on the [[Prince Edward, Duke of Kent|Duke of Kent]] by watching him having meaningless conversations with footballers at the [[FA Cup Final]] during the team line-up before the match. Cleese remarked: "It always struck me as the most extraordinary ritual, the complete futility of that walking up and down thing".<ref name="gizmodo" />

[[Ralph Richardson]]'s casting as the Supreme Being was because he was regarded "pretty much near God in the acting profession".<ref name="Gilliam/Palin 2">{{cite AV media |title='Gilliam/Palin Interview on Time Bandits, Part 2 of 3' |url=https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=3ofj3XeywjM&feature=youtu.be |date=16 March 2008 |publisher=Oddmartian2 |via=[[YouTube]]}}</ref> Richardson took his role seriously, marking out his lines in red ink and occasionally saying, "God wouldn't say that".<ref name="gizmodo" />

[[Ruth Gordon]] and [[Gilda Radner]] were considered for the role of Mrs. Ogre. Palin felt Gordon was the best choice but she had to drop out after sustaining an injury shooting ''[[Any Which Way You Can]]''. The studio wanted Radner considering her bankable, but Gilliam campaigned for [[Katherine Helmond]] due to the popularity of the TV comedy ''[[Soap (TV series)|Soap]]''.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Evans |first1=Bradford |title=The Lost Roles of Gilda Radner |url=https://www.vulture.com/2012/03/the-lost-roles-of-gilda-radner.html |website=Vulture |language=en-us |date=22 March 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180731174928/https://www.vulture.com/2012/03/the-lost-roles-of-gilda-radner.html |archive-date=31 July 2018}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last=Barnes |first=Mike |title=Katherine Helmond, the Man-Crazy Mother on 'Who's the Boss?' Dies at 89 |url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-news/katherine-helmond-dead-whos-the-boss-star-89-877766/ |work=The Hollywood Reporter |date=1 March 2019}}</ref><ref name="WP">{{cite news |last=Ar |first=Gary |title=Terry Gilliam: On the Trail of 'Time Bandits' |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/lifestyle/style/1981/11/15/terry-gilliam-on-the-trail-of-time-bandits/d04966ff-a7f5-4c51-86c7-7980a75b84d8/ |newspaper=Washington Post |date=15 November 1981}}</ref>

[[Jonathan Pryce]] was offered the role of Evil but opted for another film (''[[Loophole (1981 film)|Loophole]]'') for a higher fee as "he was broke" at the time.<ref>{{cite web |last=Riley |first=Jenelle |title=Jonathan Pryce Revisits 'The Caretaker' and Plays Doctor in 'Hysteria' |url=https://www.backstage.com/magazine/article/jonathan-pryce-revisits-caretaker-plays-doctor-hysteria-51775/ |website=backstage.com |language=en |date=5 November 2019}}</ref>