Editing John Cleese (section)

=== 1980–1999 ===
During the 1980s and 1990s, Cleese focused on film, though he did work with [[Peter Cook]] in his one-off TV special ''Peter Cook and Co.'' in 1980. In the same year, Cleese played [[Petruchio]], in [[William Shakespeare|Shakespeare]]'s ''[[The Taming of the Shrew]]'' in the [[BBC Television Shakespeare]] series. In 1981 he appeared in the [[Terry Gilliam]]-directed ''[[Time Bandits]]'' as [[Robin Hood]]. He also participated in ''[[Monty Python Live at the Hollywood Bowl]]'' (filmed 1980, released 1982) and starred in ''[[The Secret Policeman's Ball (1979)|The Secret Policeman's Ball]]'' for [[Amnesty International]]. In 1985, Cleese had a small dramatic role as a sheriff in the American [[Western (genre)|Western]] ''[[Silverado (film)|Silverado]]'', which had an all-star cast that included [[Kevin Kline]], with whom he starred in ''[[A Fish Called Wanda]]'' three years later. In 1986, he starred in the British comedy film ''[[Clockwise (film)|Clockwise]]'' as an uptight school headmaster obsessed with punctuality and constantly getting into trouble during a journey to speak at the [[Headmasters' Conference]]. Written by [[Michael Frayn]], the film was successful in the UK but not in the United States. It earned Cleese the 1987 [[Peter Sellers]] Award For Comedy at the [[Evening Standard British Film Awards]].<ref name="five">{{cite magazine|magazine=Filmink|first=Stephen|last=Vagg|url=https://www.filmink.com.au/forgotten-british-film-moguls-nat-cohen-part-five-1971-1988/|access-date=5 February 2025|date=5 February 2025|title=Forgotten British film moguls – Nat Cohen: Part Five (1971-1988)}}</ref>

[[File:John Cleese at 1989 Oscars.jpg|thumb|upright|Cleese appearing at the [[61st Academy Awards]] in March 1989]]
In 1988, Cleese wrote and starred in ''A Fish Called Wanda'' as the lead, Archie Leach, along with [[Jamie Lee Curtis]], Kevin Kline, and Michael Palin. ''Wanda'' was a commercial and critical success, becoming one of the [[1988 in film|top ten films of the year]] at the US box office, and Cleese was nominated for an [[Academy Award]] for his script. Kline won the Oscar for his portrayal of bumbling, violent, narcissistic ex-CIA agent Otto West in the film.

From 1988 to 1992, Cleese appeared in numerous television commercials for Schweppes Ginger Ale. Between 1992 and 1994, he also appeared in some television commercials for Magnavox.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.tbsnews.net/features/panorama/golden-era-humour-advertising-over-558490 | title=Is the golden era of humour in advertising over? | date=27 December 2022 }}</ref>

In 1989, Graham Chapman was diagnosed with [[Esophageal cancer|throat cancer]]; Cleese, Michael Palin, Peter Cook, and Chapman's partner [[David Sherlock]] witnessed Chapman's death. Chapman's death occurred a day before the 20th anniversary of the first broadcast of ''Flying Circus'', with Jones commenting that it was "the worst case of party-pooping in all history." Cleese gave a eulogy at Chapman's memorial service.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.cardinalfang.net/misc/chapman_memorial.html|archive-url=https://archive.today/20120801025612/http://www.cardinalfang.net/misc/chapman_memorial.html|url-status=dead|title=Graham Chapman's memorial speech|archive-date=1 August 2012|website=Cardinalfang.net}}</ref>

Cleese later played a supporting role in [[Kenneth Branagh]]'s adaptation of ''[[Mary Shelley's Frankenstein (film)|Mary Shelley's Frankenstein]]'' (1994) alongside Branagh himself and [[Robert De Niro]]. With [[Robin Skynner]], the English psychiatrist, Cleese wrote two books on relationships: ''[[Families and How to Survive Them]]'' and ''[[Life and How to Survive It]]''. The books are presented as a dialogue between Skynner and Cleese.

The follow-up to ''A Fish Called Wanda'', ''[[Fierce Creatures]]''—which again starred Cleese alongside Kevin Kline, Jamie Lee Curtis, and Michael Palin—was released in 1997, but was greeted with mixed reception by critics and audiences. Cleese has since often stated that making the second film had been a mistake. When asked by his friend, director and restaurant critic [[Michael Winner]], what he would do differently if he could live his life again, Cleese responded, "I wouldn't have married [[Alyce Faye Eichelberger]] and I wouldn't have made ''Fierce Creatures''."<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/life_and_style/food_and_drink/eating_out/winners_dinners/article4275153.ece |title=Restaurant review: Michael Winner at Villa Principe Leopoldo, Switzerland |work=The Sunday Times |location=UK |date=6 July 2008 |access-date=3 August 2008 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081202234740/http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/life_and_style/food_and_drink/eating_out/winners_dinners/article4275153.ece |archive-date=2 December 2008 }}</ref>

In 1999, Cleese appeared in the [[James Bond]] film ''[[The World Is Not Enough]]'' as [[Q (James Bond)|Q's]] assistant, referred to by Bond as "R". In 2002, when Cleese reprised his role in ''[[Die Another Day]]'', the character was promoted, making Cleese the new quartermaster (Q) of [[MI6]]. In 2004, Cleese was featured as Q in the video game ''[[James Bond 007: Everything or Nothing]]'', featuring his likeness and voice.<ref>{{cite news |title=James Bond 007: Everything Or Nothing |url=https://ew.com/article/2004/02/13/james-bond-007-everything-or-nothing/ |access-date=23 August 2019 |work=EW |archive-date=25 July 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210725212153/https://ew.com/article/2004/02/13/james-bond-007-everything-or-nothing/ |url-status=dead }}</ref> Cleese did not appear in the subsequent Bond films, ''[[Casino Royale (2006 film)|Casino Royale]]'', ''[[Quantum of Solace]]'' and ''[[Skyfall]]''; in the latter film, [[Ben Whishaw]] was cast in the role of Q.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-15889689 |title=Ben Whishaw Cast as Q in New James Bond Film Skyfall |date=25 November 2011 |work=BBC News |access-date=2 December 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180814142542/https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-15889689 |archive-date=14 August 2018 |url-status=live  }}</ref>