Terry Jones, co-founder of Monty Python’s Flying Circus and director of Life Of Brian, has died aged 77. He was diagnosed with frontotemporal dementia in 2015.
After befriending Michael Palin while studying at Cambridge, the pair went on to write and perform for TV shows such as The Frost Report and Do Not Adjust Your Set before teaming up with John Cleese, Graham Chapman, Eric Idle and Terry Gilliam to create Monty Python’s Flying Circus in 1969.
When the team moved from TV into film, Jones assumed the director’s chair, co-directing Monty Python And The Holy Grail with Gilliam, and directing 1979’s Life Of Brian himself.
Post-Python, Jones collaborated with Palin on Ripping Yarns and directed films including Personal Services and Erik The Viking, the latter based on his own children’s book. He wrote a number of other books for children and presented TV history shows such as Barbarians. Jones also worked closely with Meat Loaf producer Jim Steinman on a ‘heavy metal’ stage version of The Nutcracker, although the project never came to fruition.
“Farewell, Terry Jones,” wrote Stephen Fry on Twitter. “The great foot has come down to stamp on you. My god what pleasure you gave, what untrammelled joy and delight. What a wonderful talent, heart and mind.”
Farewell, Terry Jones. The great foot has come down to stamp on you. My god what pleasure you gave, what untrammelled joy and delight. What a wonderful talent, heart and mind
— Stephen Fry (@stephenfry) January 22, 2020