1. Early life and education
Eric Idle was born on 29 March 1943, in Harton Hospital in South Shields, England. His mother, Norah Barron Sanderson, was a nurse, and his father, Ernest Idle, served in the Royal Air Force during World War II. Tragically, his father was killed in a road accident in December 1945 while hitchhiking home for Christmas. He was 36 years old and buried in the cemetery at Thornaby-on-Tees. Idle's mother experienced a period of depression following his father's death, leading to Idle being raised by his grandmother in Swinton, Lancashire. He also spent part of his childhood in Wallasey, Cheshire, attending St George's Primary School.
At the age of seven, due to his mother's difficulties in coping with a full-time job and raising a child, Idle was enrolled as a boarder at the Royal Wolverhampton School. This institution was a charitable foundation dedicated to the education and care of children who had lost one or both parents. Idle described the school as a "physically abusive, bullying, harsh environment," but paradoxically, he found it to be "perfect training for Python" as it taught him to deal with groups, be witty, and subvert authority in unpleasant circumstances. He found solace in listening to Radio Luxembourg under his bedclothes and watching the local football team, Wolverhampton Wanderers. Idle's aversion to other sports led him to regularly sneak out to the local cinema on Thursday afternoons. He was eventually caught watching the film BUtterfield 8, resulting in him being stripped of his prefecture, despite having been head boy. Earlier, he had refused to be a senior boy in the school cadet force due to his support for the Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament and participation in the annual Aldermaston March. He credits the pervasive boredom at the school with driving him to study diligently, which ultimately secured him a place at Cambridge University.
At Pembroke College, Cambridge, Idle pursued a degree in English. In 1963, he was invited to join the prestigious Cambridge University Footlights Club by its president, Tim Brooke-Taylor, and fellow member Bill Oddie. He began his studies just a year after future Monty Python colleagues Graham Chapman and John Cleese. In 1965, Idle became the Footlights President, notably becoming the first president to officially allow women to join the club, implementing several reforms during his tenure.
2. Career
Eric Idle's career has spanned multiple decades and media, from his early days in television and radio to his groundbreaking work with Monty Python, his solo endeavors in film, music, and theatre, and his continued contributions to comedy and entertainment.
2.1. Pre-Python career
After graduating from Cambridge University, Eric Idle began his professional career with cabaret performances and by writing scripts for radio and television. In 1967, he joined the cast of the children's television show Do Not Adjust Your Set, where he collaborated with future Monty Python members Terry Jones and Michael Palin. Terry Gilliam provided animations for the show, which also featured comic actors David Jason and Denise Coffey. Idle also made guest appearances in some episodes of the television series At Last the 1948 Show, which starred John Cleese and Graham Chapman in its principal cast.
Idle also had his own BBC Radio One show, Radio Five, which predated the actual Radio Five station by 18 years. This program ran for two seasons from 1973 to 1974, featuring Idle performing sketches and linking records, often playing nearly all the multi-tracked parts himself.
2.2. Monty Python
In 1969, Eric Idle co-founded Monty Python with five other members, and their groundbreaking television series Monty Python's Flying Circus began broadcasting on the BBC. Within the group, Idle often worked independently, writing most of his material by himself. While this allowed him to work at his own pace, he sometimes found it challenging to present his material to the others and make it seem funny without the collaborative support of a partner. The other Pythons typically worked in teams, and John Cleese acknowledged that this was somewhat unfair, as Idle "only got one vote" when the group decided which sketches to include in a show. However, Cleese also noted that Idle was an independent individual who performed best on his own. Idle himself admitted the difficulty, stating, "You had to convince five others. And they were not the most un-egotistical of writers, either." He occasionally collaborated on writing with Cleese.
Idle's contributions to Python are frequently characterized by an intense focus on language and communication. Many of his characters exhibit verbal eccentricities, such as the man who speaks in anagrams, the man who says words in the wrong order, and the butcher who alternates between rudeness and politeness. A significant number of his sketches feature extended monologues, for instance, the customer in the "Travel Agency" sketch who incessantly recounts his unpleasant holiday experiences. He frequently parodied the unnatural language and speech patterns of television presenters. Idle is also renowned for his portrayal of insincere characters, ranging from the David Frost-esque Timmy Williams to the small-time crook Stig O'Tracy, who attempts to deny that organized crime master Dinsdale Piranha nailed his head to the floor.
As the second-youngest member of the Pythons, Idle's spirit resonated most closely with the teenage demographic that formed a large part of Python's fanbase. Sketches dealing with contemporary obsessions such as pop music, sexual permissiveness, and recreational drugs were typically Idle's work, often distinguished by double entendre, sexual references, and other "naughty" subject matter, most famously demonstrated in "Nudge Nudge". Idle originally wrote "Nudge, Nudge" for Ronnie Barker, but it was rejected for having "no joke in the words."
A talented guitarist, Idle composed many of the group's most famous musical numbers. Most notably, he wrote "Always Look on the Bright Side of Life", the closing number of Monty Python's Life of Brian, which has become a signature tune for the group. He was also responsible for the "Galaxy Song" from Monty Python's The Meaning of Life and "Eric the Half-a-Bee", a whimsical tune that first appeared on the Previous Record album. Idle, who stands at 72 in (183 cm), often appeared shorter in sketches when alongside taller members like John Cleese (77 in (196 cm)) and Graham Chapman (74 in (188 cm)). Idle was also adept at business, conceiving many of the Python-related records and books.
2.3. The Rutles
A significant legacy of Idle's Rutland Weekend Television was the creation, with Neil Innes, of The Rutles, an affectionate parody of The Beatles. The band quickly became a popular phenomenon, particularly in the United States, where Idle was appearing on Saturday Night Live. Fans would send in Beatles LPs with their sleeves altered to depict The Rutles.
In 1978, the Rutles' mockumentary film All You Need Is Cash, a collaboration between Python members and Saturday Night Live, was aired on NBC television. The film was written by Idle, with music by Innes. Idle appeared in the film as "Dirk McQuickly," the Paul McCartney-styled character of the group, and also served as the main commentator. Innes appeared as "Ron Nasty," the band's stand-in for John Lennon. The film featured a notable cast, including Saturday Night Live regulars John Belushi, Bill Murray, and Gilda Radner, as well as fellow Python Michael Palin. Real musicians of the 1960s, such as former Beatle George Harrison (who also funded Life of Brian), Mick Jagger, and Paul Simon, also made appearances. Idle later wrote and directed a Rutles comeback in 2008 for a live show titled Rutlemania! to celebrate the 30th anniversary of the mockumentary. These performances took place in Los Angeles and New York City with a Beatles tribute band.
2.4. Solo career: Television and Film
After the success of Monty Python in the early 1970s, all six members pursued solo projects. Idle's first major television work was Rutland Weekend Television (RWT), a sketch show on BBC Two with music by Neil Innes. RWT was humorously dubbed 'Britain's smallest television network'. Its name was a parody of London Weekend Television, the independent television franchise contractor that provided Londoners with their ITV services at weekends. The joke was further enhanced by the fact that Rutland had recently been 'abolished' in an administrative shake-up as England's smallest county, and the program itself aired on a weekday. Regular performers on RWT included David Battley, Henry Woolf, Gwen Taylor, and Terence Bayler, with George Harrison making a guest appearance on one episode.
Idle also gained significant exposure in the United States by hosting Saturday Night Live four times between 1976 and 1979. In 1986, he provided the voice of Wreck-Gar, the leader of the Junkions, a race of robots in The Transformers: The Movie who could only speak in film catchphrases and advertising slogans. In 1987, he participated in the English National Opera production of the Gilbert and Sullivan comic opera The Mikado, appearing in the role of the Lord High Executioner, Ko-Ko. A performance of this production was taped by Thames Television for broadcast and later released on DVD. In 1989, he appeared in the U.S. comedy television series Nearly Departed, playing Grant Pritchard, a ghost haunting his former home; the series ran for six episodes as a summer replacement.
Idle received positive critical notices for his performances in projects written and directed by others, such as Terry Gilliam's The Adventures of Baron Munchausen (1989), alongside Robbie Coltrane in Nuns on the Run (1990), and in Casper (1995). He also played Ratty in Terry Jones' version of The Wind in the Willows (1996). However, his own creative projects, such as the film Splitting Heirs (1993), a comedy he wrote, starred in, and executive-produced, were largely unsuccessful with critics and audiences.
In 1994, Idle appeared as Dr. Nigel Channing, chairman of the Imagination Institute and host of an 'Inventor of the Year' awards show in the three-dimensional film Honey, I Shrunk the Audience!. This film was a popular attraction at the Imagination Pavilion at Walt Disney World's Epcot from 1994 until 2010 and at Disneyland from 1998 until 2010. The film also starred Rick Moranis and other cast members from the 1989 feature film Honey, I Shrunk the Kids. In 1999, he reprised the role in the short-lived second incarnation of the Journey into Imagination ride at Epcot, initially replacing Figment and Dreamfinder as the host. Due to an outcry from Disney fans, the attraction was reworked in 2001, reintroducing Figment while retaining Idle's role as Nigel Channing. Idle also wrote and starred in the 3-D film Pirates - 4D for Busch Entertainment Corporation.
In 1995, Idle appeared in Casper opposite Cathy Moriarty and voiced Rincewind the "Wizzard" in a computer adventure game based on Terry Pratchett's Discworld novels. In 1996, he reprised his role as Rincewind for the game's sequel, and composed and sang its theme song, "That's Death". In 1998, Idle took the lead role in the poorly received film An Alan Smithee Film: Burn Hollywood Burn. That same year, he provided the voice of Devon, one of the heads of a two-headed dragon (with Don Rickles as Cornwall), in the Warner Bros. animated film Quest for Camelot, and as Slyly, the albino Arctic fox, in Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer: The Movie.
In recent years, Idle has continued to provide voice work for animated projects, such as Dr. Vosknocker in South Park: Bigger, Longer & Uncut. He has made four appearances on The Simpsons as the documentarian Declan Desmond. Idle provided the voice of Merlin the magician in the DreamWorks animated film Shrek the Third (2007), alongside his former Python co-star John Cleese, who voiced King Harold. He has also narrated the audiobook version of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory by Roald Dahl.
In 2022, Idle competed in season eight of The Masked Singer as "Hedgehog". He performed a cover of The Beatles' "Love Me Do" with the help of the USC Trojan Marching Band. Upon his elimination in the first episode, alongside William Shatner as "Knight" and Chris Kirkpatrick as "Hummingbird", Idle mentioned that he had to obtain approval from Paul McCartney to perform "Love Me Do" for the competition, with the condition that McCartney be informed of the competition to avoid it himself. Idle also performed an unmasked rendition of "Always Look on the Bright Side of Life" from Monty Python's Life of Brian. In February 2024, Idle revealed that he was still working at the age of 80 for financial reasons, a statement that garnered significant media attention in the UK.
2.5. Musical and Songwriting contributions
Eric Idle is a prolific songwriter, with approximately 150 songs to his credit. He composed and performed many of Monty Python's most famous comic pieces, including "Eric the Half-a-Bee", "The Philosophers' Song", "Galaxy Song", and "Penis Song". His most recognized hit is arguably "Always Look on the Bright Side of Life", which he wrote for the closing scene of the Monty Python film Monty Python's Life of Brian and performed from the crosses during the mass crucifixion. The song has since been covered by artists such as Harry Nilsson, Bruce Cockburn, Art Garfunkel, and Green Day. Idle, his fellow Pythons, and various family and friends performed the song at Graham Chapman's memorial service. He also performed the song at the closing ceremony of the 2012 Summer Olympics in London on 12 August 2012, and as the farewell song of the last show of the Python's reunion at the O2 Arena on 20 July 2014.
As Ko-Ko in the 1987 English National Opera production of The Mikado, Idle wrote his own 'Little List' for the song "As some day it may happen". In 1989, Idle co-wrote and sang the theme tune to the popular British sitcom One Foot in the Grave. Although the series became immensely popular, the song itself did not perform well in the charts. However, when "Always Look on the Bright Side of Life" was adopted as a football chant in the late 1980s, Idle's then-neighbour Gary Lineker suggested he re-record and release the popular track. With assistance from BBC Radio 1 breakfast show host Simon Mayo, who gave the song regular airplay and incorporated its chorus into a jingle, it became a hit some 12 years after its original appearance in Life of Brian, reaching number 3 in the UK charts and securing Idle a performance on Top of the Pops in October 1991. The following month, Idle, accompanied by opera singer Ann Howard, sang the song at the Royal Variety Performance. He recorded a special version for Mayo's on-air use and notably changed the line "life's a piece of shit" to "life's a piece of spit" to ensure daytime radio airplay.
In 2004, Idle recorded a protest song titled "FCC Song", in which he lambasted the U.S. FCC for fining him 5.00 K USD for using profanity on national radio. The song itself contains 14 instances of the word "fuck". In 2006, he wrote, produced, and performed the song "Really Nice Day" for the movie The Wild.
In June 2007, Not the Messiah, a comic oratorio by Idle and John Du Prez, premiered at the inaugural Luminato arts festival in Toronto. Idle performed live during this 50-minute oratorio, accompanied by the Toronto Symphony Orchestra and members of the Toronto Mendelssohn Choir. Du Prez was also present. The principal parts were sung by Shannon Mercer, Jean Stilwell, Christopher Sieber, and Theodore Baerg. The American premiere took place at Caramoor (Westchester County, New York) on 1 July 2007, with the same soloists and the accompanying chorus made up of members of New York City's Collegiate Chorale. The show was revised and expanded for a tour of Australia and New Zealand in 2007, including two sold-out nights at the Sydney Opera House. A tour during the summer of 2008 included performances with the National Symphony Orchestra at Wolf Trap National Park for the Performing Arts, the Los Angeles Philharmonic at the Hollywood Bowl in Los Angeles, and the Delaware Symphony Orchestra at the Mann Center for the Performing Arts in Philadelphia.
In 2011, Idle contributed a cover of Buddy Holly's "Raining in My Heart" for the tribute album Listen to Me: Buddy Holly. He also wrote and sang a variant of the "Galaxy Song" for Professor Brian Cox's show Wonders of Life, as well as the new theme for Cox's radio show The Infinite Monkey Cage.
2.6. Theatre and Musicals
Eric Idle has made significant contributions to theatre, most notably through his work on the highly successful musical Spamalot. In 2004, Idle created Spamalot, a musical comedy based on the 1975 film Monty Python and the Holy Grail. The medieval production tells the story of King Arthur and his Knights of the Round Table as they journey on their quest for the Holy Grail. Spamalot features a book and lyrics by Idle, with music by Idle and John Du Prez. The original production was directed by Mike Nichols and choreographed by Casey Nicholaw.
The musical premiered in Chicago before moving to Broadway, where it opened at New York's Shubert Theatre on 14 February 2005. It was a critical and commercial success, receiving 14 Tony Awards nominations and winning three, including Best Musical, Best Performance by a Featured Actress in a Musical (Sara Ramirez), and Best Direction of a Musical (Mike Nichols). Idle himself won the Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Lyrics and a Grammy Award for Best Musical Theater Album. He was also nominated for the Tony Award for Best Book of a Musical, Tony Award for Best Original Score, and Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Book of a Musical. In August 2011, Spamalot had its Japan premiere, leading to Idle's first visit to the country. During a press conference at the British Embassy, he delivered characteristic jokes while also making serious comments regarding the 2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami. For promotional purposes, he performed "Always Look on the Bright Side of Life" in Japanese, appeared in a commercial with Japanese actor Yusuke Santamaria, and was a guest on Tamori's popular TV show Waratte Iitomo!. Idle also appeared as the Historian in a 2015 production of Spamalot at the Hollywood Bowl. In 2020, it was announced that Idle would adapt his script for Spamalot into a feature film for Paramount Pictures, with Casey Nicholaw directing and Dan Jinks producing.
Idle's play What About Dick? was given a staged reading at two public performances at the Ricardo Montalbán Theatre in Hollywood on 10-11 November 2007. The cast included Idle, Billy Connolly, Tim Curry, Eddie Izzard, Jane Leeves, Emily Mortimer, Jim Piddock, and Tracey Ullman. The play returned for performances on 26-29 April 2012 at the Orpheum Theatre, with most of the original cast returning, joined by Sophie Winkleman (replacing Emily Mortimer) and Russell Brand. The play was subsequently made available for digital download on 13 November 2012.
Other theatrical contributions include co-conceiving Seussical in 2000, and writing Not the Messiah in 2007. He also directed An Evening Without Monty Python in 2009 and appeared as the Sergeant of Police in a 2013 concert performance of The Pirates of Penzance at the Delacorte Theatre.
2.7. Writing and Publications
Eric Idle has authored several books, encompassing both fiction and non-fiction. His novels include Hello Sailor (1975) and The Road to Mars (1998). In 1976, he produced The Rutland Dirty Weekend Book, a spin-off publication from his television show Rutland Weekend Television. In 1982, he wrote a West End farce titled Pass the Butler, which starred Willie Rushton.
During his 2003 Greedy Bastard Tour, Idle kept diaries that would later be compiled into The Greedy Bastard Diary: A Comic Tour of America, published in February 2005. He also wrote the book and co-wrote the music and lyrics for the musical Spamalot, based on the film Monty Python and the Holy Grail. In 2015, he released an e-Book titled The Writer's Cut. His memoir, Always Look on the Bright Side of Life: A Sortabiography, was published in 2018, and The Spamalot Diaries followed in 2024.
2.8. Live Performances and Tours
Eric Idle has engaged in numerous live performances and tours throughout his career, often revisiting his Monty Python material and showcasing his musical talents. In late 2003, Idle embarked on The Greedy Bastard Tour, performing in several American and Canadian cities. The stage shows primarily featured music from Monty Python episodes and films, alongside some original post-Python material. In 2005, Idle released The Greedy Bastard Diary, a book detailing the experiences of the cast and crew during the three-month tour. He also undertook the Eric Idle Exploits Monty Python Tour and launched the Python website in 1996, becoming a key standard-bearer for the group's legacy.
On 12 August 2012, Idle performed "Always Look on the Bright Side of Life" at the 2012 Summer Olympics closing ceremony at the Olympic Stadium in London. He was also the creator and director of the live show Monty Python Live (mostly) - One down, Five to go, which took place at The O2 Arena, London, between 1 and 20 July 2014. In December 2016, Idle was the writer and co-presenter of The Entire Universe, a "comedy and musical extravaganza" broadcast by BBC Two, featuring Warwick Davis, Noel Fielding, Hannah Waddingham, and Robin Ince, along with a chorus of singers and dancers.
3. Personal life
Eric Idle has been married twice. His first marriage was in 1969 to actress Lyn Ashley, with whom he had one son before their divorce in 1975. He met Tania Kosevich, a former model, in 1977, and they married in 1981. They have an adult daughter, bringing his total number of children to two. From 1995, Idle and Kosevich resided in a five-bedroom, 7.00 K ft2 mansion in the Hollywood Hills, which they listed for sale in February 2023.
Idle is a first cousin of Canadian conductor Peter Oundjian and Nigel Wray, former chairman of Saracens Rugby Club. David Bowie made Idle godfather to his son, film director Duncan Jones.
Idle identifies as an atheist, but has expressed a dislike for the term, stating, "I don't like that word, it implies that there's a God not to believe in." In 2019, Idle was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. He received an early diagnosis and underwent successful surgery to remove the tumour, requiring no further treatment after the procedure.
4. Legacy and Recognition
4.1. Cultural impact
Eric Idle's unique humor, characterized by elaborate wordplay, satire, and a distinctive British wit, has left a lasting impact on comedy and popular culture. His contributions to Monty Python, particularly his self-penned sketches and musical numbers, often challenged conventional norms and explored themes of language, communication, and societal absurdities. His ability to craft "insincere characters" and spoof television presenters' unnatural speech patterns showcased a sharp satirical edge that influenced subsequent generations of performers. In a 2005 poll to find "The Comedians' Comedian" (UK), he was voted 21st in the top 50 greatest comedy acts ever by fellow comedians and industry insiders. Dave Eggers, writing in The Guardian in 2006, described Idle as "perhaps the most active standard-bearer for the group," highlighting his extensive touring and efforts to keep the Python legacy alive.
4.2. Honors and awards
Eric Idle has received numerous honors and awards throughout his distinguished career. For his work on the musical Spamalot, he received a Grammy Award for Best Musical Theater Album in 2006. He was also nominated for two Tony Awards for Spamalot, winning the Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Lyrics.
Beyond performance and writing, Idle has been recognized in other unique ways. An asteroid, 9620 Ericidle, is named in his honour. Additionally, the default Integrated development environment (IDE) of the Python programming language is called IDLE. While officially standing for "Integrated DeveLopment Environment," the name was chosen as an allusion to Eric Idle, just as the programming language Python itself was named in allusion to Monty Python.
4.3. Filmography
4.3.1. Film
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1971 | And Now for Something Completely Different | Various roles | Also co-writer |
| 1975 | Monty Python and the Holy Grail | ||
| 1979 | Monty Python's Life of Brian | ||
| 1982 | Monty Python Live at the Hollywood Bowl | Concert film; also co-writer | |
| 1983 | Monty Python's The Meaning of Life | Also co-writer | |
| Yellowbeard | Commander Clement | ||
| 1985 | National Lampoon's European Vacation | The Bike Rider | |
| 1986 | The Transformers: The Movie | Wreck-Gar | Voice |
| 1988 | The Adventures of Baron Munchausen | Berthold / Desmond | |
| 1990 | Nuns on the Run | Brian Hope | |
| Too Much Sun | Sonny | ||
| 1992 | Mom and Dad Save the World | King Raff | |
| Missing Pieces | Wendel | ||
| 1993 | Splitting Heirs | Tommy Butterfly Rainbow Peace Patel | Also writer and executive producer |
| 1994 | Honey, I Shrunk the Audience! | Dr. Nigel Channing | Short film |
| 1995 | Casper | Paul "Dibs" Plutzker | |
| 1996 | The Wind in the Willows | Mr. Rat | |
| 1997 | Pirates 4-D | Pierre | Short film; also writer |
| 1998 | An Alan Smithee Film: Burn Hollywood Burn | Alan Smithee | |
| The Secret of NIMH 2: Timmy to the Rescue | Evil Martin | Voice, direct-to-video | |
| Quest for Camelot | Devon | Voice | |
| Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer: The Movie | Slyly | ||
| 1999 | Dudley Do-Right | Prospector Kim J. Darling | |
| South Park: Bigger, Longer & Uncut | Dr. Vosnocker | Voice | |
| 2000 | 102 Dalmatians | Waddlesworth | |
| 2002 | Pinocchio | Medoro | English dub |
| 2003 | Concert for George | Himself / Barber / Mountie | Documentary |
| Hollywood Homicide | The Celebrity | Cameo | |
| 2004 | Ella Enchanted | Narrator | Voice |
| The Nutcracker and the Mouse King | Drosselmeyer | Voice, direct-to-video; English dub | |
| 2005 | The Aristocrats | Himself | Documentary |
| 2006 | The Wild | Wildebeest | Composer/performer: "Really Nice Day" |
| 2007 | Shrek the Third | Merlin | Voice |
| 2008 | Delgo | Spig | |
| 2014 | Monty Python Live (Mostly) | Various roles | Concert film; also writer and director |
| The Boxtrolls | Composer: "The Boxtrolls Song" | ||
| 2015 | Absolutely Anything | Salubrious Gat | Voice |
4.3.2. Television
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1967-1969 | Do Not Adjust Your Set | Various roles | 27 episodes; also writer |
| 1967-1970 | No - That's Me Over Here! | Co-creator and writer | |
| 1968 | We Have Ways of Making You Laugh | 12 episodes | |
| 1969-1974 | Monty Python's Flying Circus | 45 episodes; also co-creator and writer | |
| 1972 | Monty Python's Fliegender Zirkus | 2 episodes; also co-creator and writer | |
| 1975-1976 | Rutland Weekend Television | Dirk McQuickly / Various roles | 14 episodes; also co-creator and writer |
| 1976-1979 | Saturday Night Live | Himself | 6 Episodes |
| 1978 | All You Need Is Cash | Dirk McQuickly / The Narrator | Television film; also writer and director |
| 1981 | Laverne & Shirley | Derek DeWoods | Episode: "I Do, I Do" |
| 1982 | Faerie Tale Theatre | Narrator | Episode: "The Tale of the Frog Prince" |
| 1985 | Faerie Tale Theatre | The Pied Piper | Episode: "The Pied Piper of Hamelin" |
| 1989 | Around the World in 80 Days | Jean Passepartout | 3 episodes |
| Nearly Departed | Grant Pritchard | 6 episodes | |
| 1991 | One Foot in the Grave | Mervyn Whale | Episode: "The Man in the Long Black Coat" |
| 1996 | Frasier | Chuck | Voice, episode: "High Crane Drifter" |
| 1998 | Monty Python Live at Aspen | Himself | Television special |
| Pinky and the Brain | Pinky's Mom and Dad | Voice, episode: "The Family That Poits Together, | |
| The Angry Beavers | Spanque | Voice, episode: "Dumbwaiters" | |
| 1998-1999 | Hercules | Mr. Parentheses | Voice, 11 episodes |
| Recess | Galileo | Voice, 2 episodes | |
| 1999-2000 | Suddenly Susan | Ian Maxtone-Graham | 22 episodes |
| 2000 | Buzz Lightyear of Star Command | Guzelian | Voice, episode: "War and Peace and War" |
| 2001-2002 | House of Mouse | Pluto Angel | Voice, 2 episodes |
| 2002 | MADtv | Zookeeper | Episode: "#8.18" |
| The Rutles 2: Can't Buy Me Lunch | Narrator / Various | Television film; also writer, director and producer | |
| The Scream Team | Coffin Ed | Television film | |
| 2003 | National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation 2 | Plane passenger | |
| 2003-2012 | The Simpsons | Declan Desmond | Voice, 4 episodes |
| 2004-2005 | Super Robot Monkey Team Hyperforce Go! | Scrapperton | Voice, 3 episodes |
| 2016 | The Entire Universe | Himself (host) | Television special; also writer |
| 2022 | The Masked Singer | Himself/Hedgehog | Eliminated in first episode |
4.3.3. Video games
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1995 | Discworld | Rincewind | Voice |
| 1996 | Discworld II: Missing Presumed...!? | ||
| Monty Python & the Quest for the Holy Grail | Various roles | Voice | |
| 1997 | Monty Python's The Meaning of Life | Voice |
4.3.4. Theatre
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | Seussical | Co-conceiver | |
| 2004 | Spamalot | Writer and co-lyricist | |
| 2007 | Not the Messiah | Various roles | Also writer |
| 2009 | An Evening Without Monty Python | Director | |
| 2012 | What About Dick? | Piano | Also writer and co-director |
| 2013 | The Pirates of Penzance | Sergeant of Police | Delacorte Theatre Concert |
| 2014 | Monty Python Live (Mostly) | Various roles | Also co-writer and director |
| 2015 | Spamalot | Historian | Hollywood Bowl |
4.4. Bibliography
- ''Hello Sailor'', novel, 1975, Weidenfeld & Nicolson, ISBN 0-297-76929-4
- ''The Rutland Dirty Weekend Book'', 1976, Mandarin ISBN 0-413-36570-0
- ''Pass the Butler'', play script, 1982, ISBN 0-413-49990-1
- ''The Quite Remarkable Adventures of the Owl and the Pussycat'', children's book, 1996, Dove Books, ISBN 0-7871-1042-6
- ''The Road to Mars'', novel, 1998, ISBN 0-7522-2414-X, Boxtree (hardcover), ISBN 0-375-70312-8 (paperback)
- ''Eric Idle Exploits Monty Python Souvenir Program'', Green Street Press (U.S.), 2000
- ''The Greedy Bastard Tour Souvenir Program'', Green Street Press (U.S.), 2003
- ''The Greedy Bastard Diary: A Comic Tour of America'', journal, 2005, ISBN 0-06-075864-3
- ''The Writer's Cut'', e-Book, 2015, ISBN 9781910859247
- ''Always Look on the Bright Side of Life: A Sortabiography'', memoir, 2018, ISBN 9781984822581
- ''The Spamalot Diaries", Diary, 2024