British actor John Cleese poses in front of the Brandenburg Gate ahead of the Rose d'Or award ceremony in Berlin, Germany on September 13, 2016. British actor John Cleese poses in front of the Brandenburg Gate ahead of the Rose d'Or award ceremony in Berlin, Germany on September 13, 2016.
BERLIN - ‘Monty Python’ comedian John Cleese was honoured by the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) on Tuesday, when he received the Rose d'Or Award for Lifetime Achievement at a ceremony in Berlin.
Cleese began his acting career in the 1960s and is also best known for the television series ‘Fawlty Towers’.
His acceptance speech was peppered with anecdotes from his career, including the making of ‘A Fish Called Wanda’ and ‘Monty Python's The Life of Brian’, according to the EBU’s website.
Cleese made a plea for executives to trust performers and writers: “When Monty Python was commissioned we didn't really know what we were going to do but we were trusted. The talent has a better record than the suits so why don't they bear that in mind?”
He continued: “The trouble with executives isn't that they have no idea what they are doing but that they have no idea that they have no idea.”
Cleese had previously been part of the BBC team who won a Rose d’Or Award in 1967 for ‘Frost over England’.
The annual Rose d'Or awards recognise work in radio, television and online entertainment programmes.
The award Cleese received honours those making “an outstanding contribution to television or radio entertainment throughout their careers.”
Reuters and IOL
