John Cleese is "too naughty" for a knighthood.
John Cleese
The comedy legend has a close friend in his 'Monty Python' co-star Sir Michael Palin, but has admitted he doesn't think he'll be joining the actor in getting a knighthood from Queen Elizabeth II, because he's too "mischievous".
He said: "I'm much too naughty and mischievous. Michael's quite respectable. He doesn't do naughty things, he's not rude about the press like I am. People like me don't get knighted. But that's right, I don't think comedians should have knighthoods, by and large ... we're supposed to say controversial things, that makes us interesting."
The 'Hold the Sunset' actor had a species of lemur named after him after the Bemaraha woolly lemur was affectionately renamed Cleese's woolly lemur, and John has said the namesake is "much better" than getting a knighthood.
Speaking about the lemurs - which he is known to have a fondness for - he said: "Yes! Gorgeous. That's much better than a peerage or Michael Palin's stinky old knighthood - I've got a lemur, a species, named after me: The Bemaraha woolly lemur or Cleese's woolly lemur! Tiny little brown things, they're not very interesting. When I die, which will be any day now, there'll still be a lemur out there representing my interests."
John turns 80 in October this year, and although he still feels like he's in his 40s, he does have more life experience now.
The 'Fawlty Towers' star said: "80! I can't believe that. No [I don't feel grown up] not at all. I feel about 43. I wish I was 43. I know so much more about how the world works now. I realise the key thing is to realise that very little matters. Just a small number of people - the happiness of people around you."
And despite his close friendship with Michael Palin, he joked he won't be inviting any of the Monty Python stars - which also include Terry Gilliam, Eric Idle, and Terry Jones - to his party.
When asked if he'll have a big party during an appearance on UK show 'Lorraine', he added: "Oh yes, oh yes. Going to make sure none of the Pythons are there - don't want any of the grubby knights hanging around."
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