Terry Jones, member of the legendary British comedy troupe Monty Python, has passed away at the age of 77. His passing comes five years after a diagnosis of dementia which came to light following the Monty Python live reunion shows in 2014.
Jones first met Python co-member Michael Palin at Oxford University, and with his fellow comedians went on to co-write and star in 1975’s Monty Python And The Holy Grail, which he co-directed, and 1979’s *Monty Python’s Life Of Brian’ and 1983’s Monty Python’s The Meaning Of Life for which he received sole directing credit. Between 1969 and 1974, he co-wrote and starred in Monty Python’s Flying Circus – and reunited with the surviving members of the group for the Monty Python Live (Mostly) shows at the O2 in London in 2014.
Beyond Monty Python, Jones notably wrote the screenplay for the beloved Jim Henson puppet fantasy Labyrinth, and in 1996 wrote and directed a live-action adaptation of The Wind In The Willows, which featured appearances from fellow Pythons including Eric Idle, Michael Palin, and John Cleese. In the mid-to-late ‘70s, he co-created BBC anthology series Ripping Yarns with Michael Palin, which ran for nine episodes. His final work of fiction as writer-director was 2015 sci-fi comedy Absolutely Anything, which starred Simon Pegg and Kate Beckinsale – and featured appearances from Cleese, Gilliam, Idle, and Palin, as well as Jones himself.
His diagnosis of primary progressive aphasia in recent years ultimately left him without the ability to speak – but the words he contributed to Python and beyond throughout his lifetime, some of the most beloved, oft-quoted comedy of all time, will undoubtedly impact many generations to come. Jones is survived by his wife Anna Söderström, and his children Sally, Bill and Siri – our thoughts are with his friends and family.