Terry Gilliam

Terrence Vance Gilliam (Born 22 November, 1940, Medicine Lake, Minnesota).

Terry Gilliam is a filmmaker, animator, writer, and ex member of Monty Python. In 1968, Gilliam obtained British citizenship, holding a dual American and British citizenship for 38 years until January 2006, when he renounced his American citizenship as a protest against U.S. President George W. Bush. As a result, Gilliam is only permitted to spend 30 days per year in the United States.

Gilliam directed the 1985 dystopian film "Brazil" which - in a 1993 interview with Ben Watson - Zappa says of it, "Brazil's my favourite movie"

Gilliam is among the FZ supporting cast in the making of The MOFO Project/Object (Deluxe Edition) and appears as background drunk on America Drinks.

In the 80's Zappa had given Terry Gilliam a film script he was looking for someone to direct. In a 2005 BBC Film-network 'Tideland' film interview Gilliam was asked about the FZ script;

Interviewer: "I understand Frank Zappa gave you a screenplay he'd been working on in the eighties... what did you think of it?"
Gilliam: "Well, I actually told Frank Zappa that the script he had sent me would make better television. It was really outrageous, and it was really grotty... and funny and... it's the kind of thing that would make really good television. ...Ahh, and he probably... I can't remember when he sent that to me... it was probably just before cable really took off and became... you know... the place where really free, and wild, and foul ideas could... aah... could survive...aah, now. It was... very funny, very strange... but it was television..."

(See BBC interview)

Gilliam also provided the foreword to the liner notes on the album Strictly Commercial. He claims that he was present in the audience during the infamous Royal Albert Hall concert in 1968 where Zappa and the Mothers played Louie Louie live on one of the organs. (See: Louie Louie (At the Royal Albert Hall in London))

Frank Zappa once claimed that "Terry Gilliam is the only comic genius ever to come out America." On page two of Robert Ross' "Monty Python Encyclopedia" Gilliam claims: "As for that quote from Frank Zappa about me being the only comic genius to come out of America that's nonsense. I mean, it's a great quote but it's all balls! I actually knew Frank before I came to England. Me and my then girlfriend appear on one of the early Mothers of Invention albums. It's some sort of crowd effect and we were dragged into the studio to make noises like drunks in a bar."

See Also

Terry Gilliam Bio