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John Cleese Reveals Past Nervous Breakdown in New Documentary Ahead of UK Release

The 90-minute film opens in more than 350 UK cinemas on 13 November to explore his touring life after the financial fallout of his 2008 divorce.

Overview

  • In the film, the Monty Python star describes two and a half to three months of a nervous breakdown that included suicidal thoughts.
  • He says a mild antidepressant helped him recover, and he returned to performing within about three to four months.
  • Cleese says he keeps touring in his 80s partly because of the financial impact of his split from psychotherapist Alyce Faye Eichelberger in 2008.
  • He reflects on comedy and contemporary culture, arguing that all comedy is critical and that jokes intended to hurt are wrong.
  • John Cleese Packs It In follows a European tour with stops such as Gothenburg, Ghent and Rotterdam and will screen nationwide on 13 November.