Editing Michael Palin

{{Short description|English artist (born 1943)}}
{{Use British English|date=December 2016}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=September 2024}}
{{Infobox person
| honorific_prefix = [[Sir]]
| name             = Michael Palin
| honorific_suffix = {{post-nominals|country=GBR|size=100%|KCMG|CBE|FRGS|FRSGS|FRSL}}
| image            = Michael Palin (46317977182) (cropped).jpg
| alt              = Palin wearing glasses
| caption          = Palin in 2018 at the [[National Churches Trust]] carol concert
| birth_name       = Michael Edward Palin
| birth_date       = {{birth date and age|df=yes|1943|5|5}}
|birth_place       = [[Sheffield]], [[West Riding of Yorkshire]], England
| education        = [[Shrewsbury School]], [[Shropshire]]
| alma_mater       = [[Brasenose College, Oxford|Brasenose College]], [[University of Oxford]] ([[Bachelor of Arts|BA]])
| spouse           = {{marriage|Helen Gibbins|1966|2023|reason=d.}}
| known_for        = {{flatlist|
* [[Monty Python]]
* [[Travel documentary]]
}}
| occupation       = {{flatlist|
* Actor
* comedian
* writer
* television presenter
}}
| years_active     = 1965–present
| website          = {{URL|themichaelpalin.com}}
| children         = 3
}}
'''Sir Michael Edward Palin''' ({{IPAc-en|ˈ|p|eɪ|l|ᵻ|n}}; born 5 May 1943<ref name=whoswho>{{Who's Who |title=PALIN, Michael Edward |id=U29929 |volume=2015 |edition=[[Oxford University Press]]}}</ref>) is an English actor, comedian, writer, and television presenter. He was a member of the [[Monty Python]] [[comedy group]].<ref name=":0">{{cite news |last1=Appleyard |first1=Bryan |title=The Magazine Interview: Michael Palin on Monty Python, travel and how to stay married |url=https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/the-magazine-interview-michael-palin-on-monty-python-travel-and-how-to-stay-married-9lq5kcl5k |work=[[The Times]] |date=9 September 2018 |access-date=8 September 2019 |archive-date=22 June 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200622023149/https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/the-magazine-interview-michael-palin-on-monty-python-travel-and-how-to-stay-married-9lq5kcl5k |url-status=live }}</ref> He received the [[BAFTA Academy Fellowship Award|BAFTA Fellowship]] in 2013<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.bafta.org/press/michael-palin-to-receive-academy-fellowship-at-the-arqiva-british-academy-television-awards,265,SNS.html|title=Michael Palin To Receive Academy Fellowship at the Arqiva British Academy Television Awards|publisher=bafta.org|date=2 May 2013|access-date=15 May 2013|archive-date=31 August 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140831162057/http://www.bafta.org/press/michael-palin-to-receive-academy-fellowship-at-the-arqiva-british-academy-television-awards,265,SNS.html|url-status=live}}</ref> and was [[knighthood|knighted]] by Queen [[Elizabeth II]] in [[2019 New Year Honours|2019]].<ref>{{cite news | url = http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/584037.stm | title = Trio of Dames lead showbiz honours | work = BBC News | date = 31 December 1999 | access-date = 15 August 2006 | archive-date = 30 June 2022 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20220630030830/http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/584037.stm | url-status = live }}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=New Year Honours 2019: Twiggy, Michael Palin and Gareth Southgate on list |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-46693826 |agency=BBC |date=28 December 2018 |access-date=28 December 2018 |archive-date=29 October 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201029060524/https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-46693826 |url-status=live }}</ref>

Palin started in television working on programmes including the ''[[Ken Dodd]] Show'', ''[[The Frost Report]]'', and ''[[Do Not Adjust Your Set]]''. He joined ''[[Monty Python's Flying Circus]]'' (1969–1974) alongside [[John Cleese]], [[Eric Idle]], [[Terry Gilliam]], [[Terry Jones]], and [[Graham Chapman]]. He acted in some of the most famous Python sketches, including "[[Argument Clinic]]", "[[Dead Parrot sketch]]", "[[The Lumberjack Song]]", "[[The Spanish Inquisition (Monty Python)|The Spanish Inquisition]]", "[[Bicycle Repair Man]]", and "[[The Fish-Slapping Dance]]". Palin continued to work with Jones away from Python, co-writing ''[[Ripping Yarns]]''.<ref>{{cite news |title="Ripping Yarns" remembers a Britain that is not yet lost |url=https://www.economist.com/prospero/2017/01/05/ripping-yarns-remembers-a-britain-that-is-not-yet-lost |newspaper=[[The Economist]] |date=5 January 2017 |access-date=8 September 2019 |archive-date=4 August 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200804150849/https://www.economist.com/prospero/2017/01/05/ripping-yarns-remembers-a-britain-that-is-not-yet-lost |url-status=live }}</ref>

Palin co-wrote and starred in ''[[Monty Python and the Holy Grail]]'' (1975), ''[[Monty Python's Life of Brian|Life of Brian]]'' (1979) and ''[[Monty Python's The Meaning of Life|The Meaning of Life]]'' (1983). For his performance in ''[[A Fish Called Wanda]]'' (1988) he received the [[BAFTA Award for Best Actor in a Supporting Role]].<ref name="BAFTA">{{cite web|url=http://awards.bafta.org/award/1989/film/actor-in-a-supporting-role|title=Film – Actor in a Supporting Role in 1989|publisher=BAFTA|access-date=11 January 2008|archive-date=12 November 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131112210537/http://awards.bafta.org/award/1989/film/actor-in-a-supporting-role|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=Sir Michael Palin to have heart surgery |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/entertainment-arts-49096032 |publisher=[[BBC]] |date=24 July 2019 |access-date=8 September 2019 |archive-date=26 July 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190726152057/https://www.bbc.com/news/entertainment-arts-49096032 |url-status=live }}</ref> Other notable films include ''[[Jabberwocky (film)|Jabberwocky]]'' (1977), ''[[Time Bandits]]'' (1981), ''[[The Missionary]]'' (1982), ''[[A Private Function]]'' (1984), ''[[Brazil (1985 film)|Brazil]]'' (1985), ''[[Fierce Creatures]]'' (1997), and ''[[The Death of Stalin]]'' (2017).

Since 1980, Palin has made numerous television [[travel documentaries]] and is a widely recognised writer and presenter.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.britannica.com/biography/Michael-Palin|title=Michael Palin {{!}} British comedian|work=Encyclopedia Britannica|access-date=5 September 2018|archive-date=5 September 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180905145445/https://www.britannica.com/biography/Michael-Palin|url-status=live}}</ref> He has been a [[travel writer]] and travel documentarian in programmes broadcast on the [[BBC]]. His journeys have taken him across the world, including the [[North Pole|North]] and [[South Pole]]s, the [[Sahara]], the [[Himalayas]], Eastern Europe, and [[Brazil]]; in 2018, he visited [[North Korea]], documenting his visit to the isolated country in a series broadcast on [[Channel 5 (British TV channel)|Channel 5]]. Palin visited Nigeria in 2023 to make a travel documentary that was aired in 2024. From 2009 to 2012 he was president of the [[Royal Geographical Society]].<ref>[http://www.rgs.org/AboutUs/People/People.htm People & Staff] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120615115333/http://www.rgs.org/AboutUs/People/People.htm |date=15 June 2012 }} Royal Geographical Society. Retrieved 24 June 2012</ref>

== Early life and education ==
Palin was born in [[Ranmoor]], [[Sheffield]],<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/time-and-place-michael-palin-6pg35bjvr2l|title=Time and place: Michael Palin|work=The Sunday Times|first=Danny|last=Scott|date=2 June 2013|access-date=10 August 2017|archive-date=10 August 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170810171353/https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/time-and-place-michael-palin-6pg35bjvr2l|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last1=Peace |first1=Lee |title=Sheffield-born comic legend Sir Michael Palin to undergo heart surgery |url=https://www.thestar.co.uk/news/people/sheffield-born-comic-legend-sir-michael-palin-to-undergo-heart-surgery-486441 |agency=The Star (UK) |date=25 July 2019 |access-date=8 September 2019 |archive-date=10 September 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230910134548/https://www.thestar.co.uk/news/people/sheffield-born-comic-legend-sir-michael-palin-to-undergo-heart-surgery-486441 |url-status=live }}</ref> the second child and only son of Edward Moreton Palin (1900–1977)<ref>{{cite news|first=Nick |last=Barratt|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/1435162/Family-detective.html |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20220111/https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/1435162/Family-detective.html |archive-date=11 January 2022 |url-access=subscription |url-status=live |title=Family detective |work=[[The Daily Telegraph]]|location=London, England |date=11 November 2006 |access-date=25 October 2008 }}{{cbignore}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.filmreference.com/film/0/Michael-Palin.html |title=Michael Palin Biography (1943–) |publisher=Filmreference.com |access-date=1 June 2011 |archive-date=20 May 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110520213842/http://www.filmreference.com/film/0/Michael-Palin.html |url-status=live }}</ref> and Mary Rachel Lockhart (née Ovey; 1903–1990). His father was a [[Shrewsbury School|Shrewsbury]] and [[University of Cambridge|Cambridge]]-educated engineer working for a steel firm.<ref name="ind120729">{{cite news |first=Robert |last=Chalmers |title=The dark knight rises: Perhaps Michael Palin isn't the nicest chap in Britain after all... |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/people/profiles/the-dark-knight-rises-perhaps-michael-palin-isnt-the-nicest-chap-in-britain-after-all-7976634.html |work=[[The Independent]] |publisher=Independent Print Limited |location=London, England |date=29 July 2012 |access-date=14 August 2012 |archive-date=14 August 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120814124724/http://www.independent.co.uk/news/people/profiles/the-dark-knight-rises-perhaps-michael-palin-isnt-the-nicest-chap-in-britain-after-all-7976634.html |url-status=dead }}</ref> His maternal grandfather, Lieutenant-Colonel Richard Lockhart Ovey, [[Distinguished Service Order|DSO]], was [[High Sheriff of Oxfordshire]] in 1927.<ref name="Python Autobiography">{{cite book|first1=Graham|last1=Chapman|first2=Michael|last2=Palin|first3=John|last3=Cleese|first4=Terry|last4=Gilliam|first5=Eric|last5=Idle|first6=Terry|last6=Jones|first7=Bob|last7=McCabe|title=The Pythons Autobiography by The Pythons|publisher=Thomas Dunne Books|location=New York City|date=2005|isbn=978-0312311445}}</ref>

Palin was educated at [[Birkdale School|Birkdale]] and [[Shrewsbury School]]. His sister Angela was nine years his senior; despite the age gap the two had a close relationship until her suicide in 1987.<ref name="ind120729"/><ref>{{cite web|first=Basil|last=Pao|url=http://www.thestandard.com.hk/stdn/std/World/FJ23Wd06.html |title=The wandering man |work=The Weekend Standard |publisher=Sing Tao Newspaper Group and Global China Group|location=Hong Kong|date=23–24 October 2004 |access-date=1 June 2011 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110522082137/http://www.thestandard.com.hk/stdn/std/World/FJ23Wd06.html |archive-date=22 May 2011 }}</ref> Palin has ancestral roots in [[Letterkenny]], [[County Donegal]].<ref>{{cite news|first=Seán&nbsp;P.|last=Feeny|url=http://donegalnews.com/2013/03/first-letterkenny-heritage-magazine-launched/|title=First Letterkenny heritage magazine launched|work=[[Donegal News]]|publisher=North-West News Group|location=Letterkenney, Ireland|date=14 March 2013|access-date=14 March 2013|quote=Over 100 people attended the official launch of Letterkenny Community Heritage Group's new magazine in the Station House Hotel this week. [...] Did you know that Michael Palin of Monty Python fame has ancestral roots in the town?|archive-date=5 June 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130605151208/http://donegalnews.com/2013/03/first-letterkenny-heritage-magazine-launched/|url-status=dead}}</ref> His great-grandmother fled the [[Great Famine (Ireland)|Irish Famine]] and was adopted by a wealthy English family.<ref>{{cite web|title=Back to his roots Students honour Palin|url=https://www.independent.ie/irish-news/back-to-his-roots-students-honour-palin-26433171.html|access-date=17 November 2021|website=Independent|date=27 March 2008|archive-date=17 November 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211117105326/https://www.independent.ie/irish-news/back-to-his-roots-students-honour-palin-26433171.html|url-status=live}}</ref>

When he was five years old, Palin had his first acting experience at Birkdale playing Martha Cratchit in a school performance of ''[[A Christmas Carol]]''. At the age of 10, still interested in acting, he made a comedy [[monologue]] and read a [[Shakespeare]] play to his mother while playing all the parts.{{sfn|Ross|1997|p=200}} 

After leaving Shrewsbury in 1962, he went on to read Modern History at [[Brasenose College, Oxford]].<ref name=whoswho/> With fellow student [[Robert Hewison]] he performed and wrote, for the first time, comedy material at a university Christmas party.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.acornmedia.com/rippingyarns/MEP_Bio.htm|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20090201073651/http://www.acornmedia.com/rippingyarns/MEP_Bio.htm|url-status=dead|title=Michael Palin biography|archivedate=1 February 2009}}</ref> [[Terry Jones]], also a student at Oxford, saw that performance and began writing with Hewison and Palin.{{sfn|Ross|1997|p=200}} That year Palin joined the Brightside and Carbrook Co-operative Society Players and first gained fame when he won an acting award at a Co-op drama festival.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.abc.net.au/tv/documentaries/stories/s712623.htm |title=ABC TV Documentaries: Sahara episode 3/4 |access-date=2 September 2006 |work=Australian Broadcasting Company |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060511182847/http://www.abc.net.au/tv/documentaries/stories/s712623.htm |archive-date=11 May 2006 |url-status=dead }}</ref> He also performed and wrote in [[the Oxford Revue]] (called the Et ceteras) with Jones.<ref>{{cite episode|title=Michael Palin|series=Desert Island Discs|network=[[BBC Radio 4]]|date=17 November 1979|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p009mwvb|access-date=5 August 2019|archive-date=5 August 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190805081612/https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p009mwvb|url-status=live}}</ref>

== Career ==
=== Early career ===
After finishing university in 1965, Palin became a presenter on a comedy pop show called ''Now!'' for the television contractor [[Television Wales and the West]].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.screenonline.org.uk/people/id/510300/index.html |title=Michael Palin |first=John |last=Oliver |work=BFI Screen Online |access-date=13 December 2006 |archive-date=15 December 2006 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20061215163009/http://www.screenonline.org.uk/people/id/510300/index.html |url-status=live }}</ref> At the same time, Palin was contacted by Jones, who had left university a year earlier, to help with writing a theatrical documentary about sex through the ages.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://idler.co.uk/conversations/in-conversation-with-michael-palin/ |first=Tom |last=Hodgkinson |work=The Idler |title=In Conversation with Michael Palin |year=2006 |access-date=20 December 2006 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080103064336/http://idler.co.uk/conversations/in-conversation-with-michael-palin/ |archive-date=3 January 2008 }}</ref> Although this project was eventually abandoned, it brought Palin and Jones together as a writing duo and led them to write comedy for various [[BBC]] programmes, such as ''The Ken Dodd Show'', ''The Billy Cotton Bandshow'', and ''The Illustrated Weekly Hudd''.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://orangecow.org/pythonet/michael-palin.html |title=Biography |website=Pythonet.org |access-date=17 December 2006 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20061115215629/http://orangecow.org/pythonet/michael-palin.html |archive-date=15 November 2006 }}</ref> They collaborated in writing lyrics for an album by Barry Booth called ''Diversions''. They were also in the team of writers working for ''[[The Frost Report]]'', whose other members included [[Frank Muir]], [[Barry Cryer]], [[Marty Feldman]], [[Ronnie Barker]], [[Ronnie Corbett]], [[Dick Vosburgh]] and future Monty Python members [[Graham Chapman]], [[John Cleese]] and [[Eric Idle]].<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/comedy/thefrostreport/|title=The Frost Report|publisher=BBC Comedy|access-date=9 July 2016|archive-date=15 April 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230415033653/https://www.bbc.co.uk/comedy/thefrostreport/|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/obituaries/2016/07/08/jimmy-gilbert-bbc-producer-who-presided-over-a-golden-age-of-lig/ |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20220111/https://www.telegraph.co.uk/obituaries/2016/07/08/jimmy-gilbert-bbc-producer-who-presided-over-a-golden-age-of-lig/ |archive-date=11 January 2022 |url-access=subscription |url-status=live|title=Jimmy Gilbert, BBC producer who presided over a golden age of light entertainment – obituary|work=The Daily Telegraph|location=London|date=8 June 2016|access-date=9 July 2016}}{{cbignore}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Marty Feldman: Six Degrees of Separation |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b009pgsc |work=[[BBC Two]] |date=13 August 2011 |access-date=18 November 2015 |archive-date=25 April 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160425145626/http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b009pgsc |url-status=live }}</ref>

Although the members of Monty Python had already encountered each other over the years, ''The Frost Report'' was the first time all the British members of Monty Python (its sixth member, [[Terry Gilliam]], was at that time an American citizen) worked together.<ref name="ind120729"/> During the run of ''The Frost Report'' the Palin/Jones team contributed material to two shows starring [[John Bird (actor)|John Bird]]: ''The Late Show'' and ''A Series of Birds''. For ''A Series of Birds'' the Palin/Jones team had their first experience of writing narrative instead of the short sketches they were accustomed to conceiving.<ref>{{cite web | url = http://www.bbc.co.uk/comedy/guide/articles/s/seriesofbirdsa_1299002783.shtml | title = A Series of Bird's | publisher = BBC Guide to Comedy | access-date = 16 September 2006 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20070203114420/http://www.bbc.co.uk/comedy/guide/articles/s/seriesofbirdsa_1299002783.shtml | archive-date = 3 February 2007 | url-status = dead }}</ref>

Following ''The Frost Report'' the Palin/Jones team worked both as actors and writers on the show ''[[Twice a Fortnight]]'' with [[Graeme Garden]], [[Bill Oddie]] and [[Jonathan Lynn]], and the successful children's comedy show ''[[Do Not Adjust Your Set]]'' with Idle and [[David Jason]]. The show also featured musical numbers by the [[Bonzo Dog Doo-Dah Band]], including future Monty Python musical collaborator [[Neil Innes]]. The animations for ''Do Not Adjust Your Set'' were made by Terry Gilliam. Eager to work with Palin{{sfn|Ross|1997|p=91}} sans Jones, Cleese later asked him to perform in ''[[How to Irritate People]]'' together with Chapman and [[Tim Brooke-Taylor]]. The Palin/Jones team were reunited for ''[[The Complete and Utter History of Britain]]''.<ref>{{cite web|first=Dave |last=Eggers |url=http://film.guardian.co.uk/features/featurepages/0,,1871170,00.html |title=Interview with Eric Idle in The Guardian, with quotes from Terry Jones and Michael Palin |publisher=Film.guardian.co.uk |date=13 September 2006 |access-date=23 August 2019}}</ref>

===''Monty Python''===
{{Main|Monty Python}}
[[File:Monty Python Live 02-07-14 12 47 33 (14598699991).jpg|thumb|220px|Palin in "[[The Spanish Inquisition (Monty Python)|The Spanish Inquisition]]" sketch at the 2014 reunion, ''[[Monty Python Live (Mostly)]]'']]

On the strength of their work on ''The Frost Report'' and other programmes, Cleese and Chapman had been offered a show by the BBC, but Cleese was reluctant to do a [[Double act|two-man show]] for various reasons, among them Chapman's reputedly difficult personality. During this period Cleese contacted Palin about doing the show that ultimately became ''Monty Python's Flying Circus''.<ref name="ind120729"/> At the same time the success of ''Do Not Adjust Your Set'' had led Palin, Jones, Idle and Gilliam to be offered their own series and, while it was still in production, Palin agreed to Cleese's proposal and brought along Idle, Jones and Gilliam. Thus the formation of the Monty Python troupe has been referred to as a result of Cleese's desire to work with Palin and the chance circumstances that brought the other four members into the fold.<ref name="Python Autobiography"/>

Palin played various roles in ''Monty Python'', which ranged from manic enthusiasm (such as the [[lumberjack]] of "[[The Lumberjack Song]]", or Herbert Anchovy, host of the game show "Blackmail") to unflappable calmness (such as the [[Dead Parrot sketch|dead parrot]] seller or [[Cheese Shop sketch|cheese shop]] proprietor).<ref>{{cite news |last1=Marshall |first1=Michelle |title=Michael Palin: 'He can't communicate' Monty Python star in emotional Terry Jones admission |url=https://www.express.co.uk/celebrity-news/1172986/michael-palin-monty-python-terry-jones-dementia-health-update-latest-news |agency=Express UK |date=3 September 2019 |access-date=8 September 2019 |archive-date=3 September 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190903222635/https://www.express.co.uk/celebrity-news/1172986/michael-palin-monty-python-terry-jones-dementia-health-update-latest-news |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last1=Heritage |first1=Stuart |title=John Cleese wants us to revere Monty Python – but he is ruining its legacy |url=https://www.theguardian.com/culture/shortcuts/2019/sep/03/john-cleese-monty-python-ruining-legacy |work=[[The Guardian]] |date=3 September 2019}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=Terry Gilliam says he disagrees with John Cleese's worldview |url=https://www.theguardian.com/film/2019/sep/03/terry-gilliam-disagrees-john-cleese-worldview-monty-python-brexit |agency=[[The Guardian]] |date=2 September 2019}}</ref> As a [[Double act|straight man]] he was often a foil to the rising ire of characters portrayed by Cleese. He also played timid, socially inept characters such as Arthur Putey, the man who sits quietly as a marriage counsellor ([[Eric Idle]]) makes love to his wife ([[Carol Cleveland]]), and Mr Anchovy, a chartered accountant who wants to become a lion tamer. He appeared as the [["It's" man]] (a [[Robinson Crusoe]]-type castaway with torn clothes and a long, unkempt beard) at the beginning of most episodes. He also frequently played a [[List of recurring Monty Python's Flying Circus characters#Gumbys|Gumby]], a character Palin said "had these moronic views that were expressed with extraordinary force".<ref>{{cite news |title=Michael Palin interview |url=https://thechap.co.uk/2018/09/19/michael-palin/ |access-date=28 August 2019 |work=Chap.co.uk |archive-date=3 May 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190503133907/https://thechap.co.uk/2018/09/19/michael-palin/ |url-status=live }}</ref>

Palin frequently co-wrote sketches with [[Terry Jones]], including the "[[The Spanish Inquisition (Monty Python)|Spanish Inquisition sketch]]", which featured the [[catchphrase]] "Nobody expects the [[Spanish Inquisition]]!". He also composed songs with Jones including "The Lumberjack Song", "[[Every Sperm Is Sacred]]" and "[[Spam (Monty Python)|Spam]]". His solo musical compositions included "[[Decomposing Composers]]" and "[[Finland (comedy song)|Finland]]".<ref>{{cite web|first=Kathleen&nbsp;C.|last=Fennessy|url=http://www.allmusic.com/album/r82483|title=Monty Python Sings – Monty Python: Songs, Reviews, Credits, Awards|work=[[AllMusic]]|publisher=[[All Media Network]]|location=San Francisco, California|access-date=16 July 2013|archive-date=31 October 2010|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101031034034/http://www.allmusic.com/album/r82483|url-status=live}}</ref>

===1974–1996: ''Ripping Yarns'' and film roles ===

In 1971, he co-wrote, with [[Hugh Leonard]] and [[Terence Feely]], the film ''[[Percy (1971 film)|Percy]]'', which depicts a [[penis transplant]].

After the ''Monty Python'' television series ended in 1974, the Palin/Jones team worked on ''[[Ripping Yarns]]'', an intermittent television comedy series broadcast over three years from 1976. They had earlier collaborated on the play ''[[Secrets (Black and Blue)|Secrets]]'' from the BBC series ''[[Black and Blue (TV series)|Black and Blue]]'' in 1973. He played the lead role of the peasant Dennis in Terry Gilliam's 1977 film ''[[Jabberwocky (film)|Jabberwocky]]''. (He had earlier played the cameo role of "Dennis the Peasant" in ''Monty Python and the Holy Grail'', also directed by Gilliam.) Palin also appeared in ''[[All You Need Is Cash]]'' (1978) as Eric Manchester (based on [[Derek Taylor]]), the press agent for [[the Rutles]]. In 1980, Palin co-wrote ''[[Time Bandits]]'' with Terry Gilliam. He also acted in the film.

In 1982, Palin wrote and starred in ''[[The Missionary]]'', co-starring [[Maggie Smith]]. In it, he plays the Reverend Charles Fortescue, who is recalled from Africa to aid prostitutes. He co-starred with Maggie Smith again in the 1984 comedy film ''[[A Private Function]]''. In 1984, he reunited with Terry Gilliam to appear in ''[[Brazil (1985 film)|Brazil]]''. He appeared in the comedy film ''[[A Fish Called Wanda]]'', which co-starred and was co-written by John Cleese, for which he won the [[BAFTA Award for Best Actor in a Supporting Role]].<ref name="BAFTA" /> Cleese reunited the main cast almost a decade later to make ''[[Fierce Creatures]]''. After filming for ''Fierce Creatures'' finished, Palin went on a travel journey for a BBC documentary and, returning a year later, found that the end of ''Fierce Creatures'' had failed at test screenings and had to be reshot.

=== 1996–present ===
After ''Fierce Creatures'' and a small part in ''[[The Wind in the Willows (1996 film)|The Wind in the Willows]]'', a film directed by and starring Terry Jones, it was twenty years until Palin's next film role, as Soviet politician [[Vyacheslav Molotov]] in the 2017 satirical black comedy ''[[The Death of Stalin]]''. Palin also appeared with John Cleese in his documentary ''[[The Human Face]]''. Palin was cast in a supporting role in the [[Tom Hanks]] and [[Meg Ryan]] romantic comedy ''[[You've Got Mail]]'', but his role was eventually cut entirely.<ref>{{cite web |first=Hans |last=ten Cate |url=http://www.dailyllama.com/news/1999/llama088.html |title=Michael Palin Dropped From Final Print of Hanks/Ryan Romantic Comedy |work=Daily Llama |date=17 January 1999 |access-date=1 June 2011 |archive-date=10 June 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110610222630/http://www.dailyllama.com/news/1999/llama088.html |url-status=dead }}</ref>

Palin has also appeared in serious drama. In 1991 he appeared in the film ''[[American Friends]]'', which he wrote based upon a real event in the life of his great-grandfather, a fellow at [[St John's College, Oxford]].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/american_friends/ |title=American Friends |website=[[Rotten Tomatoes]].com |date=22 March 1991 |access-date=13 December 2006 |archive-date=16 January 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080116095008/http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/american_friends/ |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.churchtimes.co.uk/articles/2015/22-may/features/features/michael-palin-my-seven-of-the-best|title=Michael Palin: my seven of the best|website=www.churchtimes.co.uk|access-date=17 January 2017|archive-date=18 January 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170118053916/https://www.churchtimes.co.uk/articles/2015/22-may/features/features/michael-palin-my-seven-of-the-best|url-status=live}}</ref> In that same year he also played the part of a headmaster in [[Alan Bleasdale]]'s [[Channel 4]] drama series ''[[G.B.H. (TV drama)|GBH]]''. In 1994, Palin narrated the English language [[audiobook]] version of ''[[Esio Trot]]'' by children's author [[Roald Dahl]].<ref>{{cite book |last1=McCall |first1=Douglas |title=Monty Python: A Chronology, 1969–2012, 2d ed. |date=2013 |publisher=McFarland |page=166}}</ref>

In 1997, Palin had a small cameo role in the Australian soap opera ''[[Home and Away]]''. He played an English [[surfer]] with a fear of [[shark]]s, who interrupts a conversation between two main characters to ask whether there were any sharks in the sea. This was filmed while he was in Australia for the ''Full Circle'' series, with a segment about the filming of the role featuring in the series. In November 2005, he appeared in the ''[[John Peel's Record Box]]'' documentary.<ref>[https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0814163/?ref_=fn_al_tt_1 "John Peel's Record Box"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181003083632/https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0814163/?ref_=fn_al_tt_1 |date=3 October 2018 }}, 2005.</ref>
[[File:Michaelpalinnightingale.jpg|thumb|upright|Michael Palin, Nightingale House, in [[Clapham]], November 2010]]

In 2013, Palin appeared in a [[First World War]] drama titled ''[[The Wipers Times]]'' written by [[Ian Hislop]] and [[Nick Newman]].<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-23128507|access-date=2 July 2013|title=Python Palin stars in BBC WWI drama|work=BBC News|archive-date=2 July 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130702014323/http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-23128507|url-status=live}}</ref> At the Cannes Film Festival in 2016, it was announced that Palin was set to star alongside [[Adam Driver]] in [[Terry Gilliam]]'s ''[[The Man Who Killed Don Quixote]]''.<ref>{{cite web|first=Craig|last=Skinner|url=http://www.flickreel.com/terry-gilliams-the-man-who-killed-don-quixote-to-star-adam-driver-and-michael-palin-new-concept-art-uncovered/|title=EXCLUSIVE: Terry Gilliam's The Man Who Killed Don Quixote to star Adam Driver and Michael Palin; new concept art uncovered|work=Flickreel.com|date=11 May 2016|access-date=17 May 2016|archive-date=18 May 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160518230424/http://www.flickreel.com/terry-gilliams-the-man-who-killed-don-quixote-to-star-adam-driver-and-michael-palin-new-concept-art-uncovered/|url-status=live}}</ref> Palin, however, dropped out of the film after it ran into a financial problem.<ref>{{cite news|first=Dave|last=Itzkoff|url= https://www.nytimes.com/2017/06/28/arts/television/michael-palin-monty-python-remember-me-pbs.html|title=Nobody Expects Michael Palin: A Comic Actor in a Dramatic Role |work=[[The New York Times]]|location=New York City|date=28 June 2017|access-date=5 July 2017}}</ref>

While speaking at the [[Edinburgh International Film Festival]], Palin announced that he was presenting the two-part documentary ''Michael Palin in North Korea'' to be broadcast on the British television network [[Channel 5 (UK)|Channel 5]].<ref>{{cite news|url=https://inews.co.uk/culture/television/michael-palin-north-korea/|title=Michael Palin has travelled to North Korea for new Channel 5 series|date=22 May 2018|work=i|access-date=5 September 2018|archive-date=5 September 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180905175719/https://inews.co.uk/culture/television/michael-palin-north-korea/|url-status=live}}</ref> The documentary was broadcast in September 2018, in two one-hour segments on Channel 5 in the UK and in a single two-hour programme on [[National Geographic (U.S. TV channel)|National Geographic]] in the United States.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.radiotimes.com/news/tv/2018-09-03/michael-palin-in-north-korean-channel-5-air-date-time-how-filmed/|title=When is Michael Palin's North Korea travel programme on TV?|work=Radio Times|access-date=4 September 2018|archive-date=4 September 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180904235524/https://www.radiotimes.com/news/tv/2018-09-03/michael-palin-in-north-korean-channel-5-air-date-time-how-filmed/|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/how-michael-palin-introduced-north-korea-monty-python-1136942|title=How Michael Palin Introduced North Korea to Monty Python|work=The Hollywood Reporter|access-date=4 September 2018|archive-date=23 August 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180823235425/https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/how-michael-palin-introduced-north-korea-monty-python-1136942|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=https://variety.com/2018/tv/news/nat-geo-michael-palin-north-korea-special-u-s-1202958145/|title=National Geographic Lands Michael Palin's North Korea TV Special|work=Variety|date=26 September 2018|access-date=22 November 2018|archive-date=18 April 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220418015930/https://variety.com/2018/tv/news/nat-geo-michael-palin-north-korea-special-u-s-1202958145/|url-status=live}}</ref> It was broadcast again by Channel 5, in a single two-hour programme in December 2018.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.radiotimes.com/news/tv/2018-12-27/michael-palin-in-north-korea-special-christmas-2018-channel-5-time-date-channel/|title=What time is the Michael Palin: North Korea special edition on TV?|website=Radio Times|access-date=30 December 2018|archive-date=30 December 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181230181144/https://www.radiotimes.com/news/tv/2018-12-27/michael-palin-in-north-korea-special-christmas-2018-channel-5-time-date-channel/|url-status=live}}</ref>

In July 2019, Palin performed a one-man stage show at the [[Torch Theatre, Milford Haven]], Wales, about the loss of HMS [[HMS Erebus (1826)|''Erebus'']] during the [[Franklin's lost expedition|third Franklin expedition]], which is recounted in his book ''Erebus: The Story of a Ship''.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Adams |first1=Steve |title=Michael Palin brings Erebus: The Story of a Ship to the Torch Theatre |url=https://www.westerntelegraph.co.uk/news/17679370.michael-palin-brings-erebus-the-story-of-a-ship-to-the-torch-theatre/ |access-date=8 September 2019 |publisher=[[Western Telegraph]] |archive-date=8 June 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190608021759/https://www.westerntelegraph.co.uk/news/17679370.michael-palin-brings-erebus-the-story-of-a-ship-to-the-torch-theatre/ |url-status=live }}</ref>

==Television documentaries==
===Travel===
[[File:PalinCadogan051022 (7 of 12) (52408590540).jpg|thumb|Michael Palin at Cadogan Hall in 2022]] 
Palin's first travel documentary was episode 4 of the 1980 [[BBC Television]] series ''[[Great Railway Journeys of the World]]'', entitled "Confessions of a Trainspotter". Throughout the hour-long show, Palin humorously reminisces about his childhood hobby of [[train spotting]] while he travels throughout the UK by train from London to the [[Kyle of Lochalsh]], via [[Manchester]], [[York]], [[Newcastle upon Tyne]], Edinburgh and [[Inverness]]. He rides vintage railway lines and trains including the ''[[LNER Class A3 4472 Flying Scotsman|Flying Scotsman]]''. At the Kyle of Lochalsh, Palin bought the station's long metal platform sign and is seen lugging it back to London with him.

In 1994, Palin travelled through Ireland for the same series, entitled "Derry to Kerry". In a quest for family roots, he attempted to trace his great-grandmother&nbsp;– Brita Gallagher&nbsp;– who had set sail from Ireland 150 years earlier during the [[Great Irish Famine|Great Famine (1845–1849)]], bound for a new life in [[Burlington, New Jersey|Burlington]], New Jersey. The series is a trip along the Palin family line.

Between 1989 and 2012, Palin appeared as a presenter in a series of travel programmes made for the BBC. It was after the veteran TV globetrotter [[Alan Whicker]] and journalist [[Miles Kington]] turned down presenting the first of these, ''[[Around the World in 80 Days with Michael Palin]]'', that gave Palin the opportunity to present his first and subsequent travel shows.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_qa3724/is_200508/ai_n14903488/pg_1 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130601220419/http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_qa3724/is_200508/ai_n14903488/pg_1 |url-status=dead |archive-date=1 June 2013 |title=Watching over Whicker |publisher=Findarticles.com |date=6 August 2005 |access-date=25 October 2008 | first=Michael | last=Vestey}}</ref> In 2018, he was hired by ITN Productions to present travel documentaries commissioned by Channel 5, with journeys to North Korea and Iraq completed by 2022.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.itn.co.uk/press-releases/michael-palin-into-iraq-series-commissioned-by-channel-5/ | title='Michael Palin: Into Iraq' series commissioned by Channel 5 | access-date=20 January 2023 | archive-date=21 July 2022 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220721183422/https://www.itn.co.uk/press-releases/michael-palin-into-iraq-series-commissioned-by-channel-5/ | url-status=dead }}</ref> 

* ''[[Around the World in 80 Days with Michael Palin]]'' (travel 1988; programme release 1989): travelling as closely as possible the path described in the famous [[Jules Verne]] story without using aircraft.
* ''[[Pole to Pole with Michael Palin]]'' (travel 1991; programme release 1992): travelling from the [[North Pole]] to the [[South Pole]], following as closely as possible the [[30th meridian east|30-degree line of longitude]], over as much land as possible, i.e., through Europe and Africa.
* ''[[Full Circle with Michael Palin]]'' (travel 1995/96; programme release 1997): in which he circumnavigated the lands around the Pacific Ocean anti-clockwise; a journey of almost {{convert|50000|mi|km}} starting on [[Little Diomede]] Island in the [[Bering Strait]] and taking him through Asia, Oceania and the Americas.
* ''[[Michael Palin's Hemingway Adventure]]'' (1999): retracing the footsteps of [[Ernest Hemingway]] through the United States, Europe, Africa and the [[Caribbean]].
* ''[[Sahara with Michael Palin]]'' (travel 2001/02; programme release 2002): in which he trekked around and through the world's [[Sahara|largest desert]].
* ''[[Himalaya with Michael Palin]]'' (travel 2003/04; programme release 2004): in which he travels through the [[Himalaya|Himalaya region]].
* ''[[Michael Palin's New Europe]]'' (travel 2006/07; programme release 2007): in which he travels through [[Central Europe|Central]] and Eastern Europe.
* ''[[Brazil with Michael Palin]]'' (2012) in which he travels through [[Brazil]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.theguardian.com/culture/2018/aug/06/michael-palin-geography-force-broadening-mind-gcse-alevel-entries-rise|title=Geography a force for broadening the mind, says Michael Palin|last=Grierson|first=Jamie|date=5 August 2018|work=The Guardian|access-date=5 September 2018}}</ref>
* ''[[Michael Palin in North Korea]]'' on [[Channel 5 (British TV channel)|Channel 5]] (2018, this ITN production was released in the US as ''North Korea from the Inside with Michael Palin'') in which he visits [[North Korea]] at the time of the [[April 2018 inter-Korean summit]].<ref name=irish>{{cite news|url=https://www.irishnews.com/lifestyle/2018/09/13/news/michael-palin-on-north-korea-you-can-t-condemn-a-whole-nation-for-their-leaders-1429065/|title=Michael Palin on North Korea: You can't condemn a whole nation for their leaders|last=Dunn|first=Gemma|newspaper=The Irish Times|date=13 September 2018|access-date=13 September 2018|archive-date=13 September 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180913024643/https://www.irishnews.com/lifestyle/2018/09/13/news/michael-palin-on-north-korea-you-can-t-condemn-a-whole-nation-for-their-leaders-1429065/|url-status=live}}</ref>
* ''[[Michael Palin: Into Iraq]]'' on [[Channel 5 (British TV channel)|Channel 5]] (2022).<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.tvzoneuk.com/post/michaelpaliniraq-c5pt2 | title=Michael Palin Travels to Iraq for Channel 5 Series | date=15 August 2022 | access-date=15 August 2022 | archive-date=15 August 2022 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220815162106/https://www.tvzoneuk.com/post/michaelpaliniraq-c5pt2 | url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.themichaelpalin.com/news/into-iraq-coming-15th-september-2022/ | title=Into Iraq – Coming 15th September 2022 | access-date=15 August 2022 | archive-date=15 August 2022 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220815160604/https://www.themichaelpalin.com/news/into-iraq-coming-15th-september-2022/ | url-status=live }}</ref>
* ''[[Michael Palin in Nigeria]]'' on [[Channel 5 (British TV channel)|Channel 5]] (2024).<ref>{{cite news |date=9 April 2024 |title=Michael Palin tells David Attenborough where he found snails 'the size of steaks' |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/tv/news/michael-palin-david-attenborough-nigeria-b2525227.html |newspaper=[[The Independent]] |first=Tabitha |last=Wilson |access-date=17 April 2024 |archive-date=17 April 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240417065656/https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/tv/news/michael-palin-david-attenborough-nigeria-b2525227.html |url-status=live }}</ref>
* ''[[Michael Palin in Venezuela]]'' on [[Channel 5 (British TV channel)|Channel 5]] (2025).<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.tvzoneuk.com/post/michaelpalin-venezuela-5ann1 | title=Michael Palin Explores Venezuela for Latest Travel Series on 5 | date=12 March 2025 | access-date=2 April 2025 }}</ref>

Following each trip, Palin wrote a book about his travels, providing information and insights not included in the TV programme. Each book is illustrated with photographs by [[Basil Pao]], the stills photographer who was on the team. (Exception: the first book, ''Around the World in 80 Days'', contains some pictures by Pao but most are by other photographers.)

All seven of these books were also made available as audiobooks, and all of them are read by Palin himself. ''Around the World in 80 Days'' and ''Hemingway Adventure'' are unabridged, while the other four books were made in both abridged and unabridged versions.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.theguardian.com/media/mediamonkeyblog/2014/mar/14/bbc-michael-palin-monty-python-around-the-world-80-days|title=BBC accountants' shallow pockets gave Michael Palin a global hit {{!}} Media Monkey|last=Monkey|date=14 March 2014|work=The Guardian|access-date=5 September 2018}}</ref>

For four of the trips, a photography book was made by Pao, each with an introduction written by Palin. These are large coffee-table-style books with pictures printed on glossy paper. The majority of the pictures are of various people encountered on the trip, as informal portraits or showing them engaged in some interesting activity. Some of the landscape photos are displayed as two-page spreads.

Palin's travel programmes are responsible for a phenomenon called the "Palin effect", referring to areas of the world that he has visited suddenly become popular tourist attractions&nbsp;– for example, the significant increase in the number of tourists interested in [[Peru]] after Palin visited [[Machu Picchu]].<ref>{{cite news | first=Ben | last=Webster | title=Globetrotter Palin brought down to earth by eco-lobby|date=14 January 2005 | url =https://www.thetimes.com/article/globetrotter-palin-brought-down-to-earth-by-eco-lobby-vltnwjg6kbd | work=The Times | access-date =14 August 2006 | location=London | url-access=subscription}}</ref> In a 2006 survey of "15 of the world's top travel writers" by ''[[The Observer]]'', Palin named Peru's [[Pongo de Mainique]] (canyon below the Machu Picchu) his "favourite place in the world".<ref>{{cite news | last=Wilkinson | first=Carl | date=8 January 2006 | title=My favourite place in the world |work=The Observer |location=UK | url=https://www.theguardian.com/travel/2006/jan/08/observerescapesection5
 | access-date=18 August 2007 }}</ref>

Palin notes in his book of ''Around the World in 80 Days'' that the final leg of his journey could originally have taken him and his crew on one of the trains involved in the [[Clapham Junction rail crash]], but they arrived ahead of schedule and caught an earlier train.

===Art and history===
In recent years, Palin has written and presented occasional documentary programmes about artists who interest him. The first, on [[Scottish people|Scottish]] painter [[Anne Redpath]], was ''Palin on Redpath'' in 1997. In ''The Bright Side of Life'' (2000), Palin continued on a Scottish theme, looking at the work of the [[Scottish Colourists]]. Two further programmes followed on European painters; ''Michael Palin and the Ladies Who Loved Matisse'' (2004) and ''Michael Palin and the Mystery of Hammershøi'' (2005), about the French artist [[Henri Matisse]] and [[Danes|Danish]] artist [[Vilhelm Hammershøi]] respectively. The DVD ''Michael Palin on Art'' contains all these documentaries except for the [[Henri Matisse|Matisse]] programme. In 2013, he travelled to the United States and filmed in both Maine and Pennsylvania, to write and present "Michael Palin in Wyeth World", which is about the American painter Andrew Wyeth and the people who inspired his paintings.

In November 2008, Palin presented a [[First World War]] documentary about [[Armistice Day]], 11 November 1918, when thousands of soldiers lost their lives in battle after the war had officially ended. Palin filmed on the battlefields of Northern [[France]] and [[Belgium]] for the programme, called the ''[[Last Day of World War One]]'', produced for the BBC's ''Timewatch'' series.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/timewatch/last-day-of-ww1.shtml |title=Timewatch&nbsp;– The Last Day of World War One |publisher=BBC |access-date=1 November 2008 |archive-date=20 October 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081020080926/http://www.bbc.co.uk/timewatch/last-day-of-ww1.shtml |url-status=live }}</ref>

==Personal life==
In 1966, Palin married Helen Gibbins (born October 1942), whom he first met in 1959 on holiday in [[Southwold]] in Suffolk.<ref name="ind120729"/> This meeting was later fictionalised in Palin's teleplay for the 1987 [[BBC]] television drama ''[[East of Ipswich]]''.{{sfn|Ross|1997|p=57}} Their marriage lasted for 57 years, until Helen's death from kidney failure on 2 May 2023.<ref>{{cite news |first=Nadeem |last=Badshah |url=https://www.theguardian.com/culture/2023/may/02/the-bedrock-of-my-life-michael-palin-announces-the-death-of-his-wife-helen |title='The bedrock of my life': Michael Palin announces the death of his wife Helen |newspaper=[[The Guardian]] |date=2 May 2023 |accessdate=3 May 2023}}</ref> 

Palin has three adult children: Thomas (born 1969), William (born 1970), and Rachel (born 1975); he also has four grandchildren.<ref name="irish" /> Rachel is a BBC TV director, whose work includes ''[[MasterChef: The Professionals]]''.<ref>{{cite news|first=Rowan | last=Pelling |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/men/thinking-man/michael-palin-how-to-stay-married-for-49-years/ |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20220111/https://www.telegraph.co.uk/men/thinking-man/michael-palin-how-to-stay-married-for-49-years/ |archive-date=11 January 2022 |url-access=subscription |url-status=live | title=Michael Palin: How to stay married for 49 years (sex has nothing to do with it) | work=[[The Daily Telegraph]]|location=London, England|date=13 November 2015|access-date=25 March 2018}}{{cbignore}}</ref><ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.thecnj.com/review/092707/books092707_01.html?headline=Home_truths_on_wanderlust | title=Home truths on Wanderlust | work=[[Camden New Journal]] | publisher=New Journal Enterprises | location=London, England | date=27 September 2007 | access-date=7 September 2008 | archive-date=21 March 2012 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120321124404/http://www.thecnj.com/review/092707/books092707_01.html?headline=Home_truths_on_wanderlust | url-status=live }}</ref> William is Director of Conservation at the [[Old Royal Naval College]], Greenwich, London,<ref>{{cite web | url = https://www.ornc.org/news/will-palin-conservation-director | work = Old Royal Naval College Website | title = Will Palin appointed as Conservation Director | date = 1 February 2014 | access-date = 30 March 2019 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20190330191856/https://www.ornc.org/news/will-palin-conservation-director | archive-date = 30 March 2019 | url-status = dead }}</ref> and oversaw the 2018–19 restoration of the Painted Hall.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://inews.co.uk/opinion/comment/need-helping-appreciating-a-museum-get-comfy-first/ | work=i News | title=Need helping appreciating a museum? Get comfy first | date=22 March 2019 | access-date=30 March 2019 | archive-date=30 March 2019 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190330191854/https://inews.co.uk/opinion/comment/need-helping-appreciating-a-museum-get-comfy-first/ | url-status=live }}</ref> A photograph of William as a baby briefly appeared in ''[[Monty Python and the Holy Grail]]'' as "Sir Not-appearing-in-this-film".<ref>{{cite news |title=Twiggy, Monty Python's Michael Palin among recipients on New Year's Honors List |url=https://www.cbsnews.com/news/twiggy-monty-pythons-michael-palin-among-recipients-on-new-years-honors-list/ |work=[[CBS News]] |date=28 December 2018 |access-date=8 September 2019 |archive-date=2 May 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190502080229/https://www.cbsnews.com/news/twiggy-monty-pythons-michael-palin-among-recipients-on-new-years-honors-list/ |url-status=live }}</ref> The theatre designer [[Jeremy Herbert]] is a nephew.<ref>{{cite book|first=Michael|last=Palin|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=OD46CQAAQBAJ&pg=PA88 |title=Travelling to Work: Diaries 1988–1998|publisher=Weidenfeld & Nicolson|location=London, England|date=2014|page=88|isbn=9781466888913}}</ref> 

Palin describes his religious belief as "[[Agnosticism|agnostic]] with doubts".<ref>{{cite news|first=Michael|last=Palin|title=My seven of the best|newspaper=The Church Times|date=22 May 2015|url=https://www.churchtimes.co.uk/articles/2015/22-may/features/features/michael-palin-my-seven-of-the-best|archive-date=18 January 2017|access-date=17 January 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170118053916/https://www.churchtimes.co.uk/articles/2015/22-may/features/features/michael-palin-my-seven-of-the-best|url-status=live}}</ref> He has lived in [[Gospel Oak]], London, since the 1960s.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://hidden-london.com/gazetteer/gospel-oak/|title=Gospel Oak &#124; Hidden London|access-date=11 April 2021|archive-date=12 April 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210412135933/https://hidden-london.com/gazetteer/gospel-oak/|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.islingtongazette.co.uk/news/23520192.sir-michael-palins-beloved-wife-helen-dies-aged-80/|title=Sir Michael Palin's beloved wife Helen dies aged 80|date=13 May 2023|work=Islington Gazette|accessdate=16 May 2023|archive-date=15 May 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230515172513/https://www.islingtongazette.co.uk/news/23520192.sir-michael-palins-beloved-wife-helen-dies-aged-80/|url-status=live}}</ref>
 
Palin is a supporter of [[Sheffield Wednesday F.C.|Sheffield Wednesday]], holding aloft a trophy and shouting the club's name while in [[Venice]] shooting ''[[Around the World in 80 Days with Michael Palin|Around the World in 80 Days]]''.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Palin |first1=Michael |author1-link=Michael Palin |title=Michael Palin in Venice Around the World in 80 Days BBC Studios |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wo_zT3o2n8Y |website=youtube.com |publisher=[[BBC Studios]] |format=video |date=20 September 2007 |access-date=27 September 2024 |archive-date=9 July 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230709063651/https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wo_zT3o2n8Y |url-status=live }}</ref> He has also followed the fortunes of [[Sheffield United F.C.|Sheffield United]]<ref name=":0" /> and [[Stenhousemuir F.C.]]<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.scotsman.com/sport/football/michael-palin-puts-money-into-his-scottish-team-1467676|title=Michael Palin puts money into his Scottish team|date=9 September 2016 |accessdate=25 January 2024|archive-date=8 December 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231208161547/https://www.scotsman.com/sport/football/michael-palin-puts-money-into-his-scottish-team-1467676|url-status=live}}</ref>

On turning 80, Palin said, {{block quote|text=Eighty is a weird land to be in. People say to you 'you're a very young 70'. No one ever says 'you're a very young 80'.|source=<ref>{{Cite web |last=Harari |first=Fiona |title='Eighty is a weird land to be in': Michael Palin is still looking on the bright side of life |url=https://www.theaustralian.com.au/subscribe/news/1/?sourceCode=TAWEB_MRE170_a_GGL&dest=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.theaustralian.com.au%2Fhealth%2Feighty-is-a-weird-land-to-be-in-michael-palin-is-still-looking-on-the-bright-side-of-life%2Fnews-story%2F4d40c3164ac2f915a0c6f0a5cdb80663&memtype=anonymous&mode=premium&v21=GROUPA-Segment-2-NOSCORE&V21spcbehaviour=append |website=The Australian}}</ref>}}

==Activism and charity ==
Palin assisted [[Campaign for Better Transport (UK)|Campaign for Better Transport]] and others with campaigns on sustainable transport, particularly those relating to urban areas, and has been president of the campaign since 1986.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.bettertransport.org.uk/take_action/see_michael_palin|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081017022350/http://www.bettertransport.org.uk/take_action/see_michael_palin|url-status=dead|title=''Campaign for Better Transport website''|archive-date=17 October 2008}}</ref>

On 2 January 2011, he became the first person to sign the UK-based Campaign for Better Transport's Fair Fares Now campaign. In July 2015, he signed an open letter and gave an interview to support "a strong BBC at the centre of British life" at a time when the government was reviewing the corporation's size and activities.<ref>{{cite news | url= https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-33547098 | title= Michael Palin: 'BBC still lets us experiment' | work= BBC News | date= 16 July 2015 | access-date= 17 July 2015 | archive-date= 16 July 2015 | archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20150716112009/http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-33547098 | url-status= live }}</ref>

In July 2010, Palin sent a message of support for the [[Dongria Kondh]] tribe of [[India]], who were resisting mining on their land by the company [[Vedanta Resources]]. Palin said, "I've been to the Nyamgiri Hills in [[Odisha|Orissa]] and seen the forces of money and power that Vedanta Resources have arrayed against a people who have occupied their land for thousands of years, who husband the forest sustainably and make no great demands on the state or the government. The tribe I visited simply want to carry on living in the villages that they and their ancestors have always lived in."<ref>[http://www.survivalinternational.org/news/6269 Michael Palin sends message to support Dongria Kondh] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100725080147/http://www.survivalinternational.org/news/6269 |date=25 July 2010 }}, Survival International</ref>

Palin is a longstanding Vice President of the [[National Churches Trust]].<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.nationalchurchestrust.org/about-us/our-presidents-and-patrons |title=Our Presidents and Patrons |accessdate=7 December 2023 |archive-date=8 December 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231208000208/https://www.nationalchurchestrust.org/about-us/our-presidents-and-patrons |url-status=live }}</ref>

Palin is a co-founder of The Michael Palin Centre for Stammering.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://michaelpalincentreforstammering.org/about-the-michael-palin-centre/how-the-mpc-started/|title=The Michael Palin Centre for Stammering|accessdate=3 January 2024|archive-date=3 January 2024|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240103210036/https://michaelpalincentreforstammering.org/about-the-michael-palin-centre/how-the-mpc-started/|url-status=live}}</ref> When it opened in 1993 Palin became Vice President of Action for Stammering Children. Palin's awareness and understanding of stammering stemmed from his father’s experience as a person who stammers. Over the years Palin has provided support and connection to young people and families of people who stammer.

==Filmography==
=== Film ===
{| class="wikitable sortable"
|-
! Year
! Title
! Role
! class="unsortable" | Notes
|-
| 1971
| ''[[And Now for Something Completely Different]]''
| Various roles
| rowspan="2" | Also writer
|-
| 1975
| ''[[Monty Python and the Holy Grail]]''
| [[Sir Galahad|Sir Galahad the Pure]] <br /> Leader of the [[Knights Who Say "Ni!"]] <br /> Various roles
|-
| 1977
| ''[[Jabberwocky (film)|Jabberwocky]]''
| Dennis Cooper
| 
|-
| 1978
| ''[[All You Need Is Cash]]''
| Eric Manchester/Lawyer
| 
|-
| 1979
| ''[[Monty Python's Life of Brian]]''
| [[Pontius Pilate]]/Various roles
| rowspan="3" | Also writer
|-
| 1981
| ''[[Time Bandits]]''
| Vincent
|-
| rowspan=2|1982
| ''[[Monty Python Live at the Hollywood Bowl]]''
| Various roles
|-
| data-sort-value="Missionary, The" | ''[[The Missionary]]''
| The Reverend Charles Fortescue
| Also writer and producer
|-
| rowspan=2|1983
| ''[[Monty Python's The Meaning of Life]]''
| Various roles
| Also writer
|-
| data-sort-value="Crimson Permanent Assurance, The" | ''[[The Crimson Permanent Assurance]]''
| Workman
| Short film
|-
| 1984
| data-sort-value="Private Function, A" | ''[[A Private Function]]''
| Gilbert Chilvers
| 
|-
| 1985
| ''[[Brazil (1985 film)|Brazil]]''
| Jack Lint
| 
|-
| 1987
| data-sort-value="Grand Knockout Tournament, The" | ''[[The Grand Knockout Tournament]]''
| Himself
| [[Television special]]
|-
| 1988
| data-sort-value="Fish Called Wanda, A" | ''[[A Fish Called Wanda]]''
| Ken Pile
| 
|-
| 1991
| ''[[American Friends]]''
| Reverend Francis Ashby
| Also writer
|-
| 1996
| data-sort-value="Wind in the Willows, The" | ''[[The Wind in the Willows (1996 film)|The Wind in the Willows]]''
| The Sun
| Voice only
|-
| 1997
| ''[[Fierce Creatures]]''
| Adrian 'Bugsy' Malone
| 
|-
| 2010
| ''[[Not the Messiah (He's a Very Naughty Boy)|Not the Messiah]]''
| Mrs Betty Palin/Pontius Pilate/Bevis
| 
|-
| 2011
| ''[[Arthur Christmas]]''
| Ernie Clicker 
| rowspan="2" | Voice only
|-
| 2012
| data-sort-value="Liar's Autobiography: The Untrue Story of Monty Python's Graham Chapman, A" | ''[[A Liar's Autobiography: The Untrue Story of Monty Python's Graham Chapman|A Liar's Autobiography: <br /> The Untrue Story of Monty Python's Graham Chapman]]''
| rowspan=2|Various roles
|-
| 2014
| ''[[Monty Python Live (Mostly)|Monty Python Live]]''
| Also writer
|-
| 2015
| ''[[Absolutely Anything]]''
| Kindly Alien
| Voice only
|-
| 2017
| data-sort-value="Death of Stalin, The" | ''[[The Death of Stalin]]''
| [[Vyacheslav Molotov]]
|
|-
| {{TableTBA}}
| data-sort-value="Magic Faraway Tree, The" | ''[[The Magic Faraway Tree (film)|The Magic Faraway Tree]]''
| {{TableTBA}}
| Filming
|}

===Television===
{| class="wikitable sortable"
|-
! Year
! Title
! Role
! class="unsortable" | Notes
|-
|1965–1966
|''Now!''
|Himself (host)
|
|-
| rowspan="2" |1966–1967
|data-sort-value="Frost Report, The" | ''[[The Frost Report]]''
|
| rowspan="2" |Writer
|-
|data-sort-value="Late Show, The" | ''The Late Show''
|
|-
| rowspan="2" |1967
|data-sort-value="Series of Bird's, A" | ''A Series of Bird's'' 
|
| rowspan="4" |Also writer
|-
|''[[Twice a Fortnight]]''
| rowspan="7" |Various
|-
|1967–1969
|''[[Do Not Adjust Your Set]]''
|-
| rowspan="3" |1968
|''[[Broaden Your Mind]]''
|-
|''[[How to Irritate People]]''
|
|-
|''[[Marty (TV series)|Marty]]''
| rowspan="3" |Also writer
|-
|1969
|data-sort-value="Complete and Utter History of Britain, The" | ''[[The Complete and Utter History of Britain]]''
|-
|1969–1974
|''[[Monty Python's Flying Circus]]'' 
|-
|1975
|''[[Three Men in a Boat (1975 film)|Three Men in a Boat]]''
|Harris
|TV movie
|-
|1976–1979
|''[[Ripping Yarns]]''
|Various
|Also writer
|-
|1978–1984
|''[[Saturday Night Live]]'' 
|Himself (host)
|4 episodes
|-
|1980
|''[[Great Railway Journeys of the World]]''
|Himself
|Episode: "Confessions of a [[Trainspotters in the United Kingdom|Trainspotter]]"; also writer
|-
|1987
|''[[East of Ipswich]]'' 
|
|Writer
|-
| rowspan="2" |1989
|''[[Around the World in 80 Days with Michael Palin]]''
|Himself (host)
|Also writer
|-
|''Number 27'' 
|
|TV movie, writer<ref>{{cite web |date=3 August 1989 |title=BBC Programme Index |url=https://genome.ch.bbc.co.uk/fb442d26b451463d9afebbdc97f2182b |access-date=21 May 2024 |website=genome.ch.bbc.co.uk |archive-date=21 May 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240521235308/https://genome.ch.bbc.co.uk/fb442d26b451463d9afebbdc97f2182b |url-status=live }}</ref>
|-
|1991
|''[[G.B.H. (TV series)|G.B.H.]]''
|Jim Nelson
|
|-
|1992
|''[[Pole to Pole with Michael Palin]]''
|Himself (host)
|Also writer
|-
|1993
|''[[Tracey Ullman: A Class Act]]''
|Various
|TV movie
|-
|1994
|''[[Great Railway Journeys]]''
|Himself (host)
|Episode: "Derry to Kerry"; also writer
|-
|1994
|''[[Palin's Column]]''
|Himself (host)
|
|-
|1995
|data-sort-value="Wind in the Willows, The" | ''[[The Wind in the Willows (1995 film)|The Wind in the Willows]]''
| rowspan="2" |Rat (voice)
| rowspan="2" |TV movie
|-
|1996
|data-sort-value="Willows in Winter, The" | ''[[The Wind in the Willows (1995 film)#Sequel|The Willows in Winter]]''
|-
| rowspan="2" |1997
|''[[Full Circle with Michael Palin]]''
| rowspan="2" |Himself (host)
|Also writer
|-
|''Palin on Redpath''
|
|-
|1998
|''[[Monty Python Live at Aspen]]''
|Himself / various
|
|-
|1999
|''[[Michael Palin's Hemingway Adventure]]''
| rowspan="8" |Himself (host)
| rowspan="3" |Also writer
|-
|2000
|''Michael Palin On... The Colourists''
|-
| rowspan="2" |2002
|''[[Sahara with Michael Palin]]''
|-
|''[[Life on Air]]''
|
|-
| rowspan="2" |2004
|''[[Himalaya with Michael Palin]]''
|Also writer
|-
|''Michael Palin and the Ladies Who Loved Matisse'' 
|
|-
|2005
| ''Michael Palin and the Mystery of Hammershøi'' 
|
|-
| rowspan="2" |2007
|''[[Michael Palin's New Europe]]''
|Also writer
|-
|''[[Robbie the Reindeer]]''
|Gariiiiiii/Gary (voice)
|Episode: "Close Encounters of the Herd Kind"
|-
|2008
|''[[Around the World in 20 Years]]''
| rowspan="2" |Himself (host)
| rowspan="2" |Also writer
|-
|2012
|''[[Brazil with Michael Palin]]''
|-
| rowspan="2" |2013
|data-sort-value="Wipers Times, The" | ''[[The Wipers Times#Television|The Wipers Times]]''
|General Mitford
|TV movie
|-
|''[[Michael Palin in Wyeth's World]]''
|Himself (host)
|Also writer
|-
|2014
|''[[Remember Me (TV series)|Remember Me]]''
|Tom Parfitt
|
|-
| rowspan="2" |2015
|''[[Clangers#Remake|Clangers]]'' 
|Narrator<ref name="Remake">{{cite news|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/entertainment-arts-29107225|title=Michael Palin to narrate Clangers|work=BBC News|date=8 September 2014|accessdate=27 December 2019|archive-date=4 June 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200604205442/https://www.bbc.com/news/entertainment-arts-29107225|url-status=live}}</ref>
|
|-
|''Michael Palin's Quest for Artemisia''
|Himself (host)
|
|-
| rowspan="2" |2018
|''[[Vanity Fair (2018 TV series)|Vanity Fair]]'' 
|[[William Makepeace Thackeray]]
|
|-
|''[[Michael Palin in North Korea]]''<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2018/sep/21/michael-palin-in-north-korea-review|title=Michael Palin in North Korea review – a soothing look at a sinister regime|first=Lucy|last=Mangan|date=21 September 2018|access-date=30 December 2018|work=The Guardian}}</ref>
|Himself (host)
|
|-
|2019
|''[[Worzel Gummidge (2019 TV series)|Worzel Gummidge]]''
|The Green Man<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m000cskt|title=BBC One – Worzel Gummidge, Series 1, The Green Man|website=BBC|accessdate=27 December 2019|archive-date=12 December 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191212185149/https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m000cskt|url-status=live}}</ref>
|
|-
| rowspan="3" |2020
|data-sort-value="Simpsons, The" | ''[[The Simpsons]]''
|Museum Curator (voice)
|Episode: "[[I, Carumbus]]"
|-
|''Michael Palin: Travels of a Lifetime''<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m000n7cb/episodes/guide |title=Michael Palin: Travels of a Lifetime |publisher=BBC |accessdate=26 July 2021 |archive-date=14 April 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210414032046/https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m000n7cb/episodes/guide |url-status=live }}</ref>
| rowspan="2" |Himself (host)
|
|-
|''Michael Palin’s Himalaya: Journey of a Lifetime''<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m000qrr9|title=Michael Palin's Himalaya: Journey of a Lifetime|website=BBC Two|publisher=BBC|accessdate=8 March 2023|archive-date=8 March 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230308114639/https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m000qrr9|url-status=live}}</ref>
|
|-
|2021
|''[[Staged]]''
|Himself
|
|-
|2022
|''[[Michael Palin: Into Iraq]]''<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.irishnews.com/magazine/entertainment/2022/05/18/news/sir-michael-palin-to-travel-across-iraq-in-new-channel-5-series-2715247/|title=Sir Michael Palin to travel across Iraq in new Channel 5 series|website=irishnews.com|date=18 May 2022|accessdate=31 August 2022|archive-date=31 August 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220831085141/https://www.irishnews.com/magazine/entertainment/2022/05/18/news/sir-michael-palin-to-travel-across-iraq-in-new-channel-5-series-2715247/|url-status=live}}</ref>
| rowspan="2" |Himself (host)
|
|-
|2024
|''[[Michael Palin in Nigeria]]''<ref>{{cite web|url=https://orangesmarty.com/programme/michael-palin-this-is-nigeria|title=Michael Palin in Nigeria|website=orangesmarty.com|accessdate=3 April 2024|archive-date=3 April 2024|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240403093920/https://orangesmarty.com/programme/michael-palin-this-is-nigeria|url-status=live}}</ref>
|
|-
|2025
|''[[Michael Palin in Venezuela]]''
|
|-
|TBA
|''Small Prophets (w/t)''
|Brian<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/mediacentre/2025/bbc-commissions-new-mackenzie-crook-comedy|title=BBC commissions new Mackenzie Crook comedy Small Prophets (w/t)|website=bbc.co.uk/mediacentre|date=21 May 2025|accessdate=27 May 2025}}</ref>
|
|}

===Radio===
*''The Weekend'' (2017, adapted from his 1994 stage play)
*''[[John Finnemore's Double Acts]]'' – "The Wroxton Box" (Series 2, Episode 6; 2017)
*[[Torchwood (audio drama series)|Torchwood]]: Tropical Beach Sounds and Other Relaxing Seascapes #4 (April 2020)

==Bibliography==
===Travel books===
* ''[[Around the World in 80 Days (Michael Palin book)|Around the World in 80 Days]]'' (1989) {{ISBN|0-563-20826-0}}
* ''[[Pole to Pole (book)|Pole to Pole]]'' (1992) {{ISBN|0-563-37065-3}}
* ''[[Full Circle – Michael Palin|Full Circle]]'' (1997) {{ISBN|0-563-37121-8}}
* ''[[Michael Palin's Hemingway Adventure]]'' (1999) {{ISBN|0-297-82528-3}}
* ''[[Sahara (Michael Palin book)|Sahara]]'' (2002) {{ISBN|0-297-84303-6}}
* ''[[Himalaya (book)|Himalaya]]'' (2004) {{ISBN|0-297-84371-0}}
* ''[[New Europe (book)|New Europe]]'' (2007) {{ISBN|0-297-84449-0}}
* ''[[Brazil (Palin book)|Brazil]]'' (2012) {{ISBN|0-297-86626-5}}
* ''North Korea Journal'' (2019) {{ISBN|978-1786331908}}
* ''Into Iraq'' (2022) {{ISBN|978-1529153118}}
* ''Michael Palin in Venezuela'' (2025) {{ISBN|978-1529154726}}

All but the latest two of his travel books can be read with no charge, complete and unabridged, on [https://www.palinstravels.co.uk Palin's Travels website] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201101121158/https://www.palinstravels.co.uk/ |date=1 November 2020 }}.

===Autobiography (contributor)===
* ''The Pythons'' Autobiography by The Pythons (2003) {{ISBN|0-7528-5293-0}}

===Diaries===
* ''[[Diaries 1969–1979: The Python Years]]''. 2006. {{ISBN|978-0-297-84436-5}}
* ''Diaries 1980–1988: Halfway to Hollywood&nbsp;– The Film Years''. London, Weidenfeld & Nicolson. 2009. {{ISBN|978-0-297-84440-2}}
* ''Diaries 1988–1998: Travelling to Work''. London, Weidenfeld & Nicolson. 2014. {{ISBN|978-0-297-84441-9}}
* ''Diaries 1999–2009: There and Back''. London, Weidenfeld & Nicolson. 2024. {{ISBN|978-1-474-61275-3}}

===Fiction===
*''[[Bert Fegg's Nasty Book for Boys and Girls]]'' with Terry Jones, illus [[Martin Honeysett]], [[Frank Bellamy]] et al. (1974) {{ISBN|0-413-32740-X}}
*''Dr Fegg's Encyclopaedia of All World Knowledge'' (1984) (expanded reprint of the above, with Terry Jones and Martin Honeysett) {{ISBN|0-87226-005-4}}
*''Hemingway's Chair'' (1995) {{ISBN|0-7493-1930-5}}
*''The Truth'' (2012) {{ISBN|978-0297860211}}

===Non-fiction===
*''[[HMS Erebus (1826)|Erebus]]: The Story of a Ship'' (2018, UK) {{ISBN|978-1847948120}}
*''Erebus: One Ship, Two Epic Voyages, and the Greatest Naval Mystery of All Time'' (2018, US/Canada) {{ISBN|978-1771644419}}
*''Great-Uncle Harry: A Tale of War and Empire'' (2023) {{ISBN|978-1039001985}}

===Children's books===
*''Small Harry and the Toothache Pills'' (1982) {{ISBN|0-416-23690-1}}
*''Limerics'' or ''The [[Limerick (poetry)|Limerick]] Book'' (1985) {{ISBN|0-09-161540-2}}
*''Cyril and the House of Commons'' (1986) {{ISBN|1-85145-078-5}}
*''Cyril and the Dinner Party'' (1986) {{ISBN|1-85145-069-6}}
*''The Mirrorstone'' with Alan Lee and Richard Seymour (1986) {{ISBN|0-224-02408-6}}

===Plays===
*''The Weekend'' (1994) {{ISBN|0-413-68940-9}}

==Awards, honours and legacy==
[[File:153335 'Michael Palin' at Cambridge.JPG|thumb|Class 153, no. 153335 ''Michael Palin'' at [[Cambridge railway station|Cambridge]]]]
Palin was instrumental in setting up the [[Michael Palin Centre for Stammering Children]] in 1993.<ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.thisislondon.co.uk/standard/article-23552778-details/Palin%27s+centre+for+stammerers+wins+%C2%A3340%2C000+grant/article.do | title=Palin's centre for stammerers wins £340,000 grant | access-date=9 September 2008 | url-status=dead | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080913183801/http://www.thisislondon.co.uk/standard/article-23552778-details/Palin%27s+centre+for+stammerers+wins+%C2%A3340%2C000+grant/article.do | archive-date=13 September 2008 }}</ref> Also in 1993, each member of Monty Python had an [[asteroid]] named after them. Palin's is Asteroid [[9621 Michaelpalin]].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://ssd.jpl.nasa.gov/sbdb.cgi?sstr=9621 |title=JPL Small-Body Database Browser |access-date=17 October 2006 |work=Jet Propulsion Laboratory |archive-date=24 November 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201124040113/http://ssd.jpl.nasa.gov/sbdb.cgi?sstr=9621 |url-status=live }}</ref> In 2003, inside the [[Shakespeare's Globe|Globe Theatre]] a commemorative stone was placed – Palin has his own stone, to mark donors to the theatre, but it is misspelt as "Michael Pallin". The story goes that John Cleese paid for the stone, and mischievously insisted on misspelling his name.<ref>{{cite news | url=http://londonist.com/2015/10/hiding-in-plain-site#gallery=2133548,2133558 | work=Londonist | title=11 Secret Features of Famous London Landmarks | date=20 October 2015 | accessdate=20 October 2015 | archive-date=21 January 2018 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180121185152/http://londonist.com/2015/10/hiding-in-plain-site#gallery=2133548,2133558 | url-status=live }}</ref>

In honour of his achievements as a traveller, especially rail travel, Palin has two British trains named after him. In 2002, Virgin Trains' new £5&nbsp;million high-speed [[British Rail Class 221|Super Voyager]] train number 221130 was named ''Michael Palin''{{snd}} it carries his name externally and a plaque is located adjacent to the onboard shop with information on Palin and his many journeys.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.virgintrainsmediaroom.com/index.cfm?articleid=179 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20061016090511/http://www.virgintrainsmediaroom.com/index.cfm?articleid=179 |url-status=dead |archive-date=16 October 2006 |title=Virgin Trains |access-date=13 December 2006 }}</ref> Also, [[National Express East Anglia]] named a [[British Rail Class 153]] (unit number 153335) after him. (He is a [[model railway]] enthusiast.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.009.cd2.com/young.htm|title=can we attract youth to railway modelling?|website=www.009.cd2.com|access-date=30 December 2018|archive-date=15 September 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190915112659/http://www.009.cd2.com/young.htm|url-status=live}}</ref>{{Self-published inline|date=August 2020}})

[[File:Sheffield Legends Michael Palin.jpg|thumb|left|[[Sheffield Legends]] plaque in Palin's home city of [[Sheffield]], England]]
In 2008, he received the [[James Joyce Award]] of the [[Literary and Historical Society (University College Dublin)|Literary and Historical Society]] in Dublin. In recognition of his services to the promotion of geography, Palin was awarded the [[David Livingstone Centenary Medal|Livingstone Medal]] of the [[Royal Scottish Geographical Society]] in March 2009, along with a [[Fellow of the Royal Geographical Society|Fellowship of this Society]] (FRGS).<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.rsgs.org/awardsandmedals/ |title=Royal Scottish Geographical Society: Medals & Awards |access-date=29 January 2010 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100212031439/http://www.rsgs.org/awardsandmedals/ |archive-date=12 February 2010 }}</ref>

In June 2013, he was similarly honoured in Canada with a gold medal for achievements in geography by the [[Royal Canadian Geographical Society]].<ref>{{cite news|last=Ouzounian|first=Richard|title=Michael Palin, from Monty Python to travel series host|url=https://www.thestar.com/entertainment/2013/06/21/the_big_interview_with_monty_pythons_michael_palin.html|access-date=26 June 2013|newspaper=The Toronto Star|date=26 June 2013|archive-date=26 June 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130626082344/http://www.thestar.com/entertainment/2013/06/21/the_big_interview_with_monty_pythons_michael_palin.html|url-status=live}}</ref> In June 2009, Palin was elected for a three-year term as President of the [[Royal Geographical Society]].<ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.rgs.org/NR/rdonlyres/A9C558E3-889B-4EAC-81B6-BFAEF347B38D/0/090601_MichaelPalin.pdf | title=Michael Palin announced as new president of Royal Geographical Society (with IBG) | access-date=25 November 2009 | archive-date=6 March 2011 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110306034412/http://www.rgs.org/NR/rdonlyres/A9C558E3-889B-4EAC-81B6-BFAEF347B38D/0/090601_MichaelPalin.pdf | url-status=dead }}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/science/a-new-journey-of-exploration-for-michael-palin-1731265.html |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20220514/https://www.independent.co.uk/news/science/a-new-journey-of-exploration-for-michael-palin-1731265.html |archive-date=14 May 2022 |url-access=subscription |url-status=live|title=A new journey of exploration for Michael Palin|work=The Independent|access-date=5 September 2018}}</ref> Because of his self-described "amenable, conciliatory character" Michael Palin has been referred to as unofficially "Britain's Nicest Man".<ref>{{cite news| url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/film/starsandstories/6055546/Michael-Palin-hes-not-a-Messiah-just-a-very-nice-man.html |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20220111/https://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/film/starsandstories/6055546/Michael-Palin-hes-not-a-Messiah-just-a-very-nice-man.html |archive-date=11 January 2022 |url-access=subscription |url-status=live |location=London |work=The Daily Telegraph |first=Marc |last=Lee |title=Michael Palin: he's not a Messiah, just a very nice man |date=24 August 2009 |accessdate=8 October 2010}}{{cbignore}}</ref> In a 2018 poll for [[Yorkshire Day]] he was named the greatest Yorkshireman ever, ahead of [[Sean Bean]] and [[Patrick Stewart]].<ref>{{cite news |title=Ed Sheeran named among the greatest Yorkshiremen of all time |url=https://www.thelondoneconomic.com/lifestyle/ed-sheeran-named-among-the-greatest-yorkshiremen-of-all-time/31/07/ |access-date=28 August 2019 |work=London Economic |archive-date=27 August 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190827213747/https://www.thelondoneconomic.com/lifestyle/ed-sheeran-named-among-the-greatest-yorkshiremen-of-all-time/31/07/ |url-status=dead }}</ref>

In September 2013, Moorlands School, Leeds, named one of their school houses "Palin" after him.<ref>{{cite web| url=http://www.moorlands-school.co.uk/forms-and-houses/| title=Moorlands School Forms and Houses| access-date=24 April 2015| archive-date=29 April 2015| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150429065458/http://www.moorlands-school.co.uk/forms-and-houses/| url-status=live}}</ref> The [[University of St Andrews]] awarded Palin an [[honorary degree|honorary]] [[Doctor of Science]] degree during their June 2017 graduation ceremonies, with the degree recognising his contribution to the public's understanding of contemporary geography.<ref name="FifeToday">{{cite news |url=http://www.fifetoday.co.uk/news/education/former-python-looks-on-the-bright-side-after-uni-honour-1-4484889 |title=Former Python looks on the bright side after uni honour |work=Fife Today |location=Kirkcaldy |publisher=[[Johnston Press]] |date=23 June 2017 |access-date=25 June 2017 |archive-date=21 August 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170821043713/http://www.fifetoday.co.uk/news/education/former-python-looks-on-the-bright-side-after-uni-honour-1-4484889 |url-status=dead }}</ref> He joins his fellow Pythons [[John Cleese]] and [[Terry Jones]] in receiving an honorary degree from the Fife institution.<ref name="StAndPR">[https://www.st-andrews.ac.uk/news/archive/2017/title,1283540,en.php] {{Dead link|date=November 2018|bot=InternetArchiveBot|fix-attempted=yes}}</ref> In October 2018, the [[Royal Canadian Geographical Society]] awarded Palin the first Louie Kamookak Medal for advances in geography, for his book on the history of the polar exploration vessel [[HMS Erebus (1826)|HMS ''Erebus'']].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.canadiangeographic.ca/article/michael-palin-wows-audiences-tale-hms-erebus|title=Michael Palin wows audiences with tale of HMS Erebus|work=Canadian Geographic|date=20 October 2018|access-date=2 December 2018|archive-date=3 December 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181203060101/https://www.canadiangeographic.ca/article/michael-palin-wows-audiences-tale-hms-erebus|url-status=live}}</ref>

Palin was appointed a [[Commander of the Order of the British Empire]] (CBE) in the [[2000 New Year Honours]] for "services to television drama and travel documentaries".<ref>{{cite web|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/584037.stm|title=Trio of Dames lead showbiz honours|work=BBC News|date=31 December 1999|access-date=1 July 2019|archive-date=30 June 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220630030830/http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/584037.stm|url-status=live}}</ref> He then was appointed a [[Knight Commander of the Order of St Michael and St George]] (KCMG) in the [[2019 New Year Honours]] for "services to travel, culture and geography". Palin is the only member of the Monty Python team to receive a knighthood.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.yorkshireeveningpost.co.uk/news/monty-python-s-michael-palin-gets-knighthood-in-new-year-honours-1-9512598|title=Monty Python's Michael Palin gets knighthood in New Year Honours|work=Yorkshire Evening Post|date=29 December 2018|access-date=29 December 2018|archive-date=29 December 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181229120111/https://www.yorkshireeveningpost.co.uk/news/monty-python-s-michael-palin-gets-knighthood-in-new-year-honours-1-9512598|url-status=live}}</ref>

In 2017, the British Library acquired Palin's archive consisting of project files relating to his work, notebooks, and personal diaries. The papers in the archive (Add MS 89284) relate to his work with ''Monty Python'', his later TV work, and his children's and humorous books.<ref>[http://searcharchives.bl.uk/IAMS_VU2:IAMS032-003389071] {{Dead link|date=November 2023|bot=InternetArchiveBot|fix-attempted=yes}}</ref>

'''BAFTA Awards'''
[[File:Michael Palin-sm.jpg|thumb|Sir Michael Palin with the AIB Lifetime Achievement Award November 2024]]
* 1984 Nominated&nbsp;– [[BAFTA Award]] for "Best Original Song" (the award was discontinued after the 1985 ceremonies) for [[Every Sperm is Sacred]] from ''[[Monty Python's The Meaning of Life|The Meaning of Life]]'' (shared with André Jacquemin, Dave Howman and [[Terry Jones]])
* 1989 '''Won'''&nbsp;– [[BAFTA Award for Best Actor in a Supporting Role]] for ''[[A Fish Called Wanda]]'' (as Ken Pile)<ref>{{cite web|title=BAFTA Film Awards – Best Supporting Actor 1989|url=http://awards.bafta.org/award/1989/film/actor-in-a-supporting-role|publisher=[[BAFTA]]|access-date=15 May 2013|archive-date=12 November 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131112210537/http://awards.bafta.org/award/1989/film/actor-in-a-supporting-role|url-status=live}}</ref>
* 1992 Nominated&nbsp;– [[British Academy Television Award for Best Actor]] for ''[[G.B.H. (TV series)|GBH]]''
* 2005 '''Won'''&nbsp;– BAFTA Special Award
* 2009 '''Won'''&nbsp;– BAFTA Special Award as part of the Monty Python team for outstanding contribution to film and television<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.bafta.org/access-all-areas/videos/monty-python-special-award,877,BA.html |title=Monty Python Special Award |access-date=20 October 2009 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091108103158/http://www.bafta.org/access-all-areas/videos/monty-python-special-award%2C877%2CBA.html |archive-date=8 November 2009 }}</ref>
* 2013 '''Won'''&nbsp;– [[BAFTA Academy Fellowship Award]]<ref>{{cite news|title=TV Baftas 2013: all the winners|url=https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2013/may/12/baftas-2013-all-the-winners|work=[[The Guardian]]|date=12 May 2013|access-date=15 May 2013|archive-date=30 October 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181030090559/https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2013/may/12/baftas-2013-all-the-winners|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|title=Michael Palin To Receive Academy Fellowship at the Arqiva British Academy Television Awards|url=http://www.bafta.org/press/michael-palin-to-receive-academy-fellowship-at-the-arqiva-british-academy-television-awards,265,SNS.html|publisher=[[BAFTA]]|access-date=15 May 2013|archive-date=31 August 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140831162057/http://www.bafta.org/press/michael-palin-to-receive-academy-fellowship-at-the-arqiva-british-academy-television-awards,265,SNS.html|url-status=live}}</ref>

'''Other awards'''
* 2011 Awarded the [[Aardman Animations|Aardman]] [[Slapstick Festival|Slapstick]] Visual Comedy Legend award for "significant contributions made to the world of comedy".<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.slapstick.org.uk/awards/visual-comedy-award/|title=Aardman Slapstick Visual Comedy Award|work=slapstick.org.uk|date=18 June 2015|access-date=21 February 2017|archive-date=1 July 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180701055005/https://www.slapstick.org.uk/awards/visual-comedy-award/|url-status=live}}</ref>
* 2020 National Television Awards Special Recognition Award
* 2024 [[Association for International Broadcasting]]  Lifetime Achievement Award

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==Further reading==
* Jones, Mark (2010). ''The Famous Charisma Discography'' The Record Press/Bristol Folk Publications {{ISBN|978-0-9563531-1-5}}&nbsp;– discography of Monty Python's record label, includes foreword by Michael Palin
* Novick, Jeremy (2001). ''Life of Michael: an Illustrated Biography of Michael Palin'' Headline Publishing (a division of Hodder Headline) {{ISBN|0-7472-3529-5}}
* {{cite book|last=Ross |first= Robert |year=1997 |title=Monty Python Encyclopedia |publisher= B.T. Batsford Ltd |location= London |isbn=1-57500-036-9}}
* Wilmut, Roger (1980). ''From Fringe to Flying Circus: Celebrating a Unique Generation of Comedy 1960–1980'' Eyre Methuen Ltd {{ISBN|0-413-50770-X}}

==External links==
{{wikiquote}}
{{Commons category|Michael Palin}}
* {{Official|http://www.themichaelpalin.com/}}
* [https://www.bbc.co.uk/comedy/people/michael_palin_person_page.shtml Michael Palin] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200129213502/http://www.bbc.co.uk/comedy/people/michael_palin_person_page.shtml |date=29 January 2020 }}&nbsp;– BBC Guide to Comedy
* [http://www.comedy-zone.net/standup/comedian/pq/palin-michael.htm Michael Palin] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060926113125/http://comedy-zone.net/standup/comedian/pq/palin-michael.htm |date=26 September 2006 }}&nbsp;– Comedy Zone
* {{IMDb name|1589|Michael Palin}}
* {{Screenonline name|id=510300}}
* {{IBDB name}}
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20111007215834/http://www.stammeringcentre.org/mpc-home Michael Palin Centre for Stammering Children]
* [https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p009mwvb Michael Palin] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190805081612/https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p009mwvb |date=5 August 2019 }} interview on BBC Radio 4 ''[[Desert Island Discs]]'', 23 November 1979
* [https://www.theguardian.com/culture/michael-palin Michael Palin | Culture | The Guardian]

{{Navboxes
|title = Awards for Michael Palin
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{{BAFTA Award for Best Supporting Actor 1985-2009}}
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