Eric Idle is an English actor, comedian, musician and writer. Idle is a former member of the British surreal comedy group Monty Python and the parody rock band The Rutles and is the writer of the music and lyrics for the Broadway musical Spamalot (based on Monty Python and the Holy Grail).
Known for his elaborate wordplay and musical numbers, Idle performed many of Python’s songs, including “Always Look on the Bright Side of Life” (from Life of Brian), and the “Galaxy Song” (from The Meaning of Life).
Idle’s initially successful solo career faltered in the 1990s with the failures of his 1993 film Splitting Heirs (which he wrote, produced, and starred in) and 1998’s An Alan Smithee Film: Burn Hollywood Burn (in which he starred).
He revived his career by returning to the source of his worldwide fame, adapting Monty Python material for other media. Following the success of the musical Spamalot (which won the Tony Award for Best Musical), he also wrote Not the Messiah, an oratorio derived from the Life of Brian.
What happened to Eric Idle?
In 2019, Idle was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. However, he was diagnosed early and underwent successful surgery to remove the tumour, needing no further treatment after this procedure.
He told Time magazine: “About three years ago I was incredibly lucky: I was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer.
“Lucky? One of the most lethal forms of cancer, how on earth was that lucky? Well, because it was found incredibly early.”
He jokingly added: “No, not before lunchtime, but before it had gone anywhere.”
Idle recalled how he had asked his friend, the doctor David Kipper, “the quickest way to die” while conducting research for a play about a writer who is penning a musical about death when he discovers he is about to die.
In 2019, the same friend, who specializes in preventative medicine, helped diagnose Idle with pancreatic cancer.
After undergoing surgery at Cedars-Sinai hospital in Los Angeles, Mr Kipper told him: “Well, you’re in very good shape. Cancer hasn’t recurred. You should have about 10 years.”