january october english comedian writer actor members surreal comedy group played authority figures colonel lead role films life brian born leicester raised enjoyed science acting comedy graduating cambridge turned career doctor comedian established writing partnership reached critical peak 1970s left britain los_angeles late 1970s attempted success american television speaking college circuit producing pirate film returning britain early 1980s openly homosexual strong supporter gay rights relationship adult life alcoholic time cambridge early years shortly working life brian died spinal cancer october eve 20th anniversary life legacy commemorated private memorial service early life education born january nursing home leicester son policeman elder brother john born earliest memories seeing remains polish airmen suffered accident near leicester later saying horrific sights remained memory educated showed strong affinity science sports amateur singled attention local paper reviewed performance shakespeare graham avid fans radio comedy especially fond skill telling jokes wrong way round reversing biographer said radio shows didn necessarily laugh began study medicine cambridge joined cambridge began writing following graduation joined cambridge circus toured new_zealand medical studies year tour continued studies torn pursue career medicine acting brother john later said wasn driven medicine wasn life ambition career pre career following success began write professionally bbc initially frost recruited turn decided needed sounding board contributed sketches radio series sorry read wrote material wrote starring later joined television comedy series significant role performer writer displayed gift comedy sketch minister falls pieces imitating british series feature sketch wrestling despite success unsure abandoning medical career series completed studies professionally registered doctor wrote long running television comedy series doctor house appeared television special people alongside sketches featuring car salesman refusing believe customer model broken inspiration sketch wrote episodes doctor house follow doctor charge joined including sketch comedy group writing split defined teams collaborating exclusively particularly keen remove stereotypical sketches created colonel stop mid flow saying silly pair officially equal partners later thought contributed comparatively little way direct writing saying come drift mind said biggest contribution writing room funny later recalled graham push extraordinary immediate success delighted learn medical students crowded round television bar watch frequently late recording leading calling late main contribution sketch derived people piece involving customer returning faulty decided replace dead said believed funny find right context group felt best acting skills group complimented saying particularly wonderful actor played lead role films life brian chosen play lead group respect straight acting skills members wanted play lesser funnier characters mind filmed fully nude crowd life brian scene filmed tunisia caused problems female muslim extras work wrote pilot series trees received poor ratings broadcast time match day initial episode produced wrote comedy film odd job starred main characters wanted friend play lead role alongside moon pass acting test went previously appeared adjust set jones film moderately successful 1970s increasingly concerned income finances moved los_angeles late 1970s avoid british income tax guest starred television series including big began writing pirate film came conversations moon los_angeles moon wanted play began write script moon died work stalled eventually rewritten film starred eponymous pirate featured appearances cook idle marks appearance suffered fatal heart attack december project financial difficulties times money pay crew released mixed reviews reviewing film times said style comic anarchy requires rude words funny faces published memoirs choosing title said impossible tell truth returned britain permanently released involved extreme sports club jumping scheduled perform jump cancelled safety concerns final years reuniting meaning life began lengthy series college tours talking moon subjects saturday night live creator fan persuaded star new appeared video play madness starred pilot proposed television series jake journey financial problems prevented series intended cast episode died filming started personal life met long term partner later described realising homosexual important moment life told close friends relationship including following year moved pair enjoyed visiting gay clubs disclosed homosexuality public british jazz musician television celebrities vocal spokesman gay rights supporting adopted son met adolescent run away liverpool aged discussions father agreed legal guardian later business manager died heart attack supported newspaper listed publication special friends recognition later college tour mentioned television audience member written complain having gay group member adding bible said man lies man taken aware sexual orientation idle jokingly replied found killed remained constant life mid-1980s having britain moved took pipe smoking aged continued remainder life began drinking heavily time cambridge favouring time went tour drinking begun affect performance causing miss cues stage stopped drinking christmas concerned able act life brian successfully remained sober rest life death routine visit found small leading removed following year cancer spread spinal cord removed treatments final months life ultimately cancer declared according brother visibly upset death mother july time ill shortly filmed scenes 20th anniversary broadcast final time appeared television died october time death visited brother john sister law fellow led room deal grief intended visit arrived late visibly shaken news death occurred eve twentieth anniversary broadcast jones called worst case party history memorial service surviving members decided stay away private funeral prevent media circus family privacy sent shape famous foot message graham love stop getting silly rolling_stones sent floral arrangement saying thanks laughs private memorial service held december months death service began chorus hymn jerusalem sung mock chinese accent delivered memorable eulogy shock humour believed wanted later person televised british memorial service fuck delivered eulogy idle decided die listen idle led surviving close friends family rendition song look bright life life brian closed saying like person meeting fuck years death ashes rumoured skies rocket assistance second ashes scattered legacy death speculation revival inevitably diminished subsequent gatherings included said contain ashes comedy arts festival accidentally knocked ashes stage apparently cremated remains removed dust idle recalled meeting saying wish replied pocket named honour named members allowed start later year novel released semi sequel works compiled writings calcium interesting sketches letters compiled edited published association david trust play happy day performed dad atlanta georgia assistance album dvd looks like brown job released featuring college lecture recorded april june announced jones perform animated version memoir autobiography volume director worked closely estate surviving members exactly right film titled autobiography story shown toronto international film festival september premiered following month voices jones commentary recorded reading memoir taped shortly death film official trailer quotes saying best film died september british comedy society blue plaque commemorate unveiled angel pub jones said graham manor patch celebrated good brilliant funny nice wise kind man occasionally drank december green plaque funded placed home burton road filmography
Graham Chapman