I met Graham Chapman in 1978 in London, Ontario.
He was at the University of Western Ontario in a one-person lecture series. There was a huge snowstorm that night which meant that only about 20 die-hard fans were in the crowd.
He treated every star-struck questioner with tremendous respect and generosity. I was impressed, to say the least.
I have always admired grace during difficult times. John Cleese demonstrates an appropriate response to loss: empathy, fraternity and action.
Tags: Graham Chapman, John Cleese
April 9, 2009 at 9:23 am
Wow, you met Graham Chapman. He’s my favorite Python. I read in a Terry Gilliam interview somewhere that he was destructive in his personal life, but that he was also a very generous selfless man. I wish I would have met his too. Although, I’m not certain if I would have been able to ask questions. I may have just sat there awed.
April 9, 2009 at 1:34 pm
Cecily, Just a great memory. Chapman was a qualified doctor and an integral part of Python’s brilliance, I think. Tortured and self-destructive, yes.
While there’s nothing romantic about that, his humanity is evident well past his life.