It seems that Terry Gilliam, whose films he has enjoyed watching for a generation, has always been a celebrity. In fact, this is very far from the truth, despite the fact that in recent decades he is really widely known among a certain circle of people. The real popularity was brought to him by the career of the director and screenwriter, although at different times he was also a animator, composer and actor.
early years
Most people are sure that Terry Gilliam was born where he works - in the UK. However, this is not so: he was born in Minneapolis, USA, November 22, 1940. There, in America, he received his education by graduating from college in Los Angeles, where he studied political science and was engaged in the production of an amateur humorous magazine, while simultaneously sending some of his works to the editor of a youth publication. The latter, obviously, came in handy in his life a little more than the specialty received.
Carier start
Soon after graduation, Gilliam became an animator and met with British journalist John Cleese, who invited him to work in Europe. Very quickly, Terry made friends with a small group of actors who developed humorous television sketches that almost immediately became popular. So the birth of the legendary Monty Python band happened. Its feature was that each participant was involved in the development of scripts, set-top boxes and other elements of the show. It became so popular that five years later, feature films began to appear while retaining a characteristic sense of humor, based mainly on a parody of generally accepted norms.
At first, as part of Monty Python, Terry Gilliam was engaged exclusively in concept, music and animated inserts, but in 1971 he himself appeared on the screen, and in 1975 he also acted as a co-director. Perhaps this determined his future life, especially since by this time he had already received British citizenship and firmly established himself in a new place.
Personal life
Despite all the popularity that had fallen on him, Gilliam did not follow the path that many people take in the same conditions. Tabloids do not write about his life, in magazines you will not find references to his new passions (having married in 1973, makeup artist Maggie Weston, who worked with him side by side, he became an exemplary family man). Having married, they did not leave a career: at different times, the couple became nominees for various prestigious film awards, including Golden Globe and Oscar.
Perhaps he dreamed of a son, but he became the father of three wonderful daughters, one of whom later went on to produce and worked on “The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus” - a film that Terry Gilliam presented to the world.
Filmography
He never ceases to amaze with his performance. In total, this person took part in more than 120 films, doing a variety of work. To list them all is not an easy task, therefore, perhaps, it is worth mentioning only those in which he acted as a director.
- “Barmaglot” (“Jabberwocky”) - the first independent film, albeit very similar in spirit to “Monty Python”, was greeted by spectators and critics rather coldly (1977).
- "Bandits of the time" - separation from the established style (1981) is planned.
- “Brazil” - Terry Gilliam, although he was known for his previous works, received real success after this film (1985).
- "The Adventures of Baron Munchausen" - four nominations for an Oscar (1988).
- "The King Fisherman" - another masterpiece in the genre of psychological drama, nomination for the Golden Globe (1991).
- "12 Monkeys" - a film that occupies a prominent place in the career of its creator (1995).
- "Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas" - this film also became a cult, despite the failure at the box office (1998).
- “The Brothers Grimm” - the film was received rather coolly, but the fees covered the budget (2005).
- "Country of the tides" - due to some features, the tape was hardly shown on the wide screen, some critics were outraged by the content (2005).
- “The Imaginarium of Dr. Parnassus” is one of the most famous and large-scale productions of Gilliam, the work in which was the last role of Heath Ledger. Two nominations for an Oscar (2009).
- "Zero Theorem" was presented at the Venice Film Festival, rather ambiguously accepted by viewers and critics (2013).
"The Imaginarium of Dr. Parnassus"
Terry Gilliam decided to shoot this film, already having more than solid experience both as a director and as a screenwriter. Having carefully revised the legend of Dr. Faust, he gathered a star and experienced acting and film crew, intending to create a movie masterpiece.
It’s hard to say for sure whether Terry Gilliam succeeded in this endeavor because the film has yet to pass the test of time. The picture is phantasmagoric, the world created by the director is constantly changing, so that the meaning can slip away. In the midst of working on the film, one of the leading actors - Heath Ledger - was found dead, which at first questioned the future of the tape, because many scenes with it were already shot. Nevertheless, even from this predicament Terry Gilliam found a brilliant way out: the role was played by Johnny Depp, Jude Law and Colin Farrell.
Yes, perhaps this is not the easiest film to read, but it is beautiful, interesting and looks at one go. In the end, it becomes obvious that the Oscar nominations were not in vain.
Current projects and ideas
Despite the success, the hero of our story is not going to stop there. In an interview, Gilliam admits that he always wanted to make a film about Don Quixote, because he associates himself with this character struggling with imaginary difficulties. And, it seems, his dream will come true soon. In 2017, the release of the film "The Man Who Killed Don Quixote" was announced, the work on which the director began back in the 90s, but was forced to suspend due to some circumstances. According to the plot, a resident of the XXI century will fall into medieval Spain, where he will be taken for Sancho Panza. This may not be exactly what Gilliam dreams about, but who knows what his next film will be? In any case, it can be expected that if Terry acts as a screenwriter, a good portion of excellent branded humor will be provided to the audience.