(NationalUSNews.com) — Eric Idle, best known as one of the founding members of the comedy troupe Monty Python, is still working at age 80. Although often regarded as a brilliant comedic actor, Idle is also an accomplished songwriter, playwright, screenwriter, and musician. He has also been a producer on many of his projects, such as the popular 2004 musical Spamalot. On his account on the social media platform X, he’s recently been discussing the fact that even at his age, he is still working for a living.
In one post, Idle remarked that he doesn’t know why people always think the Pythons, as they are sometimes affectionately known by fans, are “loaded.” He then posted that the troupe owns everything they ever made but indicated that, at his age, these streams of income taper off. He also made comments indicating mismanagement may have led to problems with the financial side of Monty Python’s projects, implicating Monty Python member Terry Gilliam and his daughter Holly, who took over management of the group in 2013.
Idle mentioned that he had survived pancreatic cancer in September 2022 after receiving a rare and lucky early diagnosis. A late diagnosis of pancreatic cancer is usually fatal, as it is a particularly aggressive form of cancer and generally has a low survival rate. Fans were sympathetic and offered suggestions to help him financially, like crowdfunding, a documentary, or even a Netflix special. Idle rejected all of these suggestions but gave thanks for their encouragement and “kind words.”
He then said that he doesn’t mind not being wealthy, adding that he’d rather be funny. He assured his well-wishers that he is engaged in what he most likes to do, which is writing. He indicated he’s working on a new show, which he says feels completely normal to him. Idle seems to enjoy engaging with the public on social media, as he cheerfully answered questions about a variety of subjects and posted old photographs. Idle recently sold his home in Los Angeles, which was listed at $6.5 million, so it may be safe to assume he’s doing just fine.
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