--- title: "3 Brian Quotes By John Cleese" description: "3 Brian quotes by John Cleese. Plus more from John Cleese and more Brian sayings from other authors." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/623/john-cleese-1768_america_the-americans-all-love-the-holy-grail-an_320828.jpg" --- > [The Americans all love 'The Holy Grail', and the English all love 'Life Of Brian', and I'm afraid on this one, I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-cleese/the-americans-all-love-the-holy-grail-and-the-english-all-love-life/) [John Cleese](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-cleese/) [Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/623/john-cleese-1768_america_the-americans-all-love-the-holy-grail-an_320828.jpg) > [It's not the despair, Laura. I can take the despair. It's the hope I can't stand.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-cleese/it-s-not-the-despair-laura-i-can-take-the-despair-it-s-the-hope-i-can/) [John Cleese](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-cleese/) [Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/256/john-cleese-1768_brian_it-s-not-the-despair-laura-i-can-take-th_421685.jpg) > [It's not the despair, Laura. I can take the despair. It's the hope I can't stand. ~ Brian Stimpson, Clockwise](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-cleese/it-s-not-the-despair-laura-i-can-take-the-despair-it-s-the-hope-i-can-2/) [John Cleese](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-cleese/) [Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/dc7/john-cleese-1768_brian_it-s-not-the-despair-laura-i-can-take-th_655989.jpg) ## Other authors on Brian ## More by John Cleese > [Too many people confuse being serious with being solemn.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-cleese/too-many-people-confuse-being-serious-with-being-solemn/) [John Cleese](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-cleese/) > [Nerves are always a big problem for me, which is why I loved doing American sitcoms. Because you know when you do the take…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-cleese/nerves-are-always-a-big-problem-for-me-which-is-why-i-loved-doing/) [John Cleese](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-cleese/) > [years ago we would have been burned for this. Now what I am suggesting is that we've advanced.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-cleese/years-ago-we-would-have-been-burned-for-this-now-what-i-am-suggesting/) [John Cleese](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-cleese/) > [I think that sometimes you do something that makes a small group of people laugh, which is all we were trying to do; we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-cleese/i-think-that-sometimes-you-do-something-that-makes-a-small-group-of/) [John Cleese](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-cleese/) > [The very essence of playfulness is an openness to anything that may happen, the feeling that whatever happens, it's okay... you're either free to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-cleese/the-very-essence-of-playfulness-is-an-openness-to-anything-that-may/) [John Cleese](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-cleese/) > [Loving your neighbour as much as yourself is practically bloody impossible? You might as well have a commandment that states,'Thou shalt fly'.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-cleese/loving-your-neighbour-as-much-as-yourself-is-practically-bloody/) [John Cleese](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-cleese/) > [Creativity is not the possession of some special talent. It’s about the willingness to play.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-cleese/creativity-is-not-the-possession-of-some-special-talent-it-s-about/) [John Cleese](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-cleese/) > [England is a fairly envious little country and it's embodied in the press. They don't like anyone being more distinguished than they are.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-cleese/england-is-a-fairly-envious-little-country-and-it-s-embodied-in-the/) [John Cleese](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-cleese/) > [I used to desire many, many things, but now I have just one desire, and that's to get rid of all my other desires.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-cleese/i-used-to-desire-many-many-things-but-now-i-have-just-one-desire-and/) [John Cleese](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-cleese/) > [I think the hard thing for young comedians is that the majority of the young people in the audience out there don't have the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-cleese/i-think-the-hard-thing-for-young-comedians-is-that-the-majority-of/) [John Cleese](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-cleese/) > [I wish you wusses would stop whining about your unhappiness. I'm really fed up with it. Pour yourself a scotch and pull yourself together.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-cleese/i-wish-you-wusses-would-stop-whining-about-your-unhappiness-i-m/) [John Cleese](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-cleese/) > [On movies, I like to involve the cast in the writing of the script. I like to have a rehearsal period, after which I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-cleese/on-movies-i-like-to-involve-the-cast-in-the-writing-of-the-script-i/) [John Cleese](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-cleese/) > [I had a very, very difficult relationship with my mother, who was supremely self-centred. She was hilariously self-centred. She did not really take interest…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-cleese/i-had-a-very-very-difficult-relationship-with-my-mother-who-was/) [John Cleese](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-cleese/) > [Nothing will stop you being creative more effectively as the fear of making a mistake.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-cleese/nothing-will-stop-you-being-creative-more-effectively-as-the-fear-of/) [John Cleese](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-cleese/) > [I was very sad to hear of the death of Ronnie Barker, who was such a warm, friendly and encouraging presence to have when…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-cleese/i-was-very-sad-to-hear-of-the-death-of-ronnie-barker-who-was-such-a/) [John Cleese](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-cleese/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "ItemList", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/brian/john-cleese/#itemlist", "name": "3 Brian Quotes By John Cleese", "numberOfItems": 3, "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "item": { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "The Americans all love 'The Holy Grail', and the English all love 'Life Of Brian', and I'm afraid on this one, I side with the English.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "John Cleese" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-cleese/the-americans-all-love-the-holy-grail-and-the-english-all-love-life/", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/623/john-cleese-1768_america_the-americans-all-love-the-holy-grail-an_320828.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/623/john-cleese-1768_america_the-americans-all-love-the-holy-grail-an_320828.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/623/john-cleese-1768_america_the-americans-all-love-the-holy-grail-an_320828.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“The Americans all love 'The Holy Grail', and the English all love 'Life Of Brian', and I'm afraid on this…” — John Cleese", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } } }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "item": { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "It's not the despair, Laura. 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