Charles McKeown


Charles McKeown is a British actor and writer, perhaps best known for his collaborations with Terry Gilliam. The two met while shooting Monty Python's Life of Brian, while McKeown was doing bit parts in the film.

Screenwriting career

McKeown co-wrote the screenplay for Brazil with Gilliam and Tom Stoppard, for which they were collectively nominated for an Academy Award. In The Adventures of Baron Munchausen, McKeown again co-wrote the screenplay with Gilliam. After nearly twenty years apart, the two collaborated on the screenplay for The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus. He is the writer for the new BBC sitcom, Hold the Sunset.
Other notable screenwriting credits for McKeown include Plunkett & Macleane and Ripley's Game. He went uncredited for his work on Batman.

Acting career

McKeown has had a number of appearances in films and television series associated with the Monty Python comedy group. He started off his career with minor roles on Ripping Yarns, which starred Michael Palin and Terry Jones, and Fawlty Towers, which starred John Cleese. Around the same time, he played some minor roles in Life of Brian, where he met Gilliam.
Since then, he has had acting roles in a number of the films he helped to write with Gilliam, including an appearance as Harvey Lime in Brazil and as Adolphus and Rupert in The Adventures of Baron Munchausen. In addition, he's had roles in other Python-associated films such as Time Bandits, The Missionary, A Private Function, Erik the Viking, and American Friends.
McKeown has also made some film appearances not associated with the Monty Python troupe such as his minor role as Jerry Hadley in Spies Like Us and Mr. Cunliffe in Prick Up Your Ears.
McKeown has also appeared on numerous television series including: Yes Minister, The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, Pinkerton's Progress and The Young Indiana Jones Chronicles.