He was the one who, with the appreciation of his fellow Pythons, secured part of the production money for Monty Python's Life of Brian (1979) from former Beatle George Harrison.
He describes himself as having "creative dyslexia", meaning he can look at any word and automatically see the anagrams that can be made from it. One of the characters he played in "Monty Python's Flying Circus" was a man who spoke only in anagrams.
From the other members of Monty Python (except, of course, Graham Chapman), I got permission to continue with "Spamalot" (opening on Broadway in early 2005), a play/musical different from their classic film Monty Python and the Holy Grail (1975), because they all found the script very funny.
He is the only member of the Monty Python group who writes on his own.
He beat Charles Barkley and Martha Stewart on the celebrity edition of Jeopardy! (1984) in 2002.
During the production of Monty Python's Life of Brian (1979), while Star Wars: Episode V - The Empire Strikes Back (1980) was shooting in London, he rented his house to Carrie Fisher.
He is a friend of Robin Williams.
He had been invited to a party hosted by Steve Martin, and it was his wedding.
Steve Martin calls him a mentor.
Eric's father, who served in the Royal Air Force, died in a car accident on Christmas Eve. Eric was two years old.
He has long been an advocate of women's rights and animal rights.
He was once tasked by his Python colleagues with writing a reply to an angry fan letter. Monty Python member Graham Chapman was openly gay, and a letter had been written quoting Bible verses to state that homosexuals should be stoned to death. Jokingly, he said they had killed Chapman by stoning.
He proudly calls himself "the third tallest member of Monty Python."
He is the producer of the popular Broadway musical 'Monty Python's Spamalot' ("lovingly ripped-off from Monty Python and the Holy Grail (1975).").
On 15 October 2009, Eric and the other surviving members of Monty Python accepted the BAFTA Lifetime Achievement Award in New York on the occasion of Monty Python's 40th anniversary.
In 1963, as a university student, he was accepted into the Cambridge Footlights comedy club. The following year he became president of the club, and one of his first acts was to open membership to include women. Feminist/writer Germaine Greer was one of the first to join.
He is an accomplished guitarist.
On 1-5 July and 15-20 July 2014, The Pythons performed Monty Python Live (Mostly) at the O2 to a sold-out crowd of 16,000 for each of the 10 nights; Eric Idle wrote and directed the series.
He was a long-time friend of George Harrison.
On 12 August 2012, Eric performed "Always Look On The Bright Side Of Life" live at the London Olympic Games Closing Ceremony, broadcast live to around 1 billion people worldwide.
On 12 November 2008, Eric staged Swan Lake with the English National Ballet and sang "Always Look on the Bright Side of Life" at the We Are Most Amused Gala held at the New Wimbledon Theatre in honour of His Royal Highness Prince Charles's 60th birthday.
Although An Alan Smithee Film: Burn Hollywood Burn (1997) was a commercial and critical disappointment, Idle was asked in real life for Alan Smithee's "autograph"… and agreed (Smithee was the pseudonymous director, who did not exist, whom Idle "portrayed" in the film in question).
He signed a new deal for his musical "Spamalot" to be staged at Wynn's Resorts in Las Vegas in 2007. The musical will play there for 10 years.
He studied English at Cambridge University. While at university he was a member of the prestigious Cambridge Footlights Club, and later served as president of the Footlights Club.
He appears as the M.C. in Honey, I Shrunk the Audience (1994) in 3-D at Disneyland.
He and John Du Prez were honoured with the 2010 Musical Score award for "Monty Python's Spamalot" at the Ahmanson Theatre in Los Angeles, California.
I knew Michael Palin and Terry Jones from university.
He is the godfather of Duncan Jones.
His daughter Lily (b. 1990), with Tania Kosevich.
John Du Prez and his musical "Monty Python's Spamalot" were nominated for the 2014 Joseph Jefferson Non-Equity Award in the Musical Production category at the Nightblue Performing Arts Theatre in Chicago, Illinois.
He is a member of the "Monty Python" comedy group.
His son Carey (b. 1973), with Lyn Ashley.
He is the only member of Monty Python who does not appear in Monty Python's Friday Night Saturday Morning (1979).
Biography: "Who's Who in Comedy", Ronald L. Smith, pp. 225-226. New York: Facts on File, 1992. ISBN 0816023387.
He is the President of Prominent Productions, whose productions include Splitting Heirs, A Fish Called Wanda, Erik the Viking, American Friends and The Adventures of Baron Munchausen.
He is a member of Monty Python along with John Cleese, Michael Palin, Terry Jones, Graham Chapman and Terry Gilliam.
He was born on the same date as Vangelis.
He directed The Frog Prince for American television, starring Robin Williams and The Rutles.
He has homes in St John's Wood, London and Provence, France.
He was President of the Cambridge Footlights in 1964/65.
He wrote the play Pass the Butler, which ran for five months in London's West End.
He is the chairman of Prominent Features, which produced A Fish Called Wanda, Eric the Viking, Splitting Heirs and The Adventures of Baron Munchausen.
He has 10 'O' levels, 3 A levels, 1 'S' level and an honours degree in English Literature from Cambridge University.
He was educated at The Royal School in Wolverhampton between 1950 and 1962, and at Pembroke College, Cambridge, between 1962 and 1965.
He wrote and directed The Rutles, a Beatles parody.
He is a football fan and plays chess, table tennis and guitar.
He has a young daughter and an older son.
Eric is best known as a comedian and a member of Monty Python, but he is also a writer, actor, director and the chairman of Prominent Properties (production studios).
He has a son and a daughter.
He was President of the Cambridge Footlights.
His father died in a hitchhiking accident on Christmas Eve 1945.
He owns his own company, Prominent Features.