John Cleese has revealed the roles he is still chasing, and spoiler alert - it is James Bond and Lady Jane Grey. At 86, most icons would be content to rest on their laurels, re-watching their own clips from Monty Python or Fawlty Towers. But John Cleese is not most people. The British comedian, writer, and actor made millions smile with his Monty Python comedy troupe, which went on to make classics like Monty Python and the Holy Grail and Monty Python’s Life of Brian.

However, despite a massive repertoire built over decades of hard work and excellence, there is still a desire to do much more in him.

Speaking with Pop Crave during a candid session at the Mediterrane Film Festival, the comedy titan John Cleese made it clear that while his career has spanned decades of genre-defining work, he still feels like he has unfinished business on screen. However, the fact that he wants more is not as shocking as the revelation of what he wants.

“I would like to play James Bond but I have been passed over time and time and time again, and the truth is, I am getting a bit old for it now. Other than that, I would love to play the part of Lady Jane Grey that was the woman who very nearly Queen of England but was beheaded,” Cleese said.

While he lists some pretty big roles to portray on the screen at the age of 86, this is certainly one of his joke answers that he is famous for. It does not get any more hilarious than this, especially when he dropped Lady Jane Grey as a character he aspired to play on screen. Interestingly, he has made a recurring appearance as Q’s assistant R in the James Bond film The World Is Not Enough and continued in the role until Die Another Day. This was probably a nod to his stint with James Bond or maybe the current hunt for 007.

Cleese’s career has never been a straight line. From the surrealist comedy sketches of the 1970s to the sharp, cynical humor of A Fish Called Wanda, and later his pivot into franchise filmmaking, he has constantly sought to subvert the expectations of what a comedy legend should do next.

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John Cleese just got the Golden Bee Awards at the Mediterrane Film Festival, where he was asked this question.

The 2026 Mediterrane Film Festival concluded with the Golden Bee Awards, where John Cleese was one of the winners. After such an illustrious career and some generational gems like Monty Python’s Flying Circus and Fawlty Towers, it is no surprise that the comedian and actor got the accolade. Johann Grech, the Malta Film Commissioner, gave Cleese the prize at the event.

The Mediterrane Film Festival, which took place in Malta from June 21 to June 28, concluded with the Golden Bee Awards. In a variety of categories, including feature film, screenwriting, original score, Mediterranean cinema, and lifetime achievement, the awards honor films, performances, and prominent members of the industry. Cleese might not get to be James Bond or Lady Jane Grey, but he will always be a beloved part of cinema history.

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Do you think John Cleese was serious when he said he wanted to play James Bond and Lady Jane Grey next in his career? Share your thoughts in the comments.