What is Terry Gilliam's Net Worth?
Terry Gilliam is an American-born British filmmaker, animator, comedian, and actor who has a net worth of $50 million. Terry Gilliam first came to recognition as a member of the Monty Python comedy troupe. After making his feature directorial debut in 1975 with "Monty Python and the Holy Grail," he went on to direct such films as "Time Bandits," "Brazil," "The Fisher King," "12 Monkeys," and "The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus." Gilliam's films are known for their fantastical, surreal style and frequent depictions of dystopian worlds.
Early Life and Education
Terry Gilliam was born on November 22, 1940 in Minneapolis, Minnesota to Beatrice and James. They soon moved to nearby Medicine Lake. In 1952, the family relocated to Los Angeles, California, settling in the San Fernando Valley. There, Gilliam went to Birmingham High School. A straight-A student, he was the president of his class and was voted "Most Likely to Succeed." Gilliam went on to attend Occidental College, graduating in 1962 with his BA in political science.
Career Beginnings
Gilliam got his start as an animator and strip cartoonist, and worked for the satirical magazine "Help!" When the magazine folded, he moved to England, where he animated sequences for the children's series "Do Not Adjust Your Set." Gilliam did that work from 1968 to 1969, in the process meeting future Monty Python collaborators Eric Idle, Michael Palin, and Terry Jones.
Monty Python's Flying Circus
In 1969, the comedy troupe Monty Python was formed. It consisted of Gilliam, John Cleese, Eric Idle, Terry Jones, Michael Palin, and Graham Chapman. The group rose to prominence through its television sketch comedy series "Monty Python's Flying Circus," which originally aired in Britain from 1969 through 1974. Gilliam created animation for the show, with his designs linking the show's sketches together and establishing a signature aesthetic for Monty Python going forward. He also acted in some sketches, playing such roles as Cardinal Fang and Kevin Garibaldi.
Film Directing
Gilliam made his transition to film in 1975 as co-director, alongside Terry Jones, of the medieval fantasy comedy "Monty Python and the Holy Grail." Venturing outside the group, he next directed the 1977 fantasy comedy "Jabberwocky," also set in the Middle Ages. Based on the eponymous poem, the film stars Python member Michael Palin. Gilliam went on to direct the fantasy adventure "Time Bandits," featuring Palin and Cleese and released in 1981. Four years after that saw the release of one of his most critically acclaimed films, the dystopian black comedy "Brazil," for which he earned an Academy Award nomination for Best Original Screenplay. That was followed in 1988 by the fantasy adventure "The Adventures of Baron Munchausen." Gilliam thought of his three films in the 1980s as forming a loose trilogy, as they all deal with desperate attempts to escape absurd, unjust worlds. In the 1990s, he directed another trio of films he considered a trilogy, this time focused on the idea of Americana. First was "The Fisher King," starring Robin Williams and Jeff Bridges and released in 1991. Next came the 1995 science-fiction film "12 Monkeys," starring Bruce Willis and based on Chris Marker's classic short film "La Jetée." Gilliam wrapped up his loose trilogy with 1998's "Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas," adapted from Hunter S. Thompson's novel and starring Johnny Depp and Benicio del Toro.
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In the early 2000s, author J.K. Rowling advocated for Gilliam to direct the film adaptation of her first "Harry Potter" book. However, Warner Bros. ultimately went with Chris Columbus. Gilliam's next film didn't come out until 2005: the fantasy adventure "The Brothers Grimm," starring Matt Damon and Heath Ledger as the titular pair. The following year, he released "Tideland," an adaptation of Mitch Cullin's novel of the same name. Gilliam went on to direct "The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus," starring Heath Ledger in his final screen role. The production of the film was disrupted by Ledger's passing, causing other actors to step in to play different incarnations of his character in the film's magical world. Johnny Depp, Colin Farrell, and Jude Law all signed on to continue Ledger's role in the film, which was finally released in 2009. Gilliam's subsequent film, the science-fiction film "The Zero Theorem," starred Christoph Waltz and came out in 2013. Five years later, Gilliam's heavily delayed and notoriously troubled film "The Man Who Killed Don Quixote" finally premiered as the closing film of the 71st Cannes Film Festival, thus ending 29 years of financial difficulties and other obstacles that had stymied its production. Loosely based on the Miguel de Cervantes novel, it stars Jonathan Pryce and Adam Driver.
Theater Directing
Beyond film, Gilliam has directed theatrical productions. In 2011, he made his opera debut at London's English National Opera with a production of Berlioz's "The Damnation of Faust." The opera later played in Belgium. In 2014, Gilliam directed another Berlioz opera for ENO, "Benvenuto Cellini." Later, in 2022, he co-directed a production of "Into the Woods" with Leah Hausman at the Theatre Royal in Bath, England.
Personal Life
In 1973, Gilliam married British makeup artist Maggie Weston. She worked on "Monty Python's Flying Circus" and all of her husband's films up to "The Adventures of Baron Munchausen." Gilliam and Weston have three children named Amy, Holly, and Harry.
Gilliam obtained British citizenship in 1968. He kept his American citizenship until 2006, when he renounced it in protest of George W. Bush. Gilliam has residences in London, England and in Italy near the Umbria-Tuscany border.
