Michael Palin's Real Name: Michael Palin

Quick answer: The actor and writer is known professionally as Michael Palin. His official biography dates the birth to May 5, 1943, in Sheffield, Yorkshire. BBC independently places the birth in Sheffield in May 1943.

Real name and early life

Independent publishers identify him under the professional name Michael Palin. His official biography dates the birth to May 5, 1943, in Sheffield, Yorkshire, and records later schooling at Birkdale Preparatory School in Sheffield and at Shrewsbury School, then Brasenose College, Oxford, and a 1965 second-class degree in Modern History. BBC independently places the birth in Sheffield in May 1943 and independently identifies him as a former Birkdale Preparatory School pupil.

Career highlights

His official biography records that in 1969 he joined Graham Chapman, John Cleese, Terry Gilliam, Eric Idle, and Terry Jones for the first series of Monty Python's Flying Circus on BBC Television, and later co-wrote and appeared in Monty Python and the Holy Grail, Monty Python's Life of Brian, and Monty Python's The Meaning of Life. In 1988, the official biography says, he played Ken in A Fish Called Wanda and won the BAFTA Award for Best Supporting Actor. BBC independently records his work as a member of the Monty Python team, his appearance in A Fish Called Wanda, and a BAFTA Award for Best Supporting Actor. The official biography also records later BBC travel series and accompanying books including Around the World in 80 Days (1989) and Pole to Pole (1992). BBC independently cites Around the World in 80 Days and says the subsequent book became a bestseller, and that the book of Pole to Pole later earned him recognition as British Book Awards Travel Writer of the Year. His official biography further records a CBE in the 2000 New Year Honours for services to television drama and travel, and appointment as a Knight Commander of the Order of St Michael and St George (KCMG) in the 2019 New Year Honours for services to travel, culture and geography.

Name notes for searchers

People looking up Michael Palin are looking for the same actor and writer, including the later Monty Python and travel work most often associated with his name. Search traffic often uses the professional name Michael Palin in many later film and travel-title lookups of his name.