Page 3 Profile: Carol Cleveland, actress

Don’t tell me... she’s a lumberjack

Close. Ish. Carol Cleveland appeared in Monty Python’s famous lumberjack sketch and many more. In all she was in 30 of the 45 Python television episodes, not to mention the films.

The Holy Grail?

That’s right, the Rada-trained actress was the medieval virgin who loved a good spanking. In the Life of Brian she told Mr Big Nose at the Sermon of the Mount to: “Pipe down”.Cleveland often appeared as the “glamourous blonde” in the TV series and stole the show with her flirty punchlines. The first script she was in called for “a blonde, buxom wench in the full bloom of womanhood”.

Quite a career break

That depends. The former Miss California Navy who had ambitions to be a serious actress, has described it as a “ball and chain around me because casting directors usually thought of me in that role”.

Will she be at the reunion?

The Pythons are reuniting for a money-spinning greatest hits gig at the 02 Arena in London. And the 72-year-old actress will be joining them.

Spam, Spam, Beans and Spam?

She’ll be doing that one, playing Mrs Bun, instead of Graham Chapman. The Pythons are said to be earning £1m each from the reunion. Cleveland says she’s doing it for fun.