Eric Idle has legions of fans around the world from his work with Monty Python, but that doesn't necessarily translate into a cushy retirement. In a series of tweets, Idle says he still finds it necessary to work at age 80, reports the BBC. "I don't know why people always assume we're loaded," he writes. "Python is a disaster." He doesn't get into too much detail on his money trouble, and he politely rejected the idea of a GoFundMe in his name. But, he adds that "I never dreamed that at this age the income streams would tail off so disastrously," per the Guardian.
Idle gained fame in the 1960s with the legendary British comedy troupe, along with the likes of John Cleese, Terry Gilliam, Michael Palin, Graham Chapman, and Terry Jones. They also made a series of successful films in the 1970s, and Idle himself created the musical Spamalot in 2004, which won a best musical Tony. But "Spamalot made money 20 years ago," writes Idle, who is mostly in Los Angeles these days. "I have to work for my living. Not easy at this age."
The posts suggest friction among Python alums, and Idle particularly faults Gilliam daughter Holly Gilliam, who assumed control of the Python brand in 2013 as part of HDG Projects, per the Sun. "One Gilliam is bad enough," he writes. "Two can take out any company." But the posts seem to end on a better note, with Idle reassuring fans that he's fine. "I'm engaged and writing," he says. "It's the thing I do and like the most. Creating a new show. Something that feels so completely normal. Been doing it since 1963." (More Eric Idle stories.)
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