“Monty Python” star Terry Jones has died at the age of 77, according to family in a statement to news outlets.
“Over the past few days his wife, children, extended family, and many close friends have been constantly with Terry as he gently slipped away at his home in North London,” his family said in a statement, CNN reported on Wednesday.
It continued: “We have all lost a kind, funny, warm, creative and truly loving man whose uncompromising individuality, relentless intellect and extraordinary humor has given pleasure to countless millions across six decades.”
He was diagnosed with frontotemporal dementia in 2016. His family made note of it, saying that “after a long, extremely brave but always good-humored battle with a rare form of dementia, FTD,” CBS News reported.
(L-R) Michael Palin, John Cleese, Eric Idle, Terry Jones and Terry Gilliam attend the "Monty Python And The Holy Grail" Special Screening during the 2015 Tribeca Film Festival at Beacon Theatre in New York City on April 24, 2015. Stephen Lovekin/Getty Images for the 2015 Tribeca Film Festival
“His work with Monty Python, his books, films, television programs, poems, and other work will live on forever, a fitting legacy to a true polymath,” they said, Fox News reported.
Along with Eric Idle, John Cleese, Michael Palin, Graham Chapman, and Terry Gilliam, Jones helped form Monty Python decades ago, making a number of movies and TV shows. He appeared in “Monty Python and the Holy Grail” and “The Life of Brian,” the troupe’s most popular offerings.
Cleese issued a statement following Jones’ death.
“Just heard about Terry J It feels strange that a man of so many talents and such endless enthusiasm, should have faded so gently away... Of his many achievements, for me the greatest gift he gave us all was his direction of ‘Life of Brian’. Perfection Two down, four to go,” he wrote on Twitter.
His death comes weeks after fellow Monty Python member Neil Innes died at the age of 75. “It is with deep sorrow and great sadness that we have to announce the death of Neil James Innes on December 29, 2019,” his family said on Dec. 30. “We have lost a beautiful, kind, gentle soul whose music and songs touched the heart of everyone and whose intellect and search for truth inspired us all,” the statement continued. “He died of natural causes quickly without warning and, I think, without pain.”
“Utterly dismayed to hear about Neil Innes. Right out of the blue… A very sweet man, much too nice for his own good. Lovely writer and performer. When he worked with Python on our stage show, I listened every night to ‘How sweet to be an Idiot’ on the tannoy Very sad,” Cleese wrote on Twitter at the time.
