Eric Idle on the Only Thing He and George Harrison Disagreed On
Eric Idle said he and his long-time friend, George Harrison, disagreed on only one thing. The comedian and rock star first met in the early 1970s at a Monty Python and the Holy Grail screening. After the film, Idle and George engaged in a dialogue that lasted for 48 hours.
Eric Idle and George Harrison had a 48-hour long conversation the first time they met
In his memoir, Always Look on the Bright Side of Life: A Sortabiography, Idle wrote about meeting George at a Monty Python and the Holy Grail screening.
Idle wrote, “I had heard that George wanted to meet me, but I was somewhat shy of meeting him. I was shy and tried to avoid him, but he snuck up on me in the back of the theater as the credits began to roll. I hadn’t yet learned he was unstoppable.
“We began a conversation that would last about twenty-four hours. Who could resist his opening line? ‘We can’t talk here. Let’s go and have a reefer in the projection booth.’ No telling what the startled projectionist felt as a Beatle came in with one of the actors from the movie he had just projected and lit up a joint.”
Idle couldn’t get rid of George after that.
Later that night, the pair went to dinner with Terry Gilliam and George’s wife, Olivia Harrison. Then, George insisted Idle come with him to A&M Studios, “where we talked and talked and talked for the rest of the night.”
In Martin Scorsese’s documentary George Harrison: Living in the Material World, Idle said they engaged in a 48-hour dialogue where they talked about their similar roles. “What was it like to be a Python? What was it like to be a Beatle? A thousand questions,” Idle continued.
Idle told Rolling Stone, “It occurred to me later that we both played similar roles inside our groups with big power blocks. Once I was moaning a little bit on Brian, saying, ‘It was hard to get onscreen with Michael Palin and John Cleese.’ He said, ‘Well, imagine what it’s like trying to get studio time with Lennon and McCartney.’
“I said, ‘All right. Absolutely. Got it. OK. Check. I’ll shut up now.’ Then it occurred to me that yes, in fact, we were slightly the outsiders, playing similar roles in our groups.”
However, the pair weren’t similar in every way.
Idle said there was one thing he and George disagreed on
Despite having similar roles in their respective groups, Idle and George had different views on religion. George became spiritual in the Hindu faith starting from the mid-1960s. Meanwhile, Idle is an atheist.
Idle told Yahoo! that even though the pair didn’t see eye-to-eye on religion, he still loved their talks about it. George was a firm believer in preparing for death. They spoke a lot about dying and living in the moment.
“I was with him on his deathbed,” Idle said. “I would rather be with somebody when they’re dying than not be with somebody when they’re dying — especially a friend like him, who always talked about death. When we first met a long time ago, in 1975, he said, ‘You can have all the money in the world and all the fame in the world, but you’re still going to have to die.’
“He would always take that position, and it sort of resonated with me, because a lot of my songs are about death, even ‘Keep on the Bright Side.’ So, when he came to pass away, unlike most people, he’d been preparing for this moment for the previous 25 years. And he was prepared to go.
“He died in the Hindu faith, and he was very happy he wouldn’t have to be reborn! [laughs] Actually, I wouldn’t mind being reborn, but I’m just a silly old English atheist. It was the only thing we ever didn’t see eye-to-eye on, but we’d have long conversations about it. He was a remarkable man. He really changed my life.”
How the Beatle changed the comedian’s life forever
George changed Idle’s life in more ways than one. Idle told Yahoo! that their talks had a massive impact on him. “I’d never had a friend like that,” Idle said.
Idle wrote in his memoir, “Funny and serious and wise, he changed my life. We played together, partied together, argued together. He was irresistible. It was definitely love at first sight.”
Although they had different views of spirituality, George taught Idle to live in the here and now and to find humor in every situation. The comedian said the ex-Beatle was his guru.
In an interview with The Off Camera Show, Idle explained, “He said, ‘Well you know we’re still going to die, fame you know doesn’t give you anything, you’re going to die.’
“I was fortunate that he was kind of a guru to me. I mean, he was a pal, we got drunk, we did all sorts of wicked, naughty things, and had a ball. But he was always saying, ‘Well, don’t forget you’re gonna die.’ I think these sort of good people encourage people to remember your here now. You might get hit by a bus on the way out, so just make sure that you’re living exactly to the fullest as you can, every single moment.
“I think that’s very useful help, especially when you’re in the confusion of showbusiness where people think you’re something that you’re not and admire you for things you probably aren’t responsible for. I think comedy helps that too. It breaks down that sense of self-importance and taking yourself seriously. He was a remarkable influence on me.”
Idle also called George “one of the few morally good people that rock ‘n’ roll has produced.” George personally funded Monty Python’s Life of Brian after Idle told him their producer backed out because of the film’s alleged blasphemy. After George’s 1999 home invasion, Idle immediately came to his friend’s side.
The pair was always there for each other, no matter their differences.
