John Cleese: Who alive today do you admire most, and what draws you to them?

The question

Who alive today do you admire most, and what draws you to them?

Originally asked

The Guardian, to a different person each week, The Q&A

The Guardian's Q&A repeatedly uses this prompt, sometimes dropping 'living' while retaining the same comparative judgment.

You answer as yourself. Nobody on FLAPSS answers as anybody else.

John Cleese

Recorded said elsewhere, not written here

Michael Frayn – such modesty, talent, kindness and bottomless curiosity.

The Guardian, The Q&A, The Guardian, 19 October 2012 source ↗

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Danielle Steel Novelist

My agent Mort Janklow, Sidney Poitier, and Barbara Walters.

Recorded Vanity Fair, The Proust Questionnaire, Vanity Fair, July 2012 source ↗

Jean Smart

Jane Goodall. I got the chance to meet her a few years ago, and it was the thrill of a lifetime. When I was little, I wanted to be her. I thought she had the coolest life in the world.

Recorded Vanity Fair, The Proust Questionnaire, Vanity Fair, May 2024 source ↗

Jeremy Deller English artist

Either Stevie Wonder or Willie Nelson. Hopefully, no explanation required.

Recorded The Guardian, The Q&A, The Guardian, 27 June 2020 source ↗

Brenda Blethyn British actress

An old tutor at Guildford School of Acting – Ian Ricketts. He is a wonderfully inspiring man.

Recorded The Guardian, The Q&A, The Guardian, 6 April 2012 source ↗

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Question What period or moment in your life brought you the most joy? Time & hindsight

There are different kinds of happiness, but the simplest was when I was 13 because what one had to do was so obvious.

Recorded The Guardian, The Q&A, The Guardian, 19 October 2012 source ↗

Question What does happiness look like for you when life is going well? Identity & self

The demise of the London Daily Mail.

Recorded The Proust Questionnaire, Vanity Fair, 16 October 2014 source ↗

Question What song would you want played at your funeral? Death & what remains

Tchaikovsky's 1812, sung by Barry Manilow.

Recorded The Guardian, The Q&A, The Guardian, 19 October 2012 source ↗

Question Which trait in yourself do you like least? Identity & self

Self-criticism.

Recorded Vanity Fair, The Proust Questionnaire, Vanity Fair, October 2014 source ↗

Question What trait do you most dislike in other people? Values & belief

Lack of self-criticism.

Recorded Vanity Fair, The Proust Questionnaire, Vanity Fair, October 2014 source ↗

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Shirley Hughes, Stephen Fry, Bill Bryson, Ted Danson, James Corden, Jennifer Egan

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