John Cleese Had Never Heard of Clifford the Big Red Dog Before the Movie

In the U.S., it’s hard to imagine that anybody had not encountered the character of Clifford the Big Red Dog, but apparently the property hasn’t quite made it across the pond. During a recent interview in support of the just-released adaptation of Clifford the Big Red Dog, comedy legend John Cleese admitted that he had never even heard of the property before he was invited to appear in the movie. Cleese told us that he was interested in the job because he liked some of the people involved, so once he got the script and thought it was fun, he was on board. 

Whereas most of the other stars of the film have grown up with at least a passing awareness of the books on which it’s based, Cleese surprised us by admitting he had never even heard of it. Of course, when these books started to gain popularity, he was a little busy with Monty Python.

“A lot of American stuff gets to England, but not always,” Cleese told ComicBook. “For example, we never had The Honeymooners. We never had Sid Caesar. We never had Clifford, and we never had Charlotte’s Web. They were very specifically American.”

The attraction, then, wasn’t in the concept of being part of the Clifford legacy. Instead, Cleese told us that he wanted to work with producer Jordan Kerner. Best known for movies like The Mighty Ducks and The Smurfs, Cleese says that Kerner is not just talented, but has a particular brand that appeals to him.

“My [thoughts on the] script was, if this comes from Jordan Kerner, then I have to read it,” Cleese said. “I like him hugely, and I think he produces most delightful films — classy family films, which is an interesting combination. So I read it, and I thought, ‘this would be lovely to play,’ because it’s different, and therefore more interesting, but also I don’t have the burden of having to get big laughs. As I always say to people, which is astounding to them, comedy is much harder to do than drama. People think that drama is the older brother of comedy, but anybody who can do both drama and comedy will tell you that comedy’s harder.”

While no sequel for Clifford the Big Red Dog has yet been announced, Kerner certainly has some ideas, telling ComicBook that one possibility includes heading to the U.K., where Emily Elizabeth’s mother comes from in the movie, to tell an international Clifford story — literally bringing the big red dog to a place where Clifford the Big Red Dog was apparently not well known. If it were to happen, Cleese would be up for reprising his role as Mr. Bridwell, the magical man who gave Emily her dog.

“I would say if I’m not dead, I would be delighted to do it,” Cleese said with a laugh.