Terry Gilliam's BAFTA honour

04 February 2009

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Terry Gilliam is to be awarded the BAFTA Fellowship award.

The British Academy Film Awards (BAFTA) will present the veteran director with the prize - its highest accolade - on Sunday (08.02.09).

The Former 'Monty Python' star said the award comes as a welcome surprise.

Awards and honours I've kind of shied away from, but this one I'm happy to take

Terry said: "This is Quite a surprise. Awards and honours I've kind of shied away from, but this one I'm happy to take."

US born Terry has made films including 'Twelve Monkeys', 'Time Bandits', 'Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas' and 'The Fisher King', as well as having created a very distinct style of direction and animation while a member of the 'Monty Python' comedy team.

Terry also joked he was receiving the fellowship award out of "sympathy" after his latest project 'The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus' was hit by a series of tragedies.

The film suffered setbacks after its producer, Bill Vince, died suddenly, and Terry himself was hit by a reversing car in London last year.

By far the biggest tragedy of the production, however, was the untimely accidental death of its star, Heath Ledger, in January 2008.Of Heath's death, Terry said: "It was horrible. It was as if half the world had collapsed. It just isn't possible that he's dead."He lifted everybody. He wasn't like Marlon Brando or James Dean or any of the more neurotic actors, his was all positive energy."BAFTA spokesperson Finola Dwyer said: "Terry is one of the most original, imaginative and innovative directors working in the industry today."Previous recipients of the BAFTA Fellowship award include Alfred Hitchcock, Stanley Kubrick, Steven Spielberg and Anthony Hopkins.The BAFTA awards ceremony will take place in London on Sunday (08.02.09).

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