A number of the entertainment industry's biggest names have paid tribute to Billy Connolly as he retired from stand-up comedy during a stirring new documentary.
The Scottish comedian, whose career charts five decades, opened up about stepping down from the stage in Billy Connolly: It's Been a Pleasure, which was broadcast on UK TV channel ITV on Monday.
The stand-up star, 78, had told fans earlier this year that he would retire due to his ongoing battle with Parkinson's disease, which he was diagnosed with in 2013.
"It's got me, it will get me and it will end me, but that's OK with me," Connolly said in the moving documentary.
“I have done my stand-up, I did it for 50 years, I did it quite well and it is time to stop. My illness has rendered me different. It would either mean renewing what I do and doing something else, or give up what I did and that’s what I’ve done."
The comedian, who is also known for roles in films such as The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies and The Last Samurai, is celebrated for his offbeat, observational style of humour.
Since breaking on to the scene in the 1970s, Connolly has racked up a Bafta Lifetime Achievement Award, a knighthood and the top spot in numerous "best stand-ups" lists.
During Billy Connolly: It's Been a Pleasure, a number of the star's famous friends paid tribute to his lengthy and sparkling career, including Elton John, Whoopi Goldberg and Dustin Hoffman.
"I want him to be around for a long, long time," said Hoffman, who directed Connolly in 2012 film Quartet, while John called the stand-up "the first rock star of comedy".
Actress Sheridan Smith, who also appeared in Quartet, revealed she had even named her son, born earlier this year, Billy in the comedian's honour.
10 of Billy Connolly's best quips
1. "Before you judge a man, walk a mile in his shoes. After that who cares? He's a mile away and you've got his shoes!"
2. "When people say 'it's always the last place you look', of course it is. Why would you keep looking after you've found it?"
3. “Marriage is a wonderful invention: then again, so is a bicycle repair kit.”
4. “There are two seasons in Scotland: June and winter.”
5. "I've always wanted to go to Switzerland to see what the army does with those wee red knives."
6. "My definition of an intellectual is someone who can listen to the William Tell Overture without thinking of the Lone Ranger."
7. “When something is ‘new and improved!’ which is it? If it’s new, then there has never been anything before it. If it’s an improvement, then there must have been something before it.”
8. “I worry about ridiculous things, you know, how does a guy who drives a snowplough get to work in the morning … that can keep me awake for days.”
9. “My advice to you if you want to lose a bit of weight: don’t eat anything that comes in a bucket. Buckets are the kitchen utensils of the farmyard.”
10. “I once travelled to Adelaide on Emu Airways. I was 5,000 feet up in the air when someone pointed out to me that emus can’t fly.”
Quick pearls of wisdom
Focus on gratitude: And do so deeply, he says. “Think of one to three things a day that you’re grateful for. It needs to be specific, too, don’t just say ‘air.’ Really think about it. If you’re grateful for, say, what your parents have done for you, that will motivate you to do more for the world.”
Know how to fight: Shetty married his wife, Radhi, three years ago (he met her in a meditation class before he went off and became a monk). He says they’ve had to learn to respect each other’s “fighting styles” – he’s a talk it-out-immediately person, while she needs space to think. “When you’re having an argument, remember, it’s not you against each other. It’s both of you against the problem. When you win, they lose. If you’re on a team you have to win together.”
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The bio
Favourite book: Peter Rabbit. I used to read it to my three children and still read it myself. If I am feeling down it brings back good memories.
Best thing about your job: Getting to help people. My mum always told me never to pass up an opportunity to do a good deed.
Best part of life in the UAE: The weather. The constant sunshine is amazing and there is always something to do, you have so many options when it comes to how to spend your day.
Favourite holiday destination: Malaysia. I went there for my honeymoon and ended up volunteering to teach local children for a few hours each day. It is such a special place and I plan to retire there one day.
The drill
Recharge as needed, says Mat Dryden: “We try to make it a rule that every two to three months, even if it’s for four days, we get away, get some time together, recharge, refresh.” The couple take an hour a day to check into their businesses and that’s it.
Stick to the schedule, says Mike Addo: “We have an entire wall known as ‘The Lab,’ covered with colour-coded Post-it notes dedicated to our joint weekly planner, content board, marketing strategy, trends, ideas and upcoming meetings.”
Be a team, suggests Addo: “When training together, you have to trust in each other’s abilities. Otherwise working out together very quickly becomes one person training the other.”
Pull your weight, says Thuymi Do: “To do what we do, there definitely can be no lazy member of the team.”
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4 — Alain Prost (1985, ’86, ’89, ’93)
4 — Sebastian Vettel (2010, ’11, ’12, ’13)
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