Terry Gilliam was born in Minnesota near Medicine Lake. When he was 12 his family moved to Los Angeles where he became a fan of Mad magazine. In his early 20's he was often stopped by the police who often suspected him of being a drug addict and Gilliam had to explain that he worked in advertisement. Gilliam said these experiences made him understand how it was like to be Black or Mexican and gave him sympathy for the poor. In the political turmoil in the 60's, Gilliam feared he might develop into a terrorist and decided to leave the USA. After moving to England he landed a job on the children's television show Do Not Adjust Your Set as an animator. There he would meet his future collaborators in Monty Python: Terry Jones, Eric Idle and Michael Palin. In 2006 he renounced his American citizenship.
