10 minutes with Terry Gilliam

Why did you decide to renounce your American citizenship?
Bush was running the show down. I got so depressed, I thought 'Enough, this is time to leave.' Without my taxes coming in their war fund is much reduced.
Will you ever return?
No, but I'll always be an American. Despite all the misery of England, I can't slough off my American optimism.
What were your first impressions of London?
I first came here when I hitchhiked round Europe in 1964, and I fell in love with it. Being a foreigner means I'm not responsible for the horrible things that have gone on in Europe . I'm innocent; it's all your fault.
Were you really the prom king in high school?
Yes, I don't know what happened. It was a total shock, I seem to go through life not being aware of the effect I'm having on people. I assume nobody cares what I'm up to, and then things like that happen. I get very confused.
What comedy shows do you enjoy?
Family Guy is the only TV I watch. It's wonderful and outrageous because it says all the things you can't normally say. It's just like Monty Python in that way.
Did you see John Cleese's tour?
I don't have enough money to help fund his alimony problems. I don't want to support him in any way. It's his own fault; he'll have to sort it out in his own time.
Does he make you laugh?
I laugh at his life.
Will you keep trying with your proposed adaptation of Dickens' A Tale of Two Cities?
That's pretty much gone. Dickens needs to be celebrated solely for his writing. So many of the films that have been made haven't been a patch on the books. He's a nightmare to adapt.
What stops you from abandoning disastrous film projects such as Don Quixote?
I'm very pigheaded. Once I get something under my skin I want to deal with it. I'm not even sure if I want to make Don Quixote, I just want to get it out of my life. I become possessed by ideas, and until I can have catharsis they linger and gnaw at every part of my life.
Were you affected by the shutdown of Wikipedia?
I was away in Palermo and wasn't on my computer for a week. Wikipedia obviously realised that I didn't need it, so closed down. The computer is a hypnotic tool and I get sucked in. I don't like it at all but I'm weak and it's powerful, it has me in its thrall.
Terry Gilliam's latest film, The Wholly Family, is now available for download at terrygilliamweb.com