Big Yin:I’m not afraid to die...It’ll be a laugh
SIR BILLY Connolly says he ‘laughs in the face of death’ as he uses comedy to cope with thoughts of dying.
The comedian, who was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease in 2013, said that while some people turn to religion or other ‘tricks’ to deal with the inevitable, humour was his release from ‘the terror of death’.
Sir Billy says as his condition worsens he relies more on laughter to get through his darkest moments.
Speaking in the final part of BBC Scotland documentary, ‘Billy and Us’, he said: ‘The best way to deal with the dark side of life is to laugh right in its face.
‘Death? Everybody knows it’s coming and people try all sorts of tricks, religion etcetera, to deal with it, but comedy can release you from your terror of death, you can treat it lightly.
‘It’s like the big bully at school, you can say “I could beat him any day”, as long as he’s not there. You can kid that way and comedy will allow you to do that.’
The 77-year-old, from Glasgow, has previously discussed his struggle with Parkinson’s and last year told how he could feel himself ‘slipping away’. The disease also had an impact on his stage performances.
In the documentary, he revealed how he refuses to accept pessimistic attitudes and uses laughter to attack his condition ‘head on’.
He said: ‘Now that I’m getting older and sicker, it’s important that my comedy kicks in. I went to a doctor in New York and he was a Russian, and he said “you realise it’s an incurable disease?” and I said “oh come on, behave yourself. Instead of saying it’s incurable, say we have yet to find a cure”. It gives me a wee light at the end of the tunnel.’
He even poked fun at his own illness at the end of his most recent run of stand-up performances by playing out with a 1950s rock n’ roll classic.
He added: ‘I ended my shows with “Whole Lotta Shakin’ Goin’ on”. You’ve got to attack it head-on.
‘As far as I’m concerned, shaking is the new cool.’
Earlier this year, Sir Billy said he would like Scottish actor Robert Carlyle to play him in a movie based on his life. He added that he would like Rab C Nesbitt star Tony Roper, 78, to play him in his later years. ‘He knows me really well,’ he said.
The pair once worked together as young men at Bilsland’s Bakery in Glasgow and have remained close friends ever since. The comic also joked that if Carlyle and Roper were not available, then actress Raquel Welch could play him.
Billy and Us, The Dark Side, is on BBC Scotland on Thursday 18 at 10pm.