Actor John Cleese looking for a place in Huntsville, Ont., after Airbnb falls through
Someone with a cottage or home in Huntsville, Ont., could potentially host a famous tenant.
British actor and comedian John Cleese tweeted on Monday that he needed a place to stay in Huntsville — a community of some 19,000 people, about 215 kilometres north of Toronto — while he works on a new movie.
Cleese, best known for co-founding comedy troupe Monty Python, said his Airbnb rental had been given to another person, even though he said the company had already taken his money.
"Why did they take the money, then?" he wrote.
An Airbnb spokesperson said Cleese's team requested a home, but the reservation was never accepted by the host. Airbnb, which earlier offered an apology on Twitter, says it automatically refunded the initial charges.
"We are truly honoured that a legend such as Mr. Cleese would be interested in booking an Airbnb listing," the company said in a statement.
"We've been in touch with his team throughout the day to provide our support and help clarify the situation."
Outpouring of offers
By Wednesday afternoon, Cleese's tweet had over 1,000 replies, many from Ontarians offering their cottage or home.
"Hi John, we have a great cottage in the area on a nice lake about 30 mins from Huntsville," one wrote. "What dates are you looking for?"
Some also told Cleese they would try not to mention Monty Python or his other work during his stay.
"I'm about two hours away from Huntsville. I would be willing to give you the master bedroom," wrote another Twitter user.
"You'd have to sleep beside my wife, but I promise her snoring is better now. At first I would have a lot of questions about Python and Fawlty Towers, but those would slow down over time."
Cleese later thanked Ontarians for reaching out and said he will look into their requests.
It is unclear what movie Cleese is filming in Ontario. According to the Internet Movie Database, he is currently in pre-production on Cut the Painter, playing a retired writer living in a small Canadian town. Saskatchewan's Eric Peterson plays his former writing partner.
