Billy Connolly has delighted fans for decades with his sharp wit and insightful observations on everyday life, but when diagnosed with Parkinson’s, many feared the man known as ‘The Big Yin’ would slow down.
Yet remarkably, Connolly found a second act as a respected artist after illness forced his early retirement from the stage in 2018.
Now his wife, Pamela Stephenson has revealed her amazement at Connolly’s resilience amid his health woes and how art has opened up a new world for him.
Stephenson, a former actor turned psychologist, recently spoke on the Florida Keys Weekly Podcast, marvelling at how her husband’s “extraordinary brain” continues to amaze her and their children.
“He is still working” she said.
“He has stopped performing live but he’s become an artist and he does extraordinary drawings so he’s always having exhibitions and he still does TV stuff.
“He has an extraordinary brain. He speaks truth, he continues to blow me away with the things that come out of his mouth.
“My kids say ‘Mum leave the comedy to Dad’. Billy is a genius.”
Connolly, who has maintained his humour throughout his Parkinson’s journey, recently shared with BBC Radio 4’s Today program how laughter has been his lifeline.
“I’m fed up with it,” he admitted before lightening the mood with his unique approach to dealing with the disease.
“I think I have a good attitude to it. I say to the disease, ‘I’ll give you a break if you give me a break.’ We’re nice to each other.
“I’ve always been easily made [to] laugh. I am lucky with my sense of humour. I can laugh myself out of most things.”
His unwavering humour and positive outlook undoubtedly have been instrumental in helping him navigate the more challenging aspects he has had “to put up with”.
“I walk with a stick, and at airports I have to get the wheelchair. I hate being dependent to that degree and I feel sorry for other people who are in wheelchairs and who have it worse than me. But it’s a thing I just have to put up with,” he said.
“I think most things can be conquered, especially the depression. Depression is such a complex affair but you have to conquer it, take it on face-to-face and refuse to be part of it.”