Buck Henry | |
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_(cropped).jpg) Henry in 1978 | |
| Born | Henry Zuckerman (1930-12-09)December 9, 1930 New York City, U.S. |
| Died | January 8, 2020(2020-01-08) (aged 89) Los Angeles, California, U.S. |
| Education | Dartmouth College |
| Occupations |
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| Years active | 1946–2015 |
| Spouses |
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Buck Henry (bornHenry Zuckerman;[1] December 9, 1930 – January 8, 2020) was an American actor, screenwriter, and director. Henry's contributions to film included his work as a co-writer forMike Nichols'sThe Graduate (1967) for which he received a nomination for theAcademy Award for Best Adapted Screenplay. He appeared in acting roles in Nichols'sCatch-22 (1970)—also co-written with Nichols—Herbert Ross'sThe Owl and the Pussycat (1970), andPeter Bogdanovich'sWhat's Up, Doc? (1972). In 1978, he co-directedHeaven Can Wait (1978) withWarren Beatty, receiving a nomination for theAcademy Award for Best Director. He later appeared inAlbert Brooks'sDefending Your Life (1991), and theRobert Altman filmsThe Player (1992) andShort Cuts (1993).
His long career began on television with work on shows withSteve Allen inThe New Steve Allen Show (1961). He co-createdGet Smart (1965–1970) withMel Brooks for which he received thePrimetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Writing for a Comedy Series. He also served as a 10-time host ofSaturday Night Live (SNL) and was the inaugural member of the show's Five Timer's Club, a humorous designation used to denote people who have hosted at least five episodes ofSNL. He later guest-starred in such popular shows asMurphy Brown,Hot in Cleveland,Will & Grace, and30 Rock.
Henry was born on December 9, 1930, in New York City, as Henry Zuckerman. His mother wasRuth Taylor (January 13, 1905 – April 12, 1984), a silent film actress, star of the original version ofGentlemen Prefer Blondes, and his father was Paul Steinberg Zuckerman (April 15, 1899 – December 3, 1965), anAir Force brigadier general and stockbroker.[2][3][4] Though the young Zuckerman was nicknamed 'Buck' from childhood, he did not officially change his name toBuck Henry until the 1970s; both his birth name and nickname came from his grandfather.[1]
Henry attendedThe Choate School, at the time an all-boys institution (now Choate Rosemary Hall). At 15 years old, he made his professional acting debut in aBroadway production ofLife with Father, which later toured theaters inBrooklyn,Long Island, andthe Bronx. Henry earned a bachelor's degree in English literature and a senior fellowship in writing atDartmouth College inNew Hampshire, where he wrote for the college humor magazine, theDartmouth Jack-O-Lantern,[5] and met movie directorBob Rafelson.
Following graduation, he enlisted in the Army during theKorean War. He served inWest Germany first as a helicopter mechanic[6] and then transferred toSpecial Services, where he toured with the Seventh Army Repertory Company, performing in a play he both wrote and directed.[5]
Henry joined the improvisational comedy group the Premise, whose ranks includedGeorge Segal andTheodore J. Flicker,[6] performing in theWest Village in Manhattan. This helped lead him into a television career.[5]
From 1959 to 1962, as part of an elaborate hoax by comedianAlan Abel, he made public appearances as G. Clifford Prout, the quietly outraged president of theSociety for Indecency to Naked Animals,[7] who presented his point of view on talk shows.[8] The character of Prout wished to clothe all animals in order to prevent their 'indecency', using slogans such as "A nude horse is a rude horse". Henry played the character with deadpan sincerity. He was often presented as an eccentric, but was otherwise taken seriously by the broadcasters who interviewed him. "Prout" received many letters of support from TV viewers, and even some unsolicited monetary donations, all of which were invariably returned, as neither Henry nor Abel (who had no intention of following through on the Society's stated aims) wanted to be accused of raising money fraudulently.[9][10]
Henry became a cast member onThe New Steve Allen Show (1961) and the US version ofThat Was the Week That Was (1964–1965).[1]
He was a co-creator and writer for the secret agent comedy television seriesGet Smart (1965–1970), with comedianMel Brooks.[5] The show lasted for five seasons and 138 episodes and won numerousEmmy Awards. Two TV projects created by Henry had short runs:Captain Nice (1967) withWilliam Daniels as a reluctant superhero, andQuark (1978), withRichard Benjamin in command of a garbage scow in outer space.[1]
Henry shared anOscar nomination withCalder Willingham for their screenplay forThe Graduate (1967), in which he also appeared in a supporting role as a hotel desk clerk. Henry's cameo inThe Player (1992) had him (playing himself) pitching a 25-years-later sequel toThe Graduate, which Henry later claimed led to real-life interest in such a project from some studios.[11]
His many other screen writing credits included the sex farceCandy (1968), the romantic comediesThe Owl and the Pussycat (1970) andWhat's Up, Doc? (1972), the satireCatch-22 (1970), the thrillerThe Day of the Dolphin (1973), the comedyProtocol (1984), and the dark crime dramedyTo Die For (1995).[5] In several of these, such asCandy andCatch-22, he also appeared as an actor.[5] In 1997, Henry was the recipient of theAustin Film Festival's Distinguished Screenwriter Award.[citation needed]
Overall he appeared in more than 40 films, including a lead role inTaking Off (1971) and supporting roles inThe Man Who Fell to Earth (1976),Gloria (1980),Eating Raoul (1982),Aria (1987),Tune in Tomorrow (1990),Defending Your Life (1991),Short Cuts (1993), andGrumpy Old Men (1993).[5]
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He co-directedHeaven Can Wait (1978),[12] the remake ofHere Comes Mr. Jordan, with the movie's starWarren Beatty and appeared in the film as an officious angel, reprising the character originally played byEdward Everett Horton.[citation needed] Henry received a second shared Oscar nomination, this time for Best Director.[13]
Throughout his career, Henry became known for guest-starring and recurring roles on television. In 1982, he made a brief unscheduled appearance in an episode ofThe Price is Right where he drove a prop train on stage carrying a freezer for contestants to bid on. He also appeared in an episode ofMurphy Brown ("My Dinner With Einstein", 1989) as Dr. Victor Rudman, a fractal scientist who dated Murphy. He appeared on the television showWill & Grace in 2005.[14] In 2007, he made two guest appearances onThe Daily Show as a contributor, billed as the show's "Senior Senior Correspondent".[citation needed] He has also appeared asLiz Lemon's father, Dick Lemon, in the30 Rock episodes "Ludachristmas" (December 13, 2007) and "Gentleman's Intermission" (November 4, 2010).[1] In 2011, he appeared in a multi-episode arc ofHot in Cleveland as Elka's groom.[1]
His Broadway credits included the 2002 revival ofMorning's at Seven. Off-Broadway in July 2009, he starred oppositeHolland Taylor inMother, a play by Lisa Ebersole.[15]
Henry hosted NBC'sSaturday Night Live ten times between 1976 and 1980, making him the show's most frequent host during its initial five-year run and on November 19, 1977, Henry became the first to host five times.[1] It became a tradition during these years for Henry to host the final show of each season, beginning with the 1976–1977 season. Henry's frequent host record was broken whenSteve Martin made his 11th appearance as host of the show on the finale episode of the 1988–1989 season.[16] During the episode of October 30, 1976, Henry was injured in the forehead byJohn Belushi'skatana in thesamurai sketch.[1] Henry's head began to bleed and he was forced to wear a large bandage on his forehead for the rest of the show. As a gag, the members of theSNL cast each wore a bandage on their foreheads as well.
Celebrity impersonations onSNL
Henry died of a heart attack atCedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles on January 8, 2020, at age 89.[13][6]
Source:Turner Classic Movies[5]
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1959 | The Bridge | Voice, English version | |
| 1964 | The Troublemaker | T.R. Kingston | Also writer |
| 1967 | The Graduate | Room Clerk | Also writer |
| 1968 | The Secret War of Harry Frigg | Stockade Commandant | |
| 1968 | Candy | Mental Patient | Also writer |
| 1970 | Catch-22 | Lieutenant Colonel Korn | Also writer |
| 1970 | The Owl and the Pussycat | Bookstore Man | Also writer Uncredited |
| 1971 | Taking Off | Larry Tyne | |
| 1971 | Is There Sex After Death? | Dr. Louise Manos | |
| 1973 | The Day of the Dolphin | Women's Club Man | Also writer Uncredited |
| 1976 | The Man Who Fell to Earth | Oliver Farnsworth | |
| 1977 | The Absent-Minded Waiter | Bernie Cates | Short |
| 1978 | Heaven Can Wait | The Escort | Also writer / director |
| 1979 | Old Boyfriends | Art Kopple | |
| 1980 | Gloria | Jack Dawn | |
| 1980 | First Family | Father Sandstone TV Anchorman | Also writer / director |
| 1981 | Strong Medicine | ||
| 1982 | Eating Raoul | Mr. Leech | |
| 1987 | Aria | Preston | (segment "Rigoletto") |
| 1989 | Rude Awakening | Lloyd Stool | |
| 1990 | Tune in Tomorrow | Father Serafim | |
| 1991 | Defending Your Life | Dick Stanley | |
| 1991 | The Linguini Incident | Cecil | |
| 1991 | Shakespeare's Plan 12 from Outer Space | The Priest | |
| 1992 | The Player | Himself | |
| 1992 | The Lounge People | Lewis Louis | |
| 1993 | Short Cuts | Gordon Johnson | |
| 1993 | Even Cowgirls Get the Blues | Dr. Dreyfus | |
| 1993 | Grumpy Old Men | Snyder | |
| 1995 | To Die For | H. Finlaysson | Also writer |
| 1997 | The Real Blonde | Dr. Leuter | |
| 1998 | 1999 | Mr. Goldman | |
| 1998 | I'm Losing You | Phillip Dagrom | |
| 1998 | Curtain Call | Charles Van Allsburg | |
| 1998 | The Man Who Counted | George Postlewait | Short |
| 1999 | Breakfast of Champions | Fred T. Barry | |
| 2000 | Lisa Picard is Famous | Himself | |
| 2001 | Town & Country | Suttler | Also writer |
| 2001 | Serendipity | Himself | Uncredited |
| 2004 | The Last Shot | Lonnie Bosco | |
| 2011 | A Bird of the Air | Duncan Weber | |
| 2013 | Streetcar | Sheriff | Short |
| 2015 | Kiss Kiss Fingerbang | Cat Owner | Short |
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1961 | The New Steve Allen Show | Regular | 5 episodes |
| 1964–1965 | That Was the Week That Was | Himself | 2 episodes |
| 1975 | The Owl and the Pussycat | Felix Sherman | TV pilot |
| 1976–1989 | Saturday Night Live | Host / Himself | 17 episodes |
| 1976 | That Was the Year That Was – 1976 | News Reporter | TV movie |
| 1978 | Quark | Dignitary | Uncredited, 1 episode |
| 1984 | The New Show | Regular | 9 episodes |
| 1985 | Alfred Hitchcock Presents | Walter Lang | 1 episode |
| 1987–1988 | Falcon Crest | Foster Glenn | 3 episodes |
| 1989 | Murphy Brown | Victor Rudman | Episode: "My Dinner With Einstein" |
| 1989 | Trying Times | Man on TV | 1 episode |
| 1992 | Keep the Change | Smitty | TV movie |
| 1992 | Tales from the Crypt | George | 1 episode |
| 1992 | Eek! The Cat | Cupid | Voice, 1 episode |
| 1992 | Mastergate | Clay Fielder | TV movie |
| 1995 | Harrison Bergeron | TV Producer | TV movie |
| 1999 | Dilbert | Dadbert | Voice, 1 episode |
| 2005 | Will & Grace | Leonard | 1 episode |
| 2007 | The Daily Show | Contributor | 2 episodes |
| 2007–2010 | 30 Rock | Dick Lemon | 2 episodes |
| 2011 | Hot in Cleveland | Fred | 3 episodes |
| 2012 | Law & Order: Special Victims Unit | Mr. Morton | 1 episode |
| 2012 | Casting By | Himself | Documentary,HBO |
| 2013 | Franklin & Bash | Judge Henry Dinsdale | 2 episodes |
| 2013 | Mel Brooks: Make A Noise | Himself | Documentary,PBS |
Source: Turner Classic Movies[5]
Academy Awards
| Year | Award | Nominated work | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1968 | Best Adapted Screenplay | The Graduate | Nominated |
| 1978 | Best Director | Heaven Can Wait | Nominated |
Golden Globe Awards
| Year | Award | Nominated work | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1967 | Best Screenplay | The Graduate | Nominated |
| 1993 | Special Award for Ensemble(non-competitive) | Short Cuts | Recipient |
Primetime Emmy Awards
| Year | Award | Nominated work | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1965 | Outstanding Achievements in Entertainment – Writers | That Was the Week That Was | Nominated |
| 1966 | Outstanding Writing for a Comedy Series | Get Smart | Nominated |
| 1967 | Won |
Other awards
| Year | Award | Category | Nominated work | Result | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1967 | New York Film Critics Circle | Best Screenplay | The Graduate | Nominated | [26] |
| 1968 | Writers Guild of America Awards | Best Written American Comedy | Won | ||
| 1969 | British Academy Film Awards | Best Screenplay | Won | ||
| 1971 | Writers Guild of America Awards | Best Adapted Drama Film | Catch-22 | Nominated | |
| Best Adapted Comedy Film | The Owl and the Pussycat | Nominated | |||
| 1973 | Best Original Comedy | What's Up, Doc? | Won | ||
| 1979 | Directors Guild of America Award | Outstanding Direction – Film | Heaven Can Wait | Nominated | |
| 1993 | Venice Film Festival | Special Volpi Cup for Best Ensemble | Short Cuts | Recipient |
