Just thought I’d share a couple of clips to help us remember Jonathan Winters, in light of today’s sad news.
As it happens, Winters was the same age as Margaret Thatcher, 87. But he was way funnier.
I chose the one above in part to remind us of someone else. In light of the recent Jimmy Fallon news, I thought it would be apropos to look back at the original host of “The Tonight Show.”
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He was a great inspiration for a generation of young comedians including Jim Carrey and Robin Williams.
Man, I do improv, but watching him totally humbles me! Such talent, but such a sad life.
Where? You don’t come off as the stand-up comic type.
Improv is not standup. It is creating characters and comic scenes on the spot, not making jokes.
Growing up in Ohio, we always considered him a local boy made good, even though he was kinda nuts.
Kinda? Towards the end of his public life, more than kinda, alas…..
Speaking of talented people, Phillip, a protégée of Steve Reich, is conducting Reich’s Music for 18 Musicians again tomorrow night at 7:30 at the School of Music. You will be blown away. No classical music appreciation required! Free, too!
Now, I know where Michael Winslow got his inspiration from.
I recently saw Winters in a Twilight Zone episode playing a pool shark. It was a dramatic roll as opposed to his comedy routine. It was one of his best performances. I would have liked to have seen more of him in that capacity.
Jonathan Winters was ahead of his time and at times, off the reservation with his personal issues. One other point most people are not aware of, Winters was an excellent artist. He would spend days in his basement studio working on his art. His medium was acrylics. Naturally, some of his work was a reflection of what went on in his mind.
I also agree with bud, he was a very good dramatic actor. But, his best performance in a movie was “It’s A Mad, Mad, Mad World”. Think I listed enough Mads to cover it.
I have a tape of some of his actual phone messages between he and his friends. Absolutely unrehearsed and hilarious. Winters is my all-time favorite comedian, improv or otherwise.
Nope. You need one more “Mad.”
Shazbot! Winter’s best work was as “Mearth”, Mork’s son in the sitcom “Mork and Mindy”. Winter’s addition to the cast was probably the strangest Cousin Oliver moment of all time…