US comedian and entertainer Ruth Buzzi dead at 88
Ruth Buzzi, who rose to fame as the frumpy and bitter Gladys Ormphby on the groundbreaking sketch US comedy series Laugh-In and made more than 200 television appearances during a 45-year career, has died at age 88.
Buzzi died on Thursday at her home in Texas, her agent Mike Eisenstad said.
She had been diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease and was in hospice care. Shortly before her death, her husband, Kent Perkins, had posted a statement on Buzzi's Facebook page, thanking her many fans and telling them: "She wants you to know she probably had more fun doing those shows than you had watching them."
Buzzi won a Golden Globe and was a two-time Emmy nominee for the NBC show that ran from 1968 to 1973. She was the only regular to appear in all six seasons, including the pilot.
Born Ruth Ann Buzzi on July 24, 1936, in Westerly, Rhode Island, she was the daughter of Angelo Buzzi, a nationally known stone sculptor. Her father and later her brother operated Buzzi Memorials, a gravestone and monument maker in Stonington, Connecticut, where she was head cheerleader in high school.
Buzzi enrolled at the Pasadena Playhouse at age 17. Two years later, she travelled with singer Rudy Vallee in a musical and comedy act during her summer break. That earned her an Actors' Equity union card before she graduated from the playhouse's College of Theatre Arts.
Buzzi moved to New York and was immediately hired for a lead role in an off-Broadway musical revue, the first of 19 such shows she performed in on the East Coast.
She was a semi-regular on That Girl as Marlo Thomas' friend. She co-starred with Jim Nabors as time-travelling androids on The Lost Saucer in the mid-1970s.
Her other guest appearances included variety shows hosted by Burnett, Flip Wilson, Glen Campbell, Tony Orlando, Donny and Marie Osmond and Leslie Uggams.
Buzzi guested in music videos with Weird Al Yankovic, the B-52's and the Presidents of the United States of America.
She was Emmy nominated for her six-year run as shopkeeper Ruthie on Sesame Street.
Buzzi was active on social media and had thousands of followers whom she rewarded with such one-liners as "I have never faked a sarcasm" and "Scientists say the universe is made up entirely of neurons, protons and electrons. They seem to have missed morons."
She married actor Kent Perkins in 1978.
The couple moved from California to Texas in 2003 and bought a 260-hectare ranch near Stephenville.
Buzzi retired from acting in 2021 and suffered a series of strokes the following year. Her husband told The Dallas Morning News in 2023 that she had dementia.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Perth Now
40 minutes ago
- Perth Now
Jax Taylor quits social media 'to prioritise mental health'
Jax Taylor has quit social media in an effort to protect his mental health. The 45-year-old reality TV star - who previously confessed to battling a drug addiction - has announced that he's taking a break from social media platforms, as he focuses on his "mental health and recovery". Jax - who has Cruz, four, with Brittany Cartwright, his estranged wife - wrote on Instagram Story: "I've made the decision to stay off social media for the next while to prioritize my mental health and recovery. My team will be running it for the time being. (sic)" Jax confessed that certain posts on social media can be triggering. Speaking on 'In the Mind of Jax Taylor', he explained: "My brain is so fragile, and if I see certain things, they might trigger me. Something might hit a chord, and I don't think I'm strong enough to read certain things. "For me to grow and get better and be a better person, there are some things I need to see in order to know what's going on. But I think I took it so much to the extreme of blocking everything and living in my own little world." Jax feels he now needs to cut himself off from social media platforms. He said: "The phone has become a problem. Do I need to be on social media? No, I don't." Meanwhile, Jax previously admitted that he's been battling a cocaine addiction for more than 20 years. He said on the 'Hot Mic' podcast: "I have substance issues - primarily with cocaine. It's hard to say out loud. I've been dealing with this on and off since I was 23 and now I'm 45. "There was times where I would stop doing it but then there were times where I'd go heavy on it. "I just want to let people know this is a really, really tough disease and it's a really tough sickness." Brittany subsequently claimed that she spent years trying to help Jax to "get better". She said on 'When Reality Hits': "No one wants Jax to be better more than I do, let's be real. "I tried and tried and tried for years to help this man get better and for us to be a happy family, I was deeply and madly in love with him, there's no one that can ever deny that."
The Advertiser
20 hours ago
- The Advertiser
Cheers star George Wendt's cause of death revealed
George Wendt's cause of death has been revealed. The Cheers star died on May 20 aged 76, and now TMZ has released his official cause of death as per the certificate obtained from Los Angeles County Department of Public Health. It lists the actor's cause of death as "cardiac arrest with congestive heart failure, coronary artery disease, and hypertension as underlying causes" and adds that "end-stage renal disease - kidney failure - and hyperlipidemia" were also contributing factors. Best known for his role as beer-swilling Norm Peterson on the hit NBC bar sitcom Cheers, Wendt had spoken candidly about the impact of the show on his life. He said in a past interview: "I was lucky to be part of something that became such a beloved part of people's lives." Born in 1948, Wendt became a household name throughout the run of Cheers, which was on air for 11 seasons from 1982 to 1993. Despite a rocky start with low ratings that nearly saw the show cancelled after its first season, the sitcom grew to become a defining sitcom of its era, spending eight of its remaining 10 seasons in the top 10 shows and peaking as the most-watched programme in its ninth season. The series received 117 Emmy nominations, winning 28 awards, including Outstanding Comedy Series four times. Wendt was nominated for six consecutive Emmys for his portrayal of Norm, appearing in every episode until the series ended in May 1993. Outside of Cheers, Wendt appeared in various television roles, including Sabrina the Teenage Witch, and Columbo. Wendt was married to Bernadette Birkett, who voiced his never-seen sitcom wife Vera on Cheers, since 1978. The couple had three children – a daughter and two sons. George Wendt's cause of death has been revealed. The Cheers star died on May 20 aged 76, and now TMZ has released his official cause of death as per the certificate obtained from Los Angeles County Department of Public Health. It lists the actor's cause of death as "cardiac arrest with congestive heart failure, coronary artery disease, and hypertension as underlying causes" and adds that "end-stage renal disease - kidney failure - and hyperlipidemia" were also contributing factors. Best known for his role as beer-swilling Norm Peterson on the hit NBC bar sitcom Cheers, Wendt had spoken candidly about the impact of the show on his life. He said in a past interview: "I was lucky to be part of something that became such a beloved part of people's lives." Born in 1948, Wendt became a household name throughout the run of Cheers, which was on air for 11 seasons from 1982 to 1993. Despite a rocky start with low ratings that nearly saw the show cancelled after its first season, the sitcom grew to become a defining sitcom of its era, spending eight of its remaining 10 seasons in the top 10 shows and peaking as the most-watched programme in its ninth season. The series received 117 Emmy nominations, winning 28 awards, including Outstanding Comedy Series four times. Wendt was nominated for six consecutive Emmys for his portrayal of Norm, appearing in every episode until the series ended in May 1993. Outside of Cheers, Wendt appeared in various television roles, including Sabrina the Teenage Witch, and Columbo. Wendt was married to Bernadette Birkett, who voiced his never-seen sitcom wife Vera on Cheers, since 1978. The couple had three children – a daughter and two sons. George Wendt's cause of death has been revealed. The Cheers star died on May 20 aged 76, and now TMZ has released his official cause of death as per the certificate obtained from Los Angeles County Department of Public Health. It lists the actor's cause of death as "cardiac arrest with congestive heart failure, coronary artery disease, and hypertension as underlying causes" and adds that "end-stage renal disease - kidney failure - and hyperlipidemia" were also contributing factors. Best known for his role as beer-swilling Norm Peterson on the hit NBC bar sitcom Cheers, Wendt had spoken candidly about the impact of the show on his life. He said in a past interview: "I was lucky to be part of something that became such a beloved part of people's lives." Born in 1948, Wendt became a household name throughout the run of Cheers, which was on air for 11 seasons from 1982 to 1993. Despite a rocky start with low ratings that nearly saw the show cancelled after its first season, the sitcom grew to become a defining sitcom of its era, spending eight of its remaining 10 seasons in the top 10 shows and peaking as the most-watched programme in its ninth season. The series received 117 Emmy nominations, winning 28 awards, including Outstanding Comedy Series four times. Wendt was nominated for six consecutive Emmys for his portrayal of Norm, appearing in every episode until the series ended in May 1993. Outside of Cheers, Wendt appeared in various television roles, including Sabrina the Teenage Witch, and Columbo. Wendt was married to Bernadette Birkett, who voiced his never-seen sitcom wife Vera on Cheers, since 1978. The couple had three children – a daughter and two sons. George Wendt's cause of death has been revealed. The Cheers star died on May 20 aged 76, and now TMZ has released his official cause of death as per the certificate obtained from Los Angeles County Department of Public Health. It lists the actor's cause of death as "cardiac arrest with congestive heart failure, coronary artery disease, and hypertension as underlying causes" and adds that "end-stage renal disease - kidney failure - and hyperlipidemia" were also contributing factors. Best known for his role as beer-swilling Norm Peterson on the hit NBC bar sitcom Cheers, Wendt had spoken candidly about the impact of the show on his life. He said in a past interview: "I was lucky to be part of something that became such a beloved part of people's lives." Born in 1948, Wendt became a household name throughout the run of Cheers, which was on air for 11 seasons from 1982 to 1993. Despite a rocky start with low ratings that nearly saw the show cancelled after its first season, the sitcom grew to become a defining sitcom of its era, spending eight of its remaining 10 seasons in the top 10 shows and peaking as the most-watched programme in its ninth season. The series received 117 Emmy nominations, winning 28 awards, including Outstanding Comedy Series four times. Wendt was nominated for six consecutive Emmys for his portrayal of Norm, appearing in every episode until the series ended in May 1993. Outside of Cheers, Wendt appeared in various television roles, including Sabrina the Teenage Witch, and Columbo. Wendt was married to Bernadette Birkett, who voiced his never-seen sitcom wife Vera on Cheers, since 1978. The couple had three children – a daughter and two sons.
7NEWS
a day ago
- 7NEWS
Cheers star George Wendt's cause of death revealed
George Wendt's cause of death has been revealed. The Cheers star died on May 20 aged 76, and now TMZ has released his official cause of death as per the certificate obtained from Los Angeles County Department of Public Health. It lists the actor's cause of death as 'cardiac arrest with congestive heart failure, coronary artery disease, and hypertension as underlying causes' and adds that 'end-stage renal disease — kidney failure — and hyperlipidemia' were also contributing factors. Best known for his role as beer-swilling Norm Peterson on the hit NBC bar sitcom Cheers, Wendt had spoken candidly about the impact of the show on his life. He said in a past interview: 'I was lucky to be part of something that became such a beloved part of people's lives.' Born in 1948, Wendt became a household name throughout the run of Cheers, which was on air for 11 seasons from 1982 to 1993. Despite a rocky start with low ratings that nearly saw the show cancelled after its first season, the sitcom grew to become a defining sitcom of its era, spending eight of its remaining 10 seasons in the top 10 shows and peaking as the most-watched program in its ninth season. The series received 117 Emmy nominations, winning 28 awards, including Outstanding Comedy Series four times. Wendt was nominated for six consecutive Emmys for his portrayal of Norm, appearing in every episode until the series ended in May 1993. Outside of Cheers, Wendt appeared in various television roles, including Sabrina the Teenage Witch, and Columbo. Wendt was married to Bernadette Birkett, who voiced his never-seen sitcom wife Vera on Cheers, since 1978. The couple had three children — a daughter and two sons.
