Arte Johnson, Master Of Comedy On 'Laugh-In,' Passes Away At Age 90

Jul 04, 2019 by apost team

Arte Johnson, the hilarious actor most well-known for his character work on “Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In,” has passed away of heart failure at the age of 90 at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles.

His family announced that his death also follows a three-year battle with bladder and prostate cancer, according to the Hollywood Reporter. Originally from Michigan, Johnson got his start in showbiz after auditioning for a Broadway play while he was working for a book publisher in New York City according to an interview for The American Comedy Archives. That kickstarted a career on stage, film, and most notably on TV.

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Johnson was most well-known for his anachronistic character of Wolfgang, the German soldier who thought that World War II was still ongoing. The character birthed the catchphrase “Verrrrrry interesting” which even made its way to the Simpsons.

He is also very known for starring opposite Ruth Buzzi in “Laugh-In” sketches as Tyrone F. Horneigh, a park bench annoyance to women everywhere. Buzzi was his co-star for several sketches, and friend for decades, and she has sent her condolences on Twitter.

But these were only two of his plethora of characters on the TV show, by some counts, the tally reaches more than 60. He was absolutely born to be a star and embraced the goofy side of comedy.

In a 1972 interview on WTMJ Milwaukee, he says, “I work best when I have a false nose, a false mustache, an odd costume, a piece of hair, a bone through my nose. Give me some odd, weird thing and that’s me.”

Arte Johnson is survived by his brother and his wife Gisela whom he married in 1968. Donations can be made in his name to Actors & Others for Animals. He will very much be missed and remembered, thank you Arte for paving the way in the comedy landscape.

Take a trip down memory lane with this montage below:

Rest in peace Arte Johnson. Are you a “Laugh-In” fan? Tell us about your favorite moments.