R.I.P. Buck Henry (1930-2020)

Buck Henry

On January 8, 2020, comedian and writer Buck Henry passed away at the age of 89 in Los Angeles, California. With over 50 years of experience, he created an incredible career featuring two Oscar nominations for the films The Graduate and Heaven Can Wait. Along with his work on the film, he became known for what he did on TV as the co-creator of Get Smart as well as frequent appearances on Saturday Night Live. As an entertainer, he was capable of finding deeper insight into even the most absurd of scenarios, managing to create a complex and sympathetic view of the world that made it a more interesting place. What he leaves behind is one of the most charismatic, entertaining resumes that an artist can give. He will be missed. 

Buck Henry was born Henry Zuckerman on December 9, 1930, in New York City, New York. His mother was Ruth Taylor, a silent film actress best known for her work in Gentlemen Prefer Blondes. His father, Paul Steinberg Zuckerman, was an Air Force brigadier general and a stockbroker. When discussing his stage name, which he didn't use until the 1970s, it came from his grandfather, whose name was Henry and who gave him the nickname of Buck as a child. He attended The Choate School and made his acting debut in a Broadway production of Life with Father. He earned a bachelor's degree in English literature and a senior scholarship in writing at Dartmouth College. He also wrote for the humor magazine there called Dartmouth Jack-O-Lanter, where he met filmmaker Bob Rafelson. He served in the Korean War as a helicopter mechanic and then in Special Services. 

After doing improvisational comedy with The Premise, he began to do bits with Alan Abel between 1959 and 1962. He would then move onto The New Steve Allen Show (1961) and That Was the Week That Was (1964-1965). It was after this that he met Mel Brooks and created Get Smart, which won numerous Emmys and lasted fie seasons. He would do other work, but none would hold as much success. In the world of film, he co-wrote with Calder Willingham the screenplay for The Graduate as well as co-starred as a concierge. It was the most memorable project of his career, even reappearing in a bit from the Robert Altman film The Player decades later as he desires to write a sequel. He remained busy with scripts and acting, appearing in countless projects. He would even co-direct Heaven Can Wait with Warren Beatty, leading to his second Oscar nomination. 

His later work would focus mostly on TV. During the late 1970s, he became known as the man who hosted Saturday Night Live the most at 10 times. He held that honor until the late-80s when Steve Martin hosted 11 times. He was a fixture of the show, even becoming a tradition of hosting the last episode of a season for the first five years. His desire to play along made him a crowd favorite and explains how he transitioned so smoothly into a guest actor on TV later in life, including a noteworthy stint on 30 Rock. What he leaves behind is an incredible body of work spanning 50 years and a lot of great laughs and insight. He wasn't just funny but also knew how to explore humanity in exciting and provocative ways. He was an artist like no other and his work will continue to speak for itself and inspire generations as time moves on.