Arte Johnson facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Arte Johnson
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Johnson at the premiere of Seems Like Old Times in December 1980
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| Born |
Arthur Stanton Eric Johnson
January 20, 1929 Benton Harbor, Michigan, U.S.
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| Died | July 3, 2019 (aged 90) Los Angeles, California, U.S.
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| Alma mater | University of Illinois (B.A., 1949) |
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| Years active | 1954–2006 |
| Spouse(s) | Texie Waterman (divorced) Gisela Johnson
(m. 1968) |
Arthur Stanton Eric Johnson (born January 20, 1929 – died July 3, 2019) was an American actor and comedian. He was best known for his funny characters on the popular TV show Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In.
Contents
Arte Johnson: A Life in Comedy
Early Life and First Steps
Arte Johnson was born on January 20, 1929, in Benton Harbor, Michigan. His father was a lawyer. Arte went to Austin High School. Later, he earned a degree in radio journalism from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign in 1949. While at college, he worked at the campus radio station. He also performed with the University of Illinois Theater Guild alongside his brother, Coslough Johnson.
After a short time in the military, Johnson moved to New York City. He started performing in nightclubs in early 1954. His first acting job was in the musical Gentlemen Prefer Blondes. He also appeared in an off-Broadway show called The Shoestring Revue in 1955.
Early TV and Movie Roles
Before becoming famous on Laugh-In, Arte Johnson appeared in many TV shows. He was in the sitcom It's Always Jan in 1955. He also sang and danced in an episode of Make Room for Daddy in 1956. In 1958, he joined the cast of the TV show Sally.
Johnson also had roles in films like The Subterraneans (1960). He appeared in episodes of classic TV shows like Hennesey, Alfred Hitchcock Presents, and The Twilight Zone. He even showed up on The Andy Griffith Show and McHale's Navy. In 1965, he was a guest star on Bewitched as Samantha's funny Cousin Edgar. He also had a serious role in the 1965 film The Third Day.
Becoming a Star on Laugh-In
Arte Johnson is most famous for his work on Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In. He was a regular cast member from 1968 to 1973. On the show, he played many memorable characters. One popular character was "Wolfgang," a German soldier. Wolfgang was always unaware that World War II had ended long ago. His catchphrase was "Very interesting ..., but...['stupid', 'not very funny', and other versions]".
Another well-known character was "Tyrone F. Horneigh." Tyrone was an old man who often tried to flirt with women. Years after Laugh-In finished, these two characters even had their own animated children's show called Baggy Pants and the Nitwits. In this show, Tyrone was a helpful, muttering superhero.
Arte Johnson and his brother Coslough won Emmy Awards for their work on Laugh-In.
Voice Acting and Other Roles
After Laugh-In, Johnson continued to work a lot. He guest-starred on shows like The Partridge Family. He was also a regular judge on The Gong Show from 1976 to 1980.
Johnson was also a talented voice actor for cartoons. He voiced Misterjaw, a blue, German-accented shark, on The Pink Panther Laugh-and-a-Half Hour-and-a-Half Show. He also voiced characters on The Houndcats, The 13 Ghosts of Scooby-Doo, DuckTales, The Smurfs, Yo Yogi!, and Animaniacs.
He appeared in movies like Love at First Bite (1979), where he played Renfield. He also had roles in TV shows like Murder, She Wrote and Night Court. From 1991 to 1992, he played Finian O'Toole on the soap opera General Hospital. He also read over 80 audiobooks. Arte Johnson retired from acting in 2006.
His Life Off-Screen
Arte Johnson lived in Southern California with his wife, Gisela. He was previously married to a choreographer named Texie Waterman. He was a survivor of non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, a type of cancer, which he was successfully treated for in 1997.
Sadly, Arte Johnson passed away on July 3, 2019, at the age of 90. He had been ill for three years with bladder and prostate cancer. His ashes were scattered off Hawaii. His wife, Gisela Johnson, survived him.
Images for kids
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Johnson at the premiere of Seems Like Old Times in December 1980
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Johnson as "Tyrone F. Horneigh" approaching Lucille Ball in a sketch on The Glen Campbell Goodtime Hour (1971)
