Harvey Korman facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Harvey Korman
Born	Harvey Herschel Korman (1927-02-15)February 15, 1927 Chicago, Illinois, U.S.
Died	May 29, 2008(2008-05-29) (aged 81) Los Angeles, California, U.S.
Resting place	Woodlawn Memorial Cemetery in Santa Monica, California
Occupation	Actor, comedian
Years active	1950–2007
Spouse(s)	Donna Ehlert ​ ​ (m. 1960; div. 1977)​ Deborah Fritz Korman ​ (m. 1982)​
Children	4

Harvey Korman (born February 15, 1927, died May 29, 2008) was a famous American actor and comedian. He made people laugh on TV shows and in movies. He became well-known on The Danny Kaye Show. But most people remember him for his amazing work on The Carol Burnett Show. He won four Emmy Awards for his comedy on that show. He also worked a lot with his friend, Tim Conway. Harvey Korman was also in many funny movies made by Mel Brooks.

Early Life and Education

Harvey Korman was born in Chicago, Illinois. His family came from Russia. His parents were Ellen and Cyril Raymond Korman.

He joined the United States Navy during World War II. After the war, he studied acting. He went to the Goodman School of Drama in Chicago. He also studied at HB Studio in New York.

Comedy Career

Starting Out in Television

Harvey Korman's first TV role was in The Donna Reed Show. He played a head waiter. He appeared on many TV shows after that. These included Route 66 and Perry Mason.

From 1963 to 1967, he was a regular on The Danny Kaye Show. He also appeared on Dennis the Menace. He was even on The Munsters three times. From 1965 to 1966, he voiced The Great Gazoo on The Flintstones.

The Carol Burnett Show

Carol Burnett, guest star Madeline Kahn, and Harvey Korman in a sketch from The Carol Burnett Show, 1976

Harvey Korman became very famous on The Carol Burnett Show. The show started in 1967. He was on the show for ten years.

He won four Emmy Awards for his work on the show. He also won a Golden Globe Award in 1975. In 1977, he left the show to start his own sitcom. It was called The Harvey Korman Show, but it only lasted five episodes.

Other Projects

While on The Carol Burnett Show, Korman also starred in movies. He played the bad guy, Hedley Lamarr, in the 1974 film Blazing Saddles. This was a comedy by Mel Brooks. He also worked with Mel Brooks in High Anxiety (1977) and History of the World, Part 1 (1981).

In 1978, he was in the Star Wars Holiday Special. He played funny characters like Chef Gormaanda. He also played Captain Blythe in the Disney movie Herbie Goes Bananas (1980). Later, he did voice work for The Flintstones movie. He also voiced characters in animated films like The Secret of NIMH 2: Timmy to the Rescue. His last Mel Brooks film was Dracula: Dead and Loving It.

Harvey Korman also reunited with Carol Burnett and Vicki Lawrence. He played Ed Higgins in the TV movie Eunice (1982). He continued this role in the spin-off series Mama’s Family. He also directed many episodes of Mama's Family.

He often worked with his friend Tim Conway. They toured the U.S. together, performing old and new comedy skits. They even released a DVD called Together Again in 2006. Harvey Korman and Tim Conway were added to the Television Hall of Fame in 2002.

Personal Life

Harvey Korman was married twice. His first wife was Donna Ehlert. They were married from 1960 to 1977 and had two children, Maria and Christopher. He then married Deborah Korman in 1982. They stayed married until he passed away in 2008. They had two daughters, Kate and Laura.

Death

Harvey Korman passed away on May 29, 2008, at age 81. He died at UCLA Medical Center in Los Angeles. He had health problems from a ruptured blood vessel. He is buried in Woodlawn Cemetery in Santa Monica, California.

Filmography

Movies

Television Shows

Video Games

• The Flintstones (pinball) (1994) as the Dictabird (voice)
• The Flintstones: Bedrock Bowling (2000) as The Great Gazoo (voice)

See also

In Spanish: Harvey Korman para niños