Henry Gibson facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Henry Gibson
Gibson as The Poet on Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In, 1969
Born	James Bateman (1935-09-21)September 21, 1935 Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S.
Died	September 14, 2009(2009-09-14) (aged 73) Malibu, California, U.S.
Resting place	Westwood Village Memorial Park Cemetery
Other names	Olsen Gibson
Alma mater	Catholic University of America
Occupation	Actor comedian poet
Years active	1943–2009
Spouse(s)	Joan Geiger ​ ​ (m. 1966; died 2007)​
Children	3, including Charles Alexander Gibson

Henry Gibson (born James Bateman; September 21, 1935 – September 14, 2009) was an American actor, comedian, and poet. He was famous for his funny roles on TV and in movies.

Some of his most well-known parts include being a cast member on the TV show Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In (1968–1971). He also voiced Wilbur the pig in the animated movie Charlotte's Web (1973). You might also remember him as the country star Haven Hamilton in the 1975 movie Nashville. He played the leader of the "Illinois Nazis" in The Blues Brothers (1980) and acted alongside Tom Hanks in The 'Burbs (1989).

Henry Gibson's Early Life and Start

Henry Gibson was born James Bateman on September 21, 1935, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. He was one of seven children in his family. When he was in high school, he was the president of the drama club.

After college, he served in the United States Air Force in France from 1957 to 1960. When he started his entertainment career, he created a comedy act. In this act, he pretended to be a poet from Fairhope, Alabama. He chose the stage name Henry Gibson because it sounded like the famous Norwegian writer Henrik Ibsen. He also sometimes used the name Olsen Gibson.

Henry Gibson's Acting Career Highlights

Henry Gibson started acting when he was only eight years old. He toured with the Mae Desmond Theatre for nine years. He performed in many plays and theater shows.

Early TV and Movie Roles

Gibson often appeared on Tonight Starring Jack Paar between 1957 and 1962. He would often recite his poems on the show. In 1962, guest host Jerry Lewis was impressed by Gibson. Lewis then cast him in the 1963 movie The Nutty Professor. This movie helped his career take off.

After that, in 1964, he played a poetry-reciting cowboy named Quirt Manly on the popular show The Beverly Hillbillies. Around the same time, Gibson also appeared in an episode of My Favorite Martian.

Laugh-In and Famous Characters

Henry Gibson was a main cast member on the TV show Laugh-In for three years. He was even nominated for a Golden Globe award in 1971 for his work on the show.

He was best known on Laugh-In for playing "The Poet." He would come out from behind a set piece, wearing a special jacket and beads, holding a huge fake flower. He would bow, say the name of his poem, and then recite a funny poem with a sharp, often political, message. He would then bow again and leave.

His "Poet" routine was so famous that even John Wayne once did it on the show! Gibson also regularly appeared in the "Cocktail Party" parts of the show. He played a Catholic priest who would sip tea, say a serious one-liner, and then go back to sipping tea.

In 1968, Gibson released a comedy album called ...by Henry Gibson. He also appeared on the TV show Bewitched twice, playing Napoleon Bonaparte and a leprechaun. From 1969 to 1974, he made many appearances on the show Love, American Style.

Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In, with John Wayne and Tiny Tim (front left). Henry Gibson is in the back right.

Success in Movies

In the 1960s, Gibson read a poem called "Keep a-Goin'" on The Dick Van Dyke Show. He later turned this poem into a song for the 1975 movie Nashville. He was nominated for a Golden Globe Award for his role as Haven Hamilton in Nashville. He also won an award from the National Society of Film Critics for this part. Many people thought his performance was incredibly realistic.

Gibson worked with director Robert Altman on three other movies: The Long Goodbye, A Perfect Couple, and Health.

In 1978, he played the villain Mariposa in The New Adventures Of Wonder Woman. Two years later, he appeared on The Dukes of Hazzard. That same year, he played the leader of the "Illinois Nazis" in the movie The Blues Brothers. This became one of his most famous movie roles. The next year, he was in The Incredible Shrinking Woman.

In the 1989 comedy The 'Burbs, starring Tom Hanks, Gibson played the villain. He worked with the same director, Joe Dante, again in 1990 for Gremlins 2: The New Batch. In this movie, he had a small role as an office worker who gets fired for smoking.

In 1996, he played a serious role as a former train conductor in the movie Color of a Brisk and Leaping Day. That year, he also voiced Adolf Eichmann in the movie Mother Night. In 1999, Gibson appeared in Magnolia as a strange bar customer.

Voice Acting and Later Roles

Henry Gibson was also a talented voice actor in animated shows and movies. He famously voiced Wilbur the pig in the popular children's movie Charlotte's Web (1973). He also lent his voice to cartoons like The Biskitts, The Grim Adventures of Billy & Mandy, King of the Hill, and Rocket Power.

Later in his career, he had guest roles on TV shows like Star Trek: Deep Space Nine (1998) and Stargate SG-1 (2001). His last major roles were in the 2005 movie Wedding Crashers as Father O'Neil, and on the TV show Boston Legal as Judge Clark Brown.

Henry Gibson's Personal Life and Passing

Henry Gibson married Lois Joan Geiger on April 6, 1966. They had three sons: Jonathan David Gibson, Charles Alexander Gibson (a visual effects supervisor), and James Gibson (a screenwriter). Lois passed away on May 6, 2007.

Henry Gibson died from cancer on September 14, 2009, at his home in Malibu, California. He was almost 74 years old. He was cremated, and his ashes were given to his family.

Filmography

Film Roles

Television Roles

Discography

• The Alligator (1962)
• The Grass Menagerie (1968)

Books

• A Flower Child's Garden of Verses (1970)

Awards and Nominations

See also

In Spanish: Henry Gibson para niños