Arte Johnson, R.I.P.

Actor and comedian Arte Johnson, best known for being a regular on the groundbreaking 1960's-1970's TV show Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In, has passed away of complications of bladder and prostate cancer. He was 90.

Originally seeking a career in publishing at Viking Press, Johnson auditioned for a part in the Broadway production of Gentlemen Prefer Blondes on a whim and was cast as a 65-year old Frenchman at the age of 25. Throughout the 1950's and 1960's appeared on stage on TV show like The Danny Thomas Show, The Twilight Zone, Alfred Hitchcock Presents, The Andy Griffith Show and McHale's Navy.

But work wasn't always steady. When Johnson was cast in Laugh-In, he was selling suits at a department store. Laugh-In was the perfect medium for the diminutive actor who played a myriad of characters for the show's first four seasons. The two most notable characters were Wolfgang, a German soldier who believed WWII wasn't over and deployed the catchphrase "Very interesting," often to conclude the show. The other was Tyrone P. Horneigh, a dirty old man who sought the affections of Gladys Ormphby (played by Ruth Buzzi) only to be repeatedly assaulted by an oversized purse.

After leaving Laugh-In in 1971, Johnson did guest spots on Night Gallery, Love, American Style and The Partridge Family. In 1979, Johnson had a supporting role in the George Hamilton spoof of Dracula, Love at First Bite. But for the most part, Johnson mostly did voiceover work and appeared on game shows like The Match Game and The Gong Show or would just show up randomly on Dick Clark's American Bandstand. 

Johnson retired from performing in 2006. But he was far from forgotten. His Laugh-In co-star Ruth Buzzi tweeted:

Thank you for a wonderful half-century of friendship. I could not have shared the spotlight with a nicer guy. Rest in peace. And yes, Arte Johnson, I believe in the hereafter...

Keith Olbermann tweeted:

What I believe was my first self-chosen Halloween costume, 1968 or 1969: Arte Johnson as the dirty old man. Complete with Walnettos. Can’t overstate how big Laugh-In was: we all dissected it every Tuesday morning on the playground as we would later dissect Python #RIP

Jon Cryer tweeted:

So grateful that I got to enjoy the comedy of Arte Johnson. He was the catchphrase king of my youth.

Good night Lucy. R.I.P.