Everything about Henry Gibson totally explained
» For the former United States congressman, see Henry R. Gibson; for the percussionist, see Master Henry Gibson; for the dramatist, see Henrik Ibsen.
Henry Gibson (born
September 21,
1935) is an
American actor and
songwriter, perhaps best known as a cast member of
Rowan and Martin's Laugh-In. His stage name may have been based upon that of the dramatist
Henrik Ibsen, and he often pronounced his surname as though it were "Ibsen", particularly when performing as "The Poet" on that comedy-variety show.
Biography
Early life
Gibson was born
Henry Gibson Bateman in
Germantown, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, the son of Dorothy (
née Cassidy) and Edmund Albert Bateman. A graduate of
The Catholic University of America in
Washington, D.C., Gibson served in the
U.S. Air Force as an intelligence officer during the 1950s. During the 1950s he developed an act in which he portrayed a southern accented poet. During this period he adopted the stage name Henry Gibson influenced by the name of Norwegian poet
Henrik Ibsen.
Career
Gibson's acting career began when he was cast in the 1963
Jerry Lewis film
The Nutty Professor. He also appeared on
The Dick Van Dyke Show, reading the poem "Keep A Goin'" which he turned into a song in the film
Nashville. Gibson appeared in four films by
Robert Altman:
The Long Goodbye (starring
Elliott Gould),
Nashville (starring
Ned Beatty and
Keith Carradine), as well as
A Perfect Couple and
Health. He also appeared in
The Incredible Shrinking Woman (starring
Lily Tomlin). From
Nashville, Gibson was nominated for a
Golden Globe Award and won the
National Society of Film Critics award for his role of smarmy
country music singer Haven Hamilton.
Gibson's 'break-out' performance came with the three years he spent as part of the
Laugh-In cast. A key character he played was "The Poet," often reciting poems with "sharp satirical or political themes". He would emerge from behind a stage flat, wearing a then-trendy
Nehru jacket and a string of 'hippie' beads and holding an outlandishly large artificial flower, and say, "[Titleof poem] -- by Henry Gibson." He would bow stiffly from the waist, recite his poem, and return behind the flat. Gibson's simple-looking poem routine was a memorable enough part of
Laugh-In that
John Wayne actually performed it on the show once, flower in hand--although in his own inimitable style: "The Sky -- by John Wayne. The Sky is blue/The Grass is green/Get off your butt/And join the Marines!" At which point, Wayne left the scene by smashing
through the flat.
On
Laugh-In, Gibson also regularly appeared in the "Cocktail Party" segments as a
Catholic priest, sipping tea. He would put the cup down on the saucer, recite his
one-liner in a grave and somber tone, then go back to sipping the tea. He also made recurring appearances in the 1969-1974 anthology sitcom
Love, American Style.
Gibson is today most often remembered for his roles in two feature films. In the 1989 Tom Hanks/Joe Dante comedy,
The 'Burbs, Gibson played the main villain. In 1980 he played the leader of the "Illinois Nazis" in the John Landis film
The Blues Brothers. Most younger audiences associate him with this film in particular due to its popularity. He has a brief appearance in
Paul Thomas Anderson's
Magnolia as an eccentric barfly. He has also worked frequently as a
voice actor in animation, most notably portraying Wilbur the pig in the popular children's movie
Charlotte's Web (1973). He also worked on the cartoon
Galaxy High as Doyle's locker.
Gibson re-teamed with director Dante a few years later when
Gremlins 2 was released in 1990. He performed a cameo as the office worker who is caught taking a smoking break on camera and fired by the sadistic boss. He later had a leading role in a Season 5 episode of
Stargate SG-1 entitled
The Sentinel, as the character
Marul.
Gibson can most recently be seen alongside
Owen Wilson and
Vince Vaughn in the 2005 comedy hit
Wedding Crashers, and as supporting character Judge Clark Brown on the TV show
Boston Legal.
Family
In April 1966, he married Lois Joan Geiger, with whom he'd three sons: Jonathan David Gibson, Charles Alexander Gibson and James Gibson.
Filmography
Further Information
Get more info on 'Henry Gibson'.
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