Very, VERY sad news today…the brilliant comedian Jonathan Winters has died at 87.
I know I’m dating myself, but, because I was raised on television, I saw a LOT of Jonathan as I was growing up, on a wide variety of TV shows and in many of the movies he appeared in, and he always stood out as one of the most unique people on the tube.
There was a wild unpredictable quality to his presence and his work, born from a virtuosic improvisational style that was WAY ahead of his time. Winters was the proverbial box of chocolates, you never knew what you were going to get, and you never knew when he’d change characters, which he could do at the drop of a hat.
I remember distinctly the occasional awkward silences created when he’d abruptly switch gears and the television actors he was working with were caught off-guard, needing a moment to catch up. Rather than being jarring, I always recognized these moments as refreshingly unscripted, the product of a fearless master artist who was not afraid to take chances, and as a result mostly succeeded.
Anyway, the internets are abuzz with this news, along with loving and admiring tributes from his fans and colleagues, and of all the stuff I’ve seen so far my favorite has been the following video, in a tweet from Patton Oswalt, a stunning example of Jonathan Winters’ genius for improv, many, many years before the rest of the world would discover the “prop game” on Whose Line Is It Anyway?.
Rest in peace, Jonathan, and thanks SO much for all of the laughs!
One of my favorite movies of all time is “The Russians Are Coming, The Russians Are Coming.” Jonathan Winters did a great job in his role (as did Brian Keith, Alan Arkin, and Carl Reiner). Great post–loved the clip!
You know, that movie has been on my list to see for years and I’ve never gotten around to it. I often have difficulty reaching back to watch older movies, especially when I find so little time to watch current ones.
I will check it out eventually. Thanks!