Jonathan Winters

Comedian, actor, artist, writer; the supreme improvisational genius of his time -- via TMZ. His non-stop ability to move in and out of a multitude of characters, create a narrative off the top of his head, and inhabit all so convincingly that you felt like you were being taken on a magic carpet ride every time you saw or heard him was amazing! One of the top comics of all time.



First and foremost, he was ALWAYS funny -- he couldn't veer away from that. Unlike other spastic, shape-shifting funnymen of the period -- Danny Kaye, Zero Mostel, Sid Caesar, Peter Sellers, Jerry Lewis, Red Skelton -- Winters was always ready and needed no script.



Despite his battle with manic depression, his wartime trauma, and his lapses into and out of popularity, his outlook, though sometimes edgy and rueful, was essentially positive, and was reflected in his thoughtful words on and off stage. He was alive in a way that none of us could be.



He was part of the zeitgeist that also brought together the improvisational Compass Players in Chicago, a year after he moved to New York to make the big time. Both suddenly freed comic performance up in revolutionary ways. His standup was completely unique -- he didn't just stand there and tell jokes. He became the stories he told. His rambling fantasies inspired a much looser delivery, influencing the work of acts as varied as Lenny Bruce, Robert Klein, Lily Tomlin, and Robin Williams.

His movie work, not as hailed as the rest, contains three characterizations back in back-to-back films that are still hilarious. His Lennie Pike in "It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World":



in "The Loved One" as the evil Henry, and Wilbur, Glenworthy:



and Norman in "The Russians are Coming, The Russians are Coming":



All gems.

His amazing example really ignited my ambition to do comedy, giving me a lot of joy at the fun of thinking fast in front of a bunch of laughing strangers. I loved him on record, TV, in the theater, hey, I've even got his book. After spending time with Jonathan Winters, 1. you felt like you weren't the only one who was crazy. and 2. the possibilities of the human mind seemed endless, and the ability to communicate it seemed easy. What great gifts to give us. Thanks, Jonathan!