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Thomas Daniel "Tim" Conway (December 15, 1933 – May 14, 2019) was an American actor, comedian, writer, and director. From 1966 to 2012 he appeared in more than 100 TV shows, TV series and films. Among his more notable roles, he portrayed the inept Ensign Parker in the 1960s World War II TV situation comedy ''
McHale's Navy ''McHale's Navy'' is an American sitcom starring Ernest Borgnine that aired 138 half-hour episodes over four seasons, from October 11, 1962, to April 12, 1966, on the ABC television network. The series was filmed in black and white and originate ...
,'' was a regular cast member (1975–1978) on the TV comedy ''
The Carol Burnett Show ''The Carol Burnett Show'' is an American variety/sketch comedy television show that originally ran on CBS from September 11, 1967, to March 29, 1978, for 279 episodes, and again with nine episodes in fall 1991. It starred Carol Burnett, Ha ...
'' where he portrayed his recurrent iconic characters Mister Tudball, the Oldest Man and the Dumb Private, co-starred with
Don Knotts Jesse Donald Knotts (July 21, 1924February 24, 2006) was an American actor and comedian. He is widely known for his role as Deputy Sheriff Barney Fife on ''The Andy Griffith Show'', a 1960s sitcom for which he earned five Emmy Awards. He also ...
in several films (1975–80), was the title character in the '' Dorf'' series of eight sports comedy direct-to-video films (1987–1996), and provided the voice of Barnacle Boy in the animated series ''
SpongeBob SquarePants ''SpongeBob SquarePants'' (or simply ''SpongeBob'') is an American Animated series, animated Television comedy, comedy Television show, television series created by marine science educator and animator Stephen Hillenburg for Nickelodeon. It ...
'' (1999–2012). Twice, in 1970 and in 1980–1981, he had his own TV series. Conway was admired for his ability to depart from scripts with humorous ad libs and gestures, which frequently caused others in the skit to break character while attempting to control their surprise and laughter. He won six
Primetime Emmy Award The Primetime Emmy Awards, or Primetime Emmys, are part of the extensive range of Emmy Awards for artistic and technical merit for the American television industry. Bestowed by the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences (ATAS), the Primetime ...
s during his career, four of which were awarded for ''The Carol Burnett Show'', including one for writing.


Early life

Conway was born Thomas Daniel Conway on December 15, 1933, in
Willoughby, Ohio Willoughby is a city in Lake County, Ohio and is a suburb of Cleveland. The population was 22,268 at the time of the 2010 census. History Willoughby's first permanent settler was David Abbott in 1798, who operated a gristmill. Abbott and his ...
, a suburb of
Cleveland Cleveland ( ), officially the City of Cleveland, is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Cuyahoga County. Located in the northeastern part of the state, it is situated along the southern shore of Lake Erie, across the U ...
, and grew up in nearby Chagrin Falls, the son of Daniel and Sophia (née Murgoiu) Conway. Daniel was a groomer for polo ponies. His father, who immigrated to the United States in 1927, was born in Ireland to Scottish parents and his mother was a first-generation
Romanian-American Romanian Americans are Americans who have Romanian ancestry. According to the 2017 American Community Survey, 478,278 Americans indicated Romanian as their first or second ancestry, however other sources provide higher estimates, which are mos ...
. Conway's legal name was Thomas, though he was also referred to as Toma, the Romanian language analogue, and was typically known as Tom; he changed his stage name to Tim near the beginning of his acting career (quipping he " dotted the O") to avoid confusion with British actor Tom Conway. Conway attended
Bowling Green State University Bowling Green State University (BGSU) is a Public university, public research university in Bowling Green, Ohio. The main academic and residential campus is south of Toledo, Ohio. The university has nationally recognized programs and research ...
in
Bowling Green, Ohio Bowling Green is a city in and the county seat of Wood County, Ohio, United States, located southwest of Toledo. The population was 30,028 at the 2010 census. It is part of the Toledo Metropolitan Area and a member of the Toledo Metropolitan A ...
, where he majored in television and radio and was a
disc jockey A disc jockey, more commonly abbreviated as DJ, is a person who plays recorded music for an audience. Types of DJs include Radio personality, radio DJs (who host programs on music radio stations), club DJs (who work at a nightclub or music f ...
, and a member of the
Phi Delta Theta Phi Delta Theta (), commonly known as Phi Delt, is an international secret and social fraternity founded at Miami University in 1848 and headquartered in Oxford, Ohio. Phi Delta Theta, along with Beta Theta Pi and Sigma Chi form the Miami Tria ...
fraternity. When he graduated, Conway enlisted in the
United States Army The United States Army (USA) is the land warfare, land military branch, service branch of the United States Armed Forces. It is one of the eight Uniformed services of the United States, U.S. uniformed services, and is designated as the Army o ...
, where he served between 1956 and 1958.


Career


Cleveland years

After his discharge from the Army, Conway returned to Cleveland and worked with
Ernie Anderson Ernest Earle Anderson (November 12, 1923 – February 6, 1997) was an American radio and television personality, horror host, and announcer. Known for his portrayal of " Ghoulardi", the host of late night horror films on WJW Channel 8 on Clev ...
on
KYW-TV KYW-TV (channel 3) is a television station in Philadelphia, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States, airing programming from the CBS network. It is Owned-and-operated station, owned and operated by the network's CBS News and Stations divisio ...
, an
NBC The National Broadcasting Company (NBC) is an American English-language commercial broadcast television and radio network. The flagship property of the NBC Entertainment division of NBCUniversal, a division of Comcast, its headquarters ...
affiliate, in 1958 and 1959. From 1960 to 1962, he was on WJW-TV (then a CBS affiliate, now a
Fox Foxes are small to medium-sized, omnivorous mammals belonging to several genera of the family Canidae. They have a flattened skull, upright, triangular ears, a pointed, slightly upturned snout, and a long bushy tail (or ''brush''). Twelv ...
affiliate) on a weekday morning film show (under the ''Ernie's Place'' banner), where he also wrote material for the comedic skits shown during film intermissions. Conway also recorded a comedy album with Anderson, who himself gained national prominence as a voice over announcer for ABC Television beginning in the 1970s. WJW-TV dismissed Conway in 1962, in part because he (and Anderson) misled station management into thinking he had experience as a director. Because of this move, which deprived Anderson of his co-host and comic foil, the station asked Anderson if he could host a B-grade (and lower) horror film show on Friday nights instead. Conway continued to make many appearances alongside Anderson's alter ego ''
Ghoulardi Ghoulardi was a fictional character created and portrayed by voice announcer, actor and disc jockey Ernie Anderson as the horror host of ''Shock Theater'' at WJW-TV, Channel 8 (a.k.a. "TV-8") the CBS Affiliate station in Cleveland, Ohio, from J ...
'', in addition to "Big Chuck" Schodowski, a station engineer who Anderson got to assume much of Conway's sidekick status (and who ultimately succeeded Anderson as co-host of the horror film program). After he became famous, Conway resurfaced periodically on Cleveland television on the '' Hoolihan and Big Chuck'' and ''
Big Chuck and Lil' John Charles "Big Chuck" Schodowski (born June 28, 1934) and "Lil' John" Rinaldi (born January 19, 1946) – together commonly known as Big Chuck and Lil' John – are a duo of entertainers who served as late-night horror hosts of ''The ...
'' shows on WJW-TV, in guest spots and occasional skits. Conway also made regular guest appearances at numerous "Ghoulardifest" functions held by WJW over the years, along with former Cleveland TV personality Bob "Hoolihan" Wells, in tribute to Anderson, who died in 1997.


''The Steve Allen Show''

Comedic actress Rose Marie visited WJW in 1961, as part of CBS's promotional practice of sending their major show stars directly to local affiliates: in this case, it was for ''
The Dick Van Dyke Show ''The Dick Van Dyke Show'' is an American television sitcom created by Carl Reiner that initially aired on CBS from October 3, 1961 to June 1, 1966, with a total of 158 half-hour episodes spanning five seasons. It was produced by Calvada Prod ...
''. She viewed tapes of some of Anderson and Conway's skits and proceeded to take Conway under her wing. Following his departure from WJW, Conway moved to New York City; where, with Rose Marie's assistance, he auditioned for, and gained a spot on, ABC's ''
The Steve Allen Show ''The Steve Allen Show'' was an American variety show hosted by Steve Allen from June 1956 to June 1960 on NBC, from September 1961 to December 1961 on ABC,
'' as a regular player.


''McHale's Navy''

Conway gained a national following from his role as the bumbling, naive Ensign Charles Parker, Executive Officer of the World War II PT-73, in the 1960s
sitcom A sitcom, a Portmanteau, portmanteau of situation comedy, or situational comedy, is a genre of comedy centered on a fixed set of characters who mostly carry over from episode to episode. Sitcoms can be contrasted with sketch comedy, where a troup ...
''
McHale's Navy ''McHale's Navy'' is an American sitcom starring Ernest Borgnine that aired 138 half-hour episodes over four seasons, from October 11, 1962, to April 12, 1966, on the ABC television network. The series was filmed in black and white and originate ...
'', alongside
Ernest Borgnine Ernest Borgnine (; born Ermes Effron Borgnino; January 24, 1917 – July 8, 2012) was an American actor whose career spanned over six decades. He was noted for his gruff but relaxed voice and gap-toothed Cheshire Cat grin. A popular perfor ...
and Joe Flynn. Borgnine became a mentor and a good friend. Conway appeared at Borgnine's 90th birthday celebration and, four years later, paid tribute to his friend at the 7th Annual Screen Actors Guild Awards on TNT. Afterwards, he starred in a string of short-lived television series, starting with 1967's '' Rango'' which starred Conway as an incompetent Texas Ranger.


''Turn-On''

Conway was part of an infamous network TV programming catastrophe; '' Turn-On'', a counter-cultural
sketch comedy Sketch comedy comprises a series of short, amusing scenes or vignettes, called "sketches", commonly between one and ten minutes long, performed by a group of comic actors or comedians. The form developed and became popular in vaudeville, and ...
show on ABC that was derided as a ripoff of NBC's ''
Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In ''Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In'' (often simply referred to as ''Laugh-In'') is an American sketch comedy television program that ran for 140 episodes from January 22, 1968, to March 12, 1973, on the NBC television network, hosted by comedians D ...
''. The show was in fact created and directed by ''Laugh-In''s creator George Schlatter. Even though Conway was listed only as a guest star on the pilot, which ABC broadcast on February 5, 1969, it was the only episode that ever aired. ''Turn-On'' received enough immediate, negative reaction to force several ABC affiliates, including
WEWS-TV WEWS-TV (channel 5) is a television station in Cleveland, Ohio, United States, affiliated with ABC. It has been owned by the E. W. Scripps Company since its inception in 1946, making it one of two stations that have been built and signed on by ...
in Conway's hometown of Cleveland, to refuse to return to the program after the first commercial break. WEWS management also sent an angrily-worded telegram to the network's headquarters. Many West Coast affiliates received advance warning and refused to air the show. Conway remarked that the show's premiere party he attended was also the program's cancellation party, but ABC did not officially cancel the program until the 9th of February.


''The Tim Conway Show'' (1970)

In 1970, '' The Tim Conway Show'' paired Conway with Joe Flynn of ''
McHale's Navy ''McHale's Navy'' is an American sitcom starring Ernest Borgnine that aired 138 half-hour episodes over four seasons, from October 11, 1962, to April 12, 1966, on the ABC television network. The series was filmed in black and white and originate ...
'' in a sitcom as owner-pilots of a one-plane (a
Beechcraft Model 18 The Beechcraft Model 18 (or "Twin Beech", as it is also known) is a 6- to 11-seat, twin-engined, low-wing, tailwheel light aircraft manufactured by the Beech Aircraft Corporation of Wichita, Kansas. Continuously produced from 1937 to Novemb ...
named ''Lucky Linda'') airline operated by the duo. Having "nowhere to run", this pressurized situation was ideal for the fast
repartee Wit is a form of intelligent humour, the ability to say or write things that are clever and usually funny. Someone witty is a person who is skilled at making clever and funny remarks. Forms of wit include the quip, repartee, and wisecrack. For ...
of the lead actors. It debuted in January 1970 and the last new show aired in June 1970. In the fall of the same year, Conway was given his own hour-long variety show, ''The Tim Conway Comedy Hour'', or ''The Tim Conway Comedy House'', which, as his other series had, folded quickly, lasting only 13 weeks. Typical of his self-effacing humor, he ordered his car's license plate to reflect the short duration of the series: "13 WKS". (Conway was given another one-hour variety show ten years later, which revived the title ''The Tim Conway Show''.) Beginning in 1975, Conway was often paired with
Don Knotts Jesse Donald Knotts (July 21, 1924February 24, 2006) was an American actor and comedian. He is widely known for his role as Deputy Sheriff Barney Fife on ''The Andy Griffith Show'', a 1960s sitcom for which he earned five Emmy Awards. He also ...
in family films from
Disney The Walt Disney Company, commonly known as Disney (), is an American multinational mass media and entertainment conglomerate headquartered at the Walt Disney Studios complex in Burbank, California. Disney was originally founded on October ...
, including '' The Apple Dumpling Gang'' and its 1979 sequel, '' The Apple Dumpling Gang Rides Again.'' They also starred in two independent films, a boxing comedy called '' The Prize Fighter'' in 1979, and a 1980 mystery comedy film called '' The Private Eyes''.


''The Carol Burnett Show'' (1975 - 1978)

Starting with the 1975–76 season, Conway became a regular on ''
The Carol Burnett Show ''The Carol Burnett Show'' is an American variety/sketch comedy television show that originally ran on CBS from September 11, 1967, to March 29, 1978, for 279 episodes, and again with nine episodes in fall 1991. It starred Carol Burnett, Ha ...
'' (replacing Lyle Waggoner), after having been a frequent guest for the show's first eight seasons. Conway's work on the show earned him four
Emmy Award The Emmy Awards, or Emmys, are an extensive range of awards for artistic and technical merit for the American and international television industry. A number of annual Emmy Award ceremonies are held throughout the calendar year, each with the ...
s — one for writing and three for performance, one of which was before he became a regular. Two of Conway's memorable characters on the Burnett Show were: * The Oldest Man, whose shaggy white hair, slow speech, and shuffling gait ran counter to the much-needed energy levels of the various occupations in which he was usually found. His comic inability to get said jobs done — usually with
slapstick Slapstick is a style of humor involving exaggerated physical activity that exceeds the boundaries of normal physical comedy. Slapstick may involve both intentional violence and violence by mishap, often resulting from inept use of props such ...
results to himself and, with many an ad-lib — both frustrated and "broke up" his fellow sketch performers. * Mr. Tudball, a businessman whose intentions of running a "ship-shape" office were usually sunk by the bored indifference of his secretary,
Mrs. Wiggins "Mrs. Wiggins" (also known as "Mr. Tudball and Mrs. Wiggins") is a series of comedy sketches featured on ''The Carol Burnett Show'', with one installment airing on ''Carol Burnett & Company''. ''The Carol Burnett Show'' introduced the skit series du ...
(Burnett). Although the character was widely thought to be
Swedish Swedish or ' may refer to: Anything from or related to Sweden, a country in Northern Europe. Or, specifically: * Swedish language, a North Germanic language spoken primarily in Sweden and Finland ** Swedish alphabet, the official alphabet used by ...
, Conway used a Romanian accent learned from his mother. For example, his attempts to pronounce his secretary's name came out as "Mrs. Uh-whiggins." He also used this accent for other characters, such as an inept dentist. Conway could also get results with no dialogue, such as in a sketch in which he played a tired businessman seeking restful sleep in his hotel — and pestered by a
housefly The housefly (''Musca domestica'') is a fly of the suborder Cyclorrhapha. It is believed to have evolved in the Cenozoic Era, possibly in the Middle East, and has spread all over the world as a commensal of humans. It is the most common f ...
, created only by a sound effect and Conway's gazing after it. After much struggle, he manages to get the fly out of the room through the window; after returning to bed, he hears a persistent knock on his door, gets up to answer it, and opens the door, letting the fly (who was doing the knocking) back in. Another skit, also without a word from Conway, featured him playing Simba, a lion raised by humans then released to the wild (based on the lioness Elsa in the film ''
Born Free ''Born Free'' is a 1966 British drama film starring the real-life couple Virginia McKenna and Bill Travers as Joy and George Adamson, another real-life couple who raised Elsa the Lioness, an orphaned lion cub, to adulthood, and released h ...
''). Conway, told of the upcoming eviction from the comfortable home, caused Burnett and
Harvey Korman Harvey Herschel Korman (February 15, 1927May 29, 2008) was an American actor and comedian who performed in television and film productions. His big break was being a featured performer on CBS' '' The Danny Kaye Show'', but he is best remembered ...
to break up with an interminable process of packing to leave. A prime example of his ability to make his co-stars laugh uncontrollably involved Lyle Waggoner as a captured American airman, with Conway as a stereotypical blond-haired Gestapo agent charged with his interrogation. Stating that "the Fuhrer" had taken particular interest, Conway produced a small Hitler hand puppet. Conway suggested to the puppet that singing might relax Waggoner's character to the point he is willing to talk. In a long, drawn-out fashion, the Hitler puppet (Conway providing a falsetto voice, with German accent) sings "I've Been Working on the Railroad," and with each passing verse, Waggoner loses more of his composure, finally laughing hysterically when puppet-Hitler screeches, "FEE-FI-Fiddely-I-O!". 1978. Conway remained a regular cast member of ''The Carol Burnett Show'' until the program's run ended in 1978.


''The Tim Conway Show'' (1980–1981)

In 1980, Conway again was given his own one-hour variety program, titled '' The Tim Conway Show'' (the title that was previously used for his 1970
sitcom A sitcom, a Portmanteau, portmanteau of situation comedy, or situational comedy, is a genre of comedy centered on a fixed set of characters who mostly carry over from episode to episode. Sitcoms can be contrasted with sketch comedy, where a troup ...
). It aired on CBS, as his previous shows had, and debuted on March 22, 1980. It was originally a full hour but was reduced to half an hour in summer 1980. It lasted longer than any of his earlier self-titled series, ending in August 1981. The format was similar to that of ''The Carol Burnett Show'', with several regular cast members performing in comedy sketches, interspersed with the occasional musical performance by a guest musician. Among the regulars in the cast were Maggie Roswell,
Miriam Flynn Miriam Flynn (born June 18, 1952) is an American Voice acting, voice and character actor, character actress. She is best known as Cousin Catherine in the ''National Lampoon's Vacation'' and Grandma Longneck in ''The Land Before Time (franchise), ...
, Eric Boardman, Jack Riley, and Dick Orkin. Former ''Burnett'' cast member
Harvey Korman Harvey Herschel Korman (February 15, 1927May 29, 2008) was an American actor and comedian who performed in television and film productions. His big break was being a featured performer on CBS' '' The Danny Kaye Show'', but he is best remembered ...
also became a ''Tim Conway Show'' regular in late 1980, after having earlier made guest appearances on the show, as had
Carol Burnett Carol Creighton Burnett (born April 26, 1933) is an American actress, comedian, singer, and writer. Her groundbreaking comedy variety show '' The Carol Burnett Show'', which originally aired on CBS was one of the first of its kind to be hoste ...
and Vicki Lawrence. In the spring of 1983, Conway starred in another situation comedy, ''
Ace Crawford, Private Eye ''Ace Crawford, Private Eye'' is an American sitcom that aired on CBS from March 15 to April 12, 1983. The series parodied the "hard-boiled detective" genre. Synopsis Tim Conway stars as a trench-coated private investigator who always solves the ...
''; a spoof of detective shows, it lasted only a month. In the summer of 1990, he starred in ''
Tim Conway's Funny America ''Tim Conways Funny America'' is a 1990 American comedic television series starring Tim Conway. Its first episode aired as a special on April 29, 1990, and it then was broadcast as a weekly series from July 29, 1990, to September 2, 1990.McNeil ...
'', playing pranks in disguise on unsuspecting passersby around the United States while
hidden camera A hidden camera or spy camera is a camera used to photograph or record subjects, often people, without their knowledge. The camera may be considered "hidden" because it is not visible to the subject being filmed, or is disguised as another obje ...
s recorded the results, which Conway presented to a studio audience; it, too, lasted only a few weeks.


''Dorf''

In the 1980s, Conway began appearing in a series of satirical how-to videos in which he played a diminutive, dark-haired Scandinavian known as Dorf (a variation on "dwarf"), reprising his goofy Mr. Tudball accent. The Dorf character first appeared on the January 3, 1986, episode of ''
The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson ''The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson'' was an American late-night talk show hosted by Johnny Carson on NBC, the third iteration of the ''Tonight Show'' franchise. The show debuted on October 1, 1962, and aired its final episode on May 22, ...
''. In that episode, he portrayed a horse jockey. Dorf also appeared in the 1987 film '' Dorf on Golf'' and later appeared in eight other films on a variety of sports from baseball to auto racing. ''Dorf on Golf'' was remastered for DVD in 2007. In 2010, all of the ''Dorf'' films were remastered in a DVD Collection featuring all eight films, a behind-the-scenes with Dorf, and a commentary track by Tim Conway on "The Legend of the Paddle: The Oldie Hollis Story." Dorf also appeared on an episode of ''Tim Conways Funny America'' in the summer of 1990, leading an
aerobics Aerobics is a form of physical exercise that combines rhythmic aerobic exercise with stretching and strength training routines with the goal of improving all elements of fitness ( flexibility, muscular strength, and cardio-vascular fitness). ...
class on his impossibly short legs. In 2009, Conway's Dorf character started "helping"
Santa Claus Santa Claus, also known as Father Christmas, Saint Nicholas, Saint Nick, Kris Kringle, or simply Santa, is a legendary figure originating in Western Christian culture who is said to bring children gifts during the late evening and overnigh ...
on the website iSpotSanta. Each year, Dorf had three sketches; in 2009, he tried to give Santa his Christmas list, failing and accidentally hitting Santa with a golf ball. Then, in 2010, he tried to give all of the world's letters to Santa directly using jet rockets to fly to his sleigh, cannonballs, and more.


Voice work

In 1973, Conway guest-starred in ''
The New Scooby Doo Movies ''The New Scooby-Doo Movies'' is an American animated mystery comedy television series produced by Hanna-Barbera for CBS. It is the second animated television series in the studio's ''Scooby-Doo'' franchise, and follows the first incarnation, ''Sc ...
'', voiced himself in the episode "The Spirited Spooked Sports Show". In 1999, Conway and his good friend
Ernest Borgnine Ernest Borgnine (; born Ermes Effron Borgnino; January 24, 1917 – July 8, 2012) was an American actor whose career spanned over six decades. He was noted for his gruff but relaxed voice and gap-toothed Cheshire Cat grin. A popular perfor ...
reunited to become the first guest stars of Nickelodeon's ''
SpongeBob SquarePants ''SpongeBob SquarePants'' (or simply ''SpongeBob'') is an American Animated series, animated Television comedy, comedy Television show, television series created by marine science educator and animator Stephen Hillenburg for Nickelodeon. It ...
'', voicing the roles of Mermaid Man and Barnacle Boy. Series creator Stephen Hillenburg and creative director Derek Drymon visioned the voices of the characters with the two actors in mind from the very beginning, having been fans of their work in ''McHale's Navy''. Hillenberg and Drymon directly approached Borgnine and Conway, and the actors both accepted. Conway lent his voice to other television shows including ''
The Simpsons ''The Simpsons'' is an American animated sitcom created by Matt Groening for the Fox Broadcasting Company. The series is a satirical depiction of American life, epitomized by the Simpson family, which consists of Homer Simpson, Homer, Marge ...
'', the Disney spin-off ''
Hercules Hercules (, ) is the Roman equivalent of the Greek divine hero Heracles, son of Jupiter and the mortal Alcmena. In classical mythology, Hercules is famous for his strength and for his numerous far-ranging adventures. The Romans adapted th ...
'', '' Lloyd in Space'', ''
The Wild Thornberrys ''The Wild Thornberrys'' is an American animated television series created by Arlene Klasky, Gábor Csupó, Steve Pepoon, David Silverman, and Stephen Sustarsic for Nickelodeon. The series portrays an American family of wildlife documentary fi ...
'', '' Cybill'', '' The Proud Family'', ''
The New Scooby-Doo Movies ''The New Scooby-Doo Movies'' is an American animated mystery comedy television series produced by Hanna-Barbera for CBS. It is the second animated television series in the studio's ''Scooby-Doo'' franchise, and follows the first incarnation, '' ...
'', ''
WordGirl ''WordGirl'' (stylized as ''W✪RD GIRL'') is an American children's Flash animated superhero television series produced by the Soup2Nuts animation unit of Scholastic Entertainment for PBS Kids. The series began as a series of shorts entitled ...
'', '' Scooby-Doo! Pirates Ahoy!'', '' Caillou'' and '' What's with Andy?''. He also narrated ''The Secret Shortcut'' in ''
Reading Rainbow ''Reading Rainbow'' is an American educational children's television series that originally aired on PBS and afterwards PBS Kids and PBS Kids Go! from July 11, 1983 to November 10, 2006, with reruns continuing to air until August 28, 2009. 155 ...
'' and hosted '' The Flintstones' 25th Anniversary Celebration''. He also provided the voice of Freddy the Frog in the direct-to-DVD film ''
Garfield's Fun Fest ''Garfield's Fun Fest'' is a 2008 computer-animated comedy film based on the comic strip ''Garfield''. It was produced by Paws, Inc., in cooperation with The Animation Picture Company and distributed by 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment. It was ...
''. From 2003 to 2010, Conway starred as Hermie in Max Lucado's animated video series, '' Hermie and Friends'' along side his co-star,
Don Knotts Jesse Donald Knotts (July 21, 1924February 24, 2006) was an American actor and comedian. He is widely known for his role as Deputy Sheriff Barney Fife on ''The Andy Griffith Show'', a 1960s sitcom for which he earned five Emmy Awards. He also ...
as Wormie. His final voice acting role was one of the talking seagulls in '' The SpongeBob Movie: Sponge Out of Water''.


Other television appearances

In 1963, Conway guest-starred in '' Channing'' playing a job applicant. In 1968, he made two guest appearances on '' That's Life''. From 1970 to 1971, Conway made four appearances on ''
Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In ''Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In'' (often simply referred to as ''Laugh-In'') is an American sketch comedy television program that ran for 140 episodes from January 22, 1968, to March 12, 1973, on the NBC television network, hosted by comedians D ...
''. In 1974, he was in the '' ABC Afterschool Special'' as a janitor in the episode: " The Crazy Comedy Concert". In 1987, Conway guest-starred in '' Faerie Tale Theatre'' as a mayoral candidate in the episode: "
Rip Van Winkle "Rip Van Winkle" is a short story by the American author Washington Irving, first published in 1819. It follows a Dutch-American villager in colonial America named Rip Van Winkle who meets mysterious Dutchmen, imbibes their liquor and falls asle ...
". In 1990, he guest-starred in '' Newhart'' as himself in the episode: " Dick and Tim". In 1991, Conway made a
cameo appearance A cameo role, also called a cameo appearance and often shortened to just cameo (), is a brief appearance of a well-known person in a work of the performing arts. These roles are generally small, many of them non-speaking ones, and are commonly ei ...
in '' Carol & Company'' as an audience member in the episode "That Little Extra Something". From 1995 to 1996, he guest-starred in '' Married... with Children'' as Ephraim Wanker, the hillbilly father of Peg Bundy in four episodes. In 1996 and 1997, Conway guest-starred in ABC's ''
Coach Coach may refer to: Guidance/instruction * Coach (sport), a director of athletes' training and activities * Coaching, the practice of guiding an individual through a process ** Acting coach, a teacher who trains performers Transportation * Co ...
'', for which he received the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Guest Actor in a Comedy Series, playing Kenny Montague in the 1996 episode "The Gardener." In 1997, Conway guest-starred in '' Diagnosis: Murder'' as Tim Conrad in the episode: " Comedy Is Murder" where he teamed back up with Dick Van Dyke and
Harvey Korman Harvey Herschel Korman (February 15, 1927May 29, 2008) was an American actor and comedian who performed in television and film productions. His big break was being a featured performer on CBS' '' The Danny Kaye Show'', but he is best remembered ...
where Conway and Korman (Harvey Huckaby) are former comedy partners. In the episode, a clip of the well-known dentist sketch from ''The Carol Burnett Show'' was used to illustrate their partnership. In 1998, Conway guest-starred in ''
Ellen Ellen is a female given name, a diminutive of Elizabeth, Eleanor, Elena and Helen. Ellen was the 609th most popular name in the U.S. and the 17th in Sweden in 2004. People named Ellen include: *Ellen Adarna (born 1988), Filipino actress *Ellen A ...
'' as a comedian in the episode: " Ellen: A Hollywood Tribute, Part 1". In 1999, he guest-starred again in ''Diagnosis: Murder'' as Tim Conrad in the episode: " The Roast". From 2001 to 2005, Conway guest-starred in ''
Yes Dear ''Yes, Dear'' is an American television sitcom created by Alan Kirschenbaum and Gregory Garcia, that aired on CBS from October 2, 2000, to February 15, 2006, with the total of six seasons and 122 episodes. It starred Anthony Clark, Jean Louis ...
'' as Tom Warner, the father of Greg, with ''Carol Burnett Show'' co-star Vicki Lawrence playing his wife. He won another Emmy Award for Outstanding Guest Actor in a Comedy Series for his role as Bucky Bright in the ''
30 Rock ''30 Rock'' is an American satirical sitcom television series created by Tina Fey that originally aired on NBC from October 11, 2006, to January 31, 2013. The series, based on Fey's experiences as head writer for ''Saturday Night Live'', ta ...
'' episode "
Subway Hero "Subway Hero" is the twelfth episode of the second season of ''30 Rock'' and thirty-third episode of the series. It was written by Jack Burditt, one of the series' co-executive producers, and executive producer Robert Carlock. It was directed by ...
," which initially aired on April 17, 2008. From 2010 to 2014, Conway guest-starred on '' CSI: Crime Scene Investigation'', ''
Hot in Cleveland ''Hot in Cleveland'' is an American television sitcom on TV Land starring Valerie Bertinelli, Jane Leeves, Wendie Malick, and Betty White. The series, which was TV Land's first original series, premiered on June 16, 2010, and was TV Land's ...
'', ''
WordGirl ''WordGirl'' (stylized as ''W✪RD GIRL'') is an American children's Flash animated superhero television series produced by the Soup2Nuts animation unit of Scholastic Entertainment for PBS Kids. The series began as a series of shorts entitled ...
'', '' Batman: The Brave and the Bold'', ''
Wizards of Waverly Place ''Wizards of Waverly Place'' is an American fantasy teen sitcom created by Todd J. Greenwald that aired on Disney Channel for four seasons between October 2007 and January 2012. The series centers on Alex Russo (Selena Gomez), a teenage w ...
'', '' Mike & Molly'', '' Major Crimes'', ''
Two and a Half Men ''Two and a Half Men'' is an American television sitcom that originally aired on CBS for twelve seasons from September 22, 2003, to February 19, 2015. Originally starring Charlie Sheen in the lead role alongside Jon Cryer and Angus T. Jones, the ...
'', and ''
Glee Glee means delight, a form of happiness. Glee may also refer to: * Glee (music), a type of English choral music * ''Glee'' (TV series), an American musical comedy-drama TV series, and related media created by Ryan Murphy * ''Glee'' (Bran Van 30 ...
''. On his 75th birthday in 2008, Conway was interviewed as a guest on '' The Bonnie Hunt Show'' and given a surprise cake by
Bob Newhart George Robert Newhart (born September 5, 1929) is an American actor and comedian. He is known for his deadpan and slightly stammering delivery style. Newhart came to prominence in 1960 when his album of comedic monologues, '' The Button-Down M ...
. In 2018, Conway was seen promoting ''The Carol Burnett Show'' and other classic television series on the
MeTV MeTV, an acronym for Memorable Entertainment Television, is an American broadcast television network owned by Weigel Broadcasting. Marketed as "The Definitive Destination for Classic TV", the network airs a variety of classic television program ...
television network.


Other film and video

Conway starred in
Disney films This is a list of films produced by and released under the Walt Disney Pictures banner (known as that since 1983, with '' Never Cry Wolf'' as its first release) and films released before that under the former name of the parent company, Walt ...
such as '' The World's Greatest Athlete'' (1973), '' The Apple Dumpling Gang'' (1975), '' Gus'' (1976), and '' The Apple Dumpling Gang Rides Again'' (1979), his work with the company earning him a Disney Legend award in 2004. He starred in the 1977 comedy film ''
The Billion Dollar Hobo ''The Billion Dollar Hobo'' is a 1977 American comedy film starring Tim Conway and Will Geer (in his last role). Plot Conway is Vernon Praiseworthy, only heir to his uncle's fortune, who faced poverty and misfortune during the Great Depression b ...
''. Conway also co-starred with
Don Knotts Jesse Donald Knotts (July 21, 1924February 24, 2006) was an American actor and comedian. He is widely known for his role as Deputy Sheriff Barney Fife on ''The Andy Griffith Show'', a 1960s sitcom for which he earned five Emmy Awards. He also ...
in '' The Prize Fighter'' (1979) and '' The Private Eyes'' (1980). He starred in the 1986 equestrian comedy, ''
The Longshot ''The Longshot'' is a 1986 American comedy film directed by Paul Bartel and starring Tim Conway. Plot Four friends enjoy betting on horses at the race track. Someone tells them that he's got something to give his horse to make it run faster, and ...
''. Conway also appeared with Dick Martin in '' Air Bud: Golden Receiver'' (1998) as Fred Davis, the main announcer for the Timberwolves' final game, with Martin as his co-announcer, Phil Phil. He was postal employee Herman Dooly in the 1996 film, '' Dear God''. Conway and
Harvey Korman Harvey Herschel Korman (February 15, 1927May 29, 2008) was an American actor and comedian who performed in television and film productions. His big break was being a featured performer on CBS' '' The Danny Kaye Show'', but he is best remembered ...
created a Collector's Edition DVD of new comedy sketches, titled ''Together Again''; it was produced by Pasquale Murena and sold through Conway's official website. Starting in 2003, Conway teamed up with good friend
Don Knotts Jesse Donald Knotts (July 21, 1924February 24, 2006) was an American actor and comedian. He is widely known for his role as Deputy Sheriff Barney Fife on ''The Andy Griffith Show'', a 1960s sitcom for which he earned five Emmy Awards. He also ...
again to provide voices for the direct-to-video children's series '' Hermie and Friends'', which continued with both until Knotts died in 2006. Conway continued to do the series afterwards. In 2007, he hosted ''Thou Shalt Laugh 2: The Deuce'', a collection of Christian stand-up comedians. In 2012–13, he voiced the character Mulch in DreamWorks' '' DreamWorks Dragons'' subtitled Riders of Berk series. In 2016, he played Professor VanVanguard, a knowledgeable character of the lives, characteristics and treating of zombies in the award-winning feature film ''Chip & Bernie's Zomance''.


Collaborators

Conway collaborated with many notable performers and maintained long-term professional relationships with many of them.


Ernie Anderson

Conway first pitched the idea of
Ernie Anderson Ernest Earle Anderson (November 12, 1923 – February 6, 1997) was an American radio and television personality, horror host, and announcer. Known for his portrayal of " Ghoulardi", the host of late night horror films on WJW Channel 8 on Clev ...
and himself doing a late night show together in Cleveland during the 1960s. That is where Rose Marie found Conway and got him a role on ''The Steve Allen Show''. Before that, the duo recorded two comedy albums together: ''Are We On?'' (1966) and ''Bull'' (1967). Anderson turned to doing voiceovers after Conway moved on, but their collaborations continued with Conway's string of shows and Anderson's career as "The Voice of ABC". Anderson performed on sketches and was the voiceover talent for ''The Carol Burnett Show''. Anderson become a cult icon in Cleveland as the character Ghoulardi during his own late night television show, where he showed horror
B movie A B movie or B film is a low-budget commercial motion picture. In its original usage, during the Golden Age of Hollywood, the term more precisely identified films intended for distribution as the less-publicized bottom half of a double feat ...
s to viewers. In 2013, Conway went to the Ghoulardi Fest to promote his book and show his love for his friend Anderson.


Harvey Korman

Conway first met
Harvey Korman Harvey Herschel Korman (February 15, 1927May 29, 2008) was an American actor and comedian who performed in television and film productions. His big break was being a featured performer on CBS' '' The Danny Kaye Show'', but he is best remembered ...
in 1966 during the first of Conway's three appearances on '' The Danny Kaye Show''. Korman was a four-year series regular on Kaye's CBS variety hour. 1967 saw the end of the Kaye show and the debut of ''
The Carol Burnett Show ''The Carol Burnett Show'' is an American variety/sketch comedy television show that originally ran on CBS from September 11, 1967, to March 29, 1978, for 279 episodes, and again with nine episodes in fall 1991. It starred Carol Burnett, Ha ...
''. With Korman available, he stepped into a regular role there. Conway appeared as a guest during that first Burnett season and the two men immediately became friends starting a lifetime of working together until Korman's death in 2008. One of their most famous sketches was from ''The Carol Burnett Show'' called "The Dentist Sketch." In this sketch, Korman goes to the just-graduated dentist Conway for a toothache. Conway proceeds to remove Korman's tooth, but before he can inject the novocaine into Korman, he injects it into himself, causing his hand, leg, and head to go numb. Korman and Conway performed together for 10 years on ''The Carol Burnett Show'' before Korman left to pursue his own show. Korman joined Conway on Conway's shows and then later on in the 1986 film ''
The Longshot ''The Longshot'' is a 1986 American comedy film directed by Paul Bartel and starring Tim Conway. Plot Four friends enjoy betting on horses at the race track. Someone tells them that he's got something to give his horse to make it run faster, and ...
'', which Conway wrote for the two men. Conway also wrote the direct-to-video films ''Tim and Harvey in The Great Outdoors'' and ''Together Again with Tim and Harvey'', which the comedy pair starred in together. The duo also toured the U.S. performing together. The DVD ''Together Again with Tim and Harvey'' is a recording of their touring stage show that ran over 10 years to sold out markets until Korman's death in 2008. When interviewed in 2004, Conway said of Korman, "We're friends; He's a bright guy; he can do The New York Times crossword puzzle in about five minutes, but he can't tie his shoes."


Don Knotts

When Conway was starting his career in Hollywood, so was
Don Knotts Jesse Donald Knotts (July 21, 1924February 24, 2006) was an American actor and comedian. He is widely known for his role as Deputy Sheriff Barney Fife on ''The Andy Griffith Show'', a 1960s sitcom for which he earned five Emmy Awards. He also ...
. Both men were regulars on ''
The Steve Allen Show ''The Steve Allen Show'' was an American variety show hosted by Steve Allen from June 1956 to June 1960 on NBC, from September 1961 to December 1961 on ABC,
'', though at different times. They didn't have the chance to work together until Disney Studios paired the two men on the Apple Dumpling Gang series of films, and their comedy clicked; Knotts's boisterous, Barney Fife-style bungling both contrasted and meshed with Conway's quieter form of physical comedy. The first film starred
Bill Bixby Wilfred Bailey Everett Bixby III (January 22, 1934 – November 21, 1993) professionally known as Bill Bixby, was an American actor, director, producer, and frequent game-show panellist. Bixby's career spanned more than three decades, includi ...
and Susan Clark in 1975 and was called '' The Apple Dumpling Gang''. In it, Bixby is tricked into taking care of a trio of orphans as a pair of lovable holdup men named Amos Tucker (Conway) and Theodore Ogelvie (Knotts) attempts to steal a gold nugget the children find. The film was a commercial success and a sequel, starring the pair, was made in 1979, called '' The Apple Dumpling Gang Rides Again''. The sequel did not have the other cast members but was hugely profitable for Disney. Conway wrote two other films for the pair to star in together starting with '' The Prize Fighter'' in 1979 and '' The Private Eyes'' in 1980. Both were independently produced and the highest grossing independent films of those years. They had a cameo in the '' Cannonball Run II'' film together and in later years voiced the characters of Hermie and Wormie the
caterpillars Caterpillars ( ) are the larval stage of members of the order Lepidoptera (the insect order comprising butterflies and moths). As with most common names, the application of the word is arbitrary, since the larvae of sawflies (suborder Sy ...
in numerous shows from Max Lucado's Christian children's series, " Hermie and Friends".


Pasquale Murena

In 2007, Conway met filmmaker Pasquale Murena when Murena was brought in to direct additional scenes and edit the direct-to-DVD film ''Legend of the Paddle'', starring Conway. The two men subsequently worked together on numerous productions, including Murena producing the DVD releases of ''Together Again with Tim and Harvey'', the re-releases of ''Tim and Harvey in The Great Outdoors'', '' Dorf on Golf'', and ''
Dorf Goes Fishing ''Dorf Goes Fishing'' is a 1993 comedy short film in the Dorf series, starring Tim Conway, Ronnie Schell and Yvonne Wilder. Plot Grunt the Caveman Dorf begins the video by introducing us to 'Grunt', a caveman who looks peculiarly simila ...
''. Murena directed, produced and co-wrote with Conway six ''Dorf'' comedy sketches for the DVD release of ''The Ultimate Dorf DVD Collection'', which has sold over 3 million copies. Starting in 2009, the two men collaborated on their first sketches for the website iSpotSanta, where Dorf helps Santa deliver presents, and works at the North Pole as Santa's #1 elf. The two men did over 25 comedy sketches and three short films for the website, while garnering over 35 million viewers. Conway was quoted in an interview on the Disney Channel, stating that, "Pasquale has done more with Dorf than I ever imagined. We love making these films for kids." Continuing their success, Murena cast Conway as Professor VanVanGuard in his award-winning first feature film in 2014 called, ''Chip & Bernie's Zomance'', with Conway adding his unique humor to this zombie film.


Personal life


Family

Conway was married to Mary Anne Dalton from 1961 until 1978, and they had six children together. He was married to Charlene Fusco from May 18, 1984 until his death. Her daughter, Jacqueline "Jackie" Beatty, became Tim's stepdaughter, giving him seven children altogether.


Autobiography

Conway's memoir ''What's So Funny?: My Hilarious Life'' was on ''
The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid ...
'' Best Seller list its first week on sale.


Religion

Tony Rossi interviewed Conway on November 20, 2013, on his podcast ''Christopher Closeup'' (on ''
Patheos Patheos is a non-denominational, non-partisan online media company providing information and commentary from various religious and nonreligious perspectives. Upon its launch in May 2009, the website was primarily geared toward learning about r ...
''), and Conway revealed that he had converted to
Catholicism The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.3 billion baptized Catholics worldwide . It is among the world's oldest and largest international institutions, and has played a ...
. This was also reported in an interview with Raymond Arroyo on his
EWTN The Eternal Word Television Network, more commonly known by its initials EWTN, is an American basic cable television network which presents around-the-clock Catholic-themed programming. It is not only the largest Catholic television network in ...
program ''The World Over''.


Philanthropy

In June 2010, Conway returned to his hometown of
Chagrin Falls, Ohio Chagrin Falls is a village in Cuyahoga County, Ohio, United States and is a suburb of Cleveland in Northeast Ohio's Cleveland-Akron-Canton metropolitan area, the 19th-largest Combined Statistical Area nationwide. The village was established an ...
, to put on fund-raising performances at the Chagrin Valley Little Theatre to kick off its capital campaign. He was a spokesperson for the United
Leukodystrophy Leukodystrophies are a group of usually inherited disorders characterized by degeneration of the white matter in the brain. The word ''leukodystrophy'' comes from the Greek roots ''leuko'', "white", ''dys'', "abnormal" and ''troph'', "growth". ...
Foundation.


Interests

A fan of
thoroughbred The Thoroughbred is a horse breed best known for its use in horse racing. Although the word ''thoroughbred'' is sometimes used to refer to any breed of purebred horse, it technically refers only to the Thoroughbred breed. Thoroughbreds are ...
horse racing and an occasional racehorse owner, Conway was the co-founder and vice-president of the board of directors of the Don MacBeth Memorial Jockey Fund.


Illness and death

In September 2018, ''SpongeBob SquarePants'' showrunner
Vincent Waller Vincent Paul Waller (born September 30, 1960) is an American writer, storyboard artist, animator, and technical director. He has worked on several animated television shows and movies, the most notable ones being ''The Ren & Stimpy Show'' and ...
commented that during the time Conway was recording dialogue for the seagull in '' The SpongeBob Movie: Sponge Out of Water'' (which was released in 2015), he was having trouble recording due to health issues. These issues led to his retirement from playing Barnacle Boy and from acting as a whole in 2016. In 2018, Conway was diagnosed with
dementia Dementia is a disorder which manifests as a set of related symptoms, which usually surfaces when the brain is damaged by injury or disease. The symptoms involve progressive impairments in memory, thinking, and behavior, which negatively affe ...
due to normal pressure hydrocephalus. He had surgery to have a ventricular shunt placed. His daughter Kelly and his wife Char both wanted sole conservatorship over his health and a suit was filed at the Superior Court of Los Angeles. Kelly wanted him to be in his home, not in a facility, for privacy reasons. Char was not allowing his daughter Kelly to visit him or talk to doctors and caregivers regarding his health. It was discovered that his care was being neglected by his wife Char and her daughter. Judge Robert Wada ruled against Kelly and in March 2019 his wife was granted conservatorship because she was named power of attorney. After a long legal battle, mediation was necessary to put rules in place to allow Kelly visitation. Conway died on May 14, 2019, at the age of 85 from complications of normal pressure hydrocephalus at a care facility in
Los Angeles Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the largest city in the state of California and the second most populous city in the United States after New York City, as well as one of the wor ...
.


Tributes

Numerous actors and celebrities paid tribute to Conway following his death, including Dick Van Dyke,
Patton Oswalt Patton Peter Oswalt (born January 27, 1969) is an American stand-up comedian, actor and writer. He is known as Spence Olchin in the sitcom '' The King of Queens'' (1998–2007) and for narrating the sitcom '' The Goldbergs'' (2013–present) as ...
,
Ben Stiller Benjamin Edward Meara Stiller (born November 30, 1965) is an American actor, comedian, and filmmaker. He is the son of the comedians and actors Jerry Stiller and Anne Meara. Stiller was a member of a group of comedic actors colloquially known ...
, Billy Gardell,
Ed Asner Eddie Asner (; November 15, 1929 – August 29, 2021) was an American actor and former president of the Screen Actors Guild. He is best remembered for portraying Lou Grant during the 1970s and early 1980s, on both '' The Mary Tyler Moore Show'' ...
,
Buzz Aldrin Buzz Aldrin (; born Edwin Eugene Aldrin Jr.; January 20, 1930) is an American former astronaut, engineer and fighter pilot. He made three spacewalks as pilot of the 1966 Gemini 12 mission. As the Lunar Module ''Eagle'' pilot on the 1969 ...
,
Neil Patrick Harris Neil Patrick Harris (born June 15, 1973) is an American actor, singer, writer, producer, and television host. Primarily known for his comedic television roles and dramatic and musical stage roles, he has received multiple accolades throughout ...
,
Tom Kenny Thomas James Kenny (born July 13, 1962) is an American actor and comedian. He is known for voicing the titular character in ''SpongeBob SquarePants'' and associated media. Kenny has voiced many other characters, including Heffer Wolfe in '' ...
,
Jamie Lee Curtis Jamie Lee Curtis (born November 22, 1958) is an American actress, producer, children's author, and activist. She came to prominence with her portrayal of Lt. Barbara Duran on the ABC sitcom '' Operation Petticoat'' (1977–78). In 1978, she m ...
,
Larry King Larry King (born Lawrence Harvey Zeiger; November 19, 1933 – January 23, 2021) was an American television and radio host, whose awards included 2 Peabodys, an Emmy and 10 Cable ACE Awards. Over his career, he hosted over 50,000 interviews. ...
,
Judd Apatow Judd Apatow (; born December 6, 1967) is an American comedian, director, producer, and screenwriter, best known for his work in comedy and drama films. He is the founder of Apatow Productions, through which he produced and directed the films '' ...
,
Wayne Brady Wayne Alphonso Brady (born June 2, 1972) is an American television personality, comedian, actor, and singer. He is a regular on the American version of the improvisational comedy television series '' Whose Line Is It Anyway?'' He was the host ...
,
Marlee Matlin Marlee Beth Matlin (born August 24, 1965) is an American actress, author, and activist. She is the recipient of numerous accolades, including an Academy Award, a Golden Globe Award, a Screen Actors Guild Award, in addition to nominations for a ...
,
Al Jean Alfred Ernest Jean III (born January 9, 1961) is an American screenwriter and producer. Jean is well known for his work on ''The Simpsons''. He was raised near Detroit, Michigan, and graduated from Harvard University in 1981. Jean began his wri ...
,
John Scalzi John Michael Scalzi II (born May 10, 1969) is an American science fiction author and former president of the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America. He is best known for his ''Old Man's War'' series, three novels of which have been no ...
, Richard Lewis, Marsha Warfield,
Patricia Heaton Patricia Helen Heaton (born March 4, 1958) is an American actress and comedian. She is best known for her work on sitcoms, having played Debra Barone on '' Everybody Loves Raymond'' (1996–2005) as well as Frances "Frankie" Heck on '' The Midd ...
, Tony Hale, Larry Wilmore, Vicki Lawrence,
Yvette Nicole Brown Yvette Nicole Brown (born August 12, 1971) is an American actress, comedian, writer and host. She starred as Shirley Bennett on the NBC sitcom ''Community'', as Dani in the 2015 version of '' The Odd Couple'' on CBS and as Dina Rose on the AB ...
,
Andy Richter Paul Andrew Richter (born October 28, 1966) is an American actor, comedian, writer, and talk show announcer. He is best known as the sidekick for Conan O'Brien on each of O'Brien's talk shows: '' Late Night'' and ''The Tonight Show'' on NBC ...
and
Conan O'Brien Conan Christopher O'Brien (born April 18, 1963) is an American television host, comedian, writer, and producer. He is best known for having hosted late-night talk shows for almost 28 years, beginning with '' Late Night with Conan O'Brien'' ( ...
. Close friend
Bob Newhart George Robert Newhart (born September 5, 1929) is an American actor and comedian. He is known for his deadpan and slightly stammering delivery style. Newhart came to prominence in 1960 when his album of comedic monologues, '' The Button-Down M ...
made the following statement: Close friend
Carol Burnett Carol Creighton Burnett (born April 26, 1933) is an American actress, comedian, singer, and writer. Her groundbreaking comedy variety show '' The Carol Burnett Show'', which originally aired on CBS was one of the first of its kind to be hoste ...
made the following statement:


Filmography


Accolades and recognition


References


Notes

# ''
The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid ...
'' has his name as Toma Daniel Conway. All other sources, including the Ohio Birth Index, state Thomas Daniel Conway. # Shared with
Ed Simmons Edward Lamar Simmons (born December 31, 1963 in French Camp, California) is a former American football offensive tackle who played his entire 11-year career with the Washington Redskins from 1987 to 1997 in the National Football League. He pl ...
, Roger Beatty, Rick Hawkins, Liz Sage, Bob Illes, James R. Stein, Franelle Silver,
Larry Siegel Lawrence H. Siegel (October 29, 1925 – August 20, 2019) was an American comedy writer and satirist who wrote for television, stage, magazines, records, and books. He won three Emmys as Head Writer during four seasons of ''The Carol Burnett Show ...
,
Bill Richmond Bill Richmond (5 August 1763 – 28 December 1829) was a British boxer, born into slavery in Richmondtown, New York. Although born in Colonial America, he lived for the majority of his life in England, where all his boxing contests took p ...
,
Gene Perret Gene Perret (April 3, 1937 – November 15, 2022) was an American comedy writer and producer. He won three Emmys for his work on '' The Carol Burnett Show''. He worked for Bob Hope for 28 years. He wrote Hope’s television specials and USO Chris ...
,
Dick Clair Dick Clair (November 12, 1931 – December 12, 1988) was an American television producer, actor and television and film writer, best known for the television sitcoms '' It's a Living'', '' The Facts of Life'', and ''Mama's Family''. Early life ...
, and Jenna McMahon. The episode with
Eydie Gormé Eydie Gormé ( ; born Edith Gormezano; August 16, 1928 – August 10, 2013) was an American singer who had hits on the pop and Latin pop charts. She sang solo and in the duo Steve and Eydie with her husband, Steve Lawrence, on albums and tele ...
. # Shared with Ed Simmons, Roger Beatty, Rick Hawkins, Liz Sage, Bob Illes, James R. Stein, Franelle Silver, Larry Siegel, Bill Richmond, Gene Perret, Dick Clair, and Jenna McMahon. The episode with
Ken Berry Kenneth Ronald Berry (November 3, 1933 – December 1, 2018) was an American actor, dancer, and singer. Berry starred on the television series ''F Troop'', ''The Andy Griffith Show'', ''Mayberry R.F.D.'' and ''Mama's Family''. He also appea ...
. # Shared with Ed Simmons, Roger Beatty, Rick Hawkins, Liz Sage, Bob Illes, James R. Stein, Franelle Silver, Larry Siegel, Bill Richmond, Gene Perret, Dick Clair, and Jenna McMahon. # Shared with Roger Beatty, Rick Hawkins, Liz Sage, Bob Illes, James R. Stein, Franelle Silver, Larry Siegel, Bill Richmond, Gene Perret, Dick Clair, Jenna McMahon, and Ed Simmons (supervising). The episode with
Steve Martin Stephen Glenn Martin (born August 14, 1945) is an American actor, comedian, writer, producer, and musician. He has won five Grammy Awards, a Primetime Emmy Award, and was awarded an Honorary Academy Award in 2013. Additionally, he was nominat ...
and
Betty White Betty Marion White (January 17, 1922December 31, 2021) was an American actress and comedian. A pioneer of early television, with a television career spanning almost seven decades, White was noted for her vast work in the entertainment indus ...
guest-star. # Shared with
Bob Arnott William Robert "Bob" Arnott (13 October 1922 – 23 January 2016) was an Australian alpine skier who competed in the 1952 Winter Olympics. Family and education Arnott was the great-grandson of William Arnott, who founded Arnott's Biscuits ...
, Roger Beatty, Dick Clair, Ann Elder, Arnie Kogen, Buz Kohan, Jenna McMahon, and Kenny Solms. The episode with
Sally Field Sally Margaret Field (born November 6, 1946) is an American actress. She has received many awards and nominations, including two Academy Awards, three Primetime Emmy Awards, two Golden Globe Awards, a Screen Actors Guild Award, a Cannes Film F ...
. # Shared with
Harvey Korman Harvey Herschel Korman (February 15, 1927May 29, 2008) was an American actor and comedian who performed in television and film productions. His big break was being a featured performer on CBS' '' The Danny Kaye Show'', but he is best remembered ...
. # Shared with
Carol Burnett Carol Creighton Burnett (born April 26, 1933) is an American actress, comedian, singer, and writer. Her groundbreaking comedy variety show '' The Carol Burnett Show'', which originally aired on CBS was one of the first of its kind to be hoste ...
, Harvey Korman, Vicki Lawrence, Lyle Waggoner, and
Bob Mackie Robert Gordon "Bob" Mackie (born March 24, 1939) is an American fashion designer and costumier, best known for his dressing of entertainment icons such as Lucille Ball, Carol Burnett, Diahann Carroll, Carol Channing, Cher, Doris Day, Marl ...
(
costume designer A costume designer is a person who designs costumes for a film, stage production or television show. The role of the costume designer is to create the characters' outfits or costumes and balance the scenes with texture and colour, etc. The costume ...
).


Citations


Sources

*


External links

* * * *
Disney Legends profile
*
Q&A with Tim Conway

Tim Conway Quotes
* {{DEFAULTSORT:Conway, Tim 1933 births 2019 deaths 20th-century American comedians 20th-century American male actors 21st-century American comedians 21st-century American male actors American male comedians American male film actors American male television actors American male voice actors American people of Scottish descent American people of Romanian descent American racehorse owners and breeders American sketch comedians Best Supporting Actor Golden Globe (television) winners Bowling Green State University alumni Burials at Westwood Village Memorial Park Cemetery Catholics from California Catholics from Ohio Converts to Roman Catholicism Disney people Male actors from Ohio Military personnel from Ohio Neurological disease deaths in California People from Chagrin Falls, Ohio People from Greater Los Angeles People from Willoughby, Ohio Primetime Emmy Award winners United States Army soldiers