Character actor Henry Gibson died 14 September 2009 after a brief battle with cancer. Born James Bateson on 21 September 1935, he adopted the name “Henry Gibson” as a pun on Norwegian playwright Henrik Ibsen’s name. His earliest comedy work was in the form of satirical poems delivered in a southern accent, and he named himself because “if you say Henrik Ibsen with a Southern accent it sounds like Henry Gibson.”
Gibson was a child star on stage in the 1940s and ’50s, served as an intelligence officer in the US Air Force, and then studied at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Arts. His television debut came in a few episodes of The Joey Bishop Show in 1963, and his film debut came the same year, in The Nutty Professor. His breakthrough came a few years later, on Rowan & Martin’s Laugh-In (1968-71), where he was a regular. He then moved on to a career as a character actor in both films and television, as well as voice-over work for animation. Most recently, he played Bob Jenkins in seven episodes of the animated King of the Hill, and was a recurring Judge Clark Brown on Boston Legal.
Gibson’s many genre appearances include: Trapped Ashes (2006), three episodes of Grim & Evil (2004-07), Charmed (2003), Stargate SG-1 (2002), The Luck of the Irish (2001), Early Edition (2000), Total Recall 2070 (1999), The Wild Thornberrys (1999), Star Trek: Deep Space Nine (1998), four episodes of Sabrina, the Teenage Witch (1997-99), Asylum (1997), Escape to Witch Mountain (1995), Cyber Bandits (1995), Aaahh!!! Real Monsters (1994), Vault of Horror (1994), Rugrats (1993), Tales from the Crypt (1992), Eerie, Indiana (1991), Gremlins 2: The New Batch (1990), Night Visitor (1989), The ‘burbs (1989), Around the World in 80 Days (1989), Innerspace (1987), all 13 episodes of Galaxy High School (1986), Knight Rider (1986), Monster in the Closet (1986), The Twilight Zone (1986), The Blinkins (1986), Wuzzles (1985), Small & Frye (1983), Smurfs (1981), The Incredible Shrinking Woman (1981), The Halloween That Almost Wasn’t (1979), Fantasy Island (1978), Halloween is Grinch Night (1977), two episodes of Wonder Woman (1975 and 1978), two episodes of Bewitched (1968 and 1970), My Favorite Martian (1964), and The Nutty Professor (1963).
Gibson’s wife of 41 years, Lois Joan Geiger, died in 2007. He is survived by three children.