When news of Tim Conway’s passing made headlines on Tuesday, everyone who was ever touched by his humor and his legacy mourned his loss. At the age of 85, Conway lost his life, and her “suffered complications from Normal Pressure Hydrocephalus (NPH).” For the uninitiated, Conway was a comedy legend throughout his career, and many call him what he was – a genius – and living legends remember him fondly, including his co-star and friend Carol Burnett.
Conway was an Ohio native who came into the spotlight predominately through his role on The Carol Burnett Show. Viewers of the show are mourning the loss of Conway, but some people might also remember him better from his time on the series McHale’s Navy or through his memoir What’s So Funny? My Hilarious Life. No matter how you came into contact with Conway, you have to admit that he was one of the greatest comedians of the last century.
Burnett remembers Conway very, very fondly. She spoke to USA Today following his death and shared a brief memory of her.
“He was one in a million, not only as a brilliant comedian but as a loving human being,” Burnett told the newspaper. “I cherish the times we had together both on the screen and off. He’ll be in my heart forever.”
Conway died in the Los Angeles area at 8:45 am on Tuesday, his representative Howard Bragman told People. He will be sorely missed.
Conway was known for his wide breadth of talent. He could play all types of characters and was great at improvising as the camera was rolling. One of his favorite characters on The Carol Burnett show was Mr. Tudball. He won a Golden Globe for his part in the series. He also won Emmys in 1973, 1977, and 1978. He was a highly recognized comedic talent and awarded for his efforts.
In a previous interview with The Los Angeles Times, he said: “They used to do 33 shows a year on Burnett. She said why don’t you just be a regular on the show? I said I will tell you what. I will do 32 shows and leave one week open at the end so I can guest on somebody’s show. I always guested on her show, but I did have the right to go somewhere else. My job on every show was to break everybody up.”
After the Carol Burnett Show ended, he continued to work with her on subsequent projects including 1991’s Carol & Company. He later landed a steady gig on Married With Children as Ephraim Wanker.
Most recently, Conway voiced Barnacle Boy on SpongeBob SquarePants.
It was clarified after his passing that Conway showed “no signs of dementia or Alzheimer’s” when he passed. Earlier claims spread some doubt about that fact. The star is survived by his seven children including KFI Los Angeles radio show host Tim Conway Jr.
Director Judd Apatow also shared a statement about Conway: “The man was pure comedy. Riotously funny. I finally got to see him work when he guest starred on The Larry Sanders show and he was all I dreamed he would be. As kind as he was funny. He will be missed.”