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Comedy sketch player Ruth Buzzi, known for her work on 'Laugh-In' and 'Sesame Street,' dies at 88
Ruth Buzzi, who rose to fame as the frumpy and bitter Gladys Ormphby on the groundbreaking sketch comedy series "Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In" and made over 200 television appearances during a 45-year career, has died at age 88.
LOS ANGELES — Ruth Buzzi, who rose to fame as the frumpy and bitter Gladys Ormphby on the groundbreaking sketch comedy series "Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In" and made over 200 television appearances during a 45-year career, died Thursday. Her other recurring characters on “Laugh-In” included Flicker Farkle; Busy-Buzzi, a Hollywood gossip columnist; Doris Swizzler, a cocktail-lounge regular who got drunk with husband Leonard, played by Dick Martin; and an inconsiderate flight attendant. She co-starred with Jim Nabors as time-traveling androids on “The Lost Saucer” in the mid-1970s.Her other guest appearances included variety shows hosted by Burnett, Flip Wilson, Glen Campbell, Tony Orlando, Donny and Marie Osmond and Leslie Uggams.She appeared in Ball’s last comedy series “Life With Lucy.”Buzzi appeared in music videos with “Weird Al” Yankovic, the B-52’s and the Presidents of the United States of America.She did hundreds of guest voices in cartoon series including “Pound Puppies,” “Berenstain Bears,” “The Smurfs” and “The Angry Beavers.”She was Emmy nominated for her six-year run as shopkeeper Ruthie on “Sesame Street.”Her movie credits included “Freaky Friday,” “Chu Chu and the Philly Flash,” “The North Avenue Irregulars” and “The Apple Dumpling Gang Rides Again.”Buzzi was active on social media and had thousands of followers whom she rewarded with such one-liners as “I have never faked a sarcasm” and “Scientists say the universe is made up entirely of neurons, protons and electrons.
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