Alan King Biography

Alan King was a Jewish American actor and comedian, known for his sharp wit and angry humorous rants. His story reads like a typical American dream, a rags to riches fable—he went from being a poor high school dropout to become one of the most well loved and respected comedian of his time. He was proud of his Jewish heritage and comedian Jerry Stiller described him as a “Jewish Will Rogers.” He often joked about the annoyances of daily life and societal issues which helped him connect with his audience and endeared him to his fans. He developed a conversational style of delivering his punches and talked directly to his audience. In the words of Jerry Stiller, King was "in touch with what was happening with the world, which is what made him so funny.” The comedian opened for many celebrities like Tony Martin, Judy Garland, Nat King Cole, etc. King has made several appearances on ‘The Ed Sullivan Show’ which increased his popularity among the masses. He was also a talented actor who starred in many movies, in both comic and serious roles. As a theatre artist he made appearances in several theatrical productions, also producing many of them. In addition to the show business, King had a deep interest in politics and became a political activist campaigning for John and Robert Kennedy.