Buddy Hackett Biography

Buddy Hackett was an American actor and comedian remembered for his roles in the films ‘The Music Man’, ‘It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World’, ‘The Love Bug’ and ‘The Little Mermaid’. He was also known as a nightclub comedian, mainly in Las Vegas, where he had his first performance and wound up being one of the prime headliners in the city's history. He had a reputation of being a brilliant ad-libber and a comedian who knew how far to take a joke before it lost its meaning, a quality not every comedian possessed at that time. Born to an upholsterer and part-time inventor, Hackett grew up in Brooklyn and went to New Utrecht High School. He served in the United States Army for three years before starting his career on the stage. As a child, he suffered from Bell's palsy which contributed to his distinctive slurred speech. The legendary comedian married Sherry Cohen, with whom he established the Singita Animal Sanctuary in San Fernando Valley, California. He was also an avid firearms collector. Hackett died of heart disease in June 2003, at the age of 78.