Henry Gibson 1935-2009
Veteran character actor Henry Gibson, who has recently appeared in a recurring role as Judge Clark Brown on Boston Legal, died at his Malibu home on September 14, 2009, after a short battle with cancer.
Born James Bateman on September 21, 1935, in Germantown, Pennsylvania, Gibson began his career at the age of eight-years-old and performed as a touring performer for nine years with the Mae Desmond Theatre.
Gibson made his film debut with Jerry Lewis in The Nutty Professor but was best known for his comedic role from 1968-1973 on Rowan & Martin’s Laugh-In. He played the poet who held a giant flower and each week recited his lines which always began with, “A poem, by Henry Gibson.” During a 1993 interview with the Los Angeles Times, Gibson said, “It was an oasis of laughter and escape.”
Other Gibson roles included four Robert Altman directed films: Nashville, The Blues Brothers, The Burbs and The Wedding Crashers. His last role was the voice of Wilbur the Pig in the animated film Charlotte’s Web.
Gibson is survived by sons Jon, Charles and James Gibson. A memorial service is pending and donations may be made in the actors name to the Screen Actors Guild Foundation and Friends of the Malibu Public Library.
View more photos and video from Rowan & Martin’s Laugh-In 1968 below.