Comedy legend Ruth Buzzi, renowned for her portrayal of Gladys Ormphby on “Rowan & Martin’s Laugh-In,” passed away on May 1 at her Texas home at the age of 88.
According to her agent Mike Eisenstadt, Buzzi died from complications related to Alzheimer’s disease. She had been in hospice care for several years following her diagnosis and had suffered multiple strokes in 2022, leaving her bedridden.
Prior to her passing, her husband Kent Perkins shared a message on Buzzi’s Facebook page, expressing gratitude to her fans. “She wants you to know she probably had more fun doing those shows than you had watching them,” he wrote.
Born on July 24, 1936, in Westerly, Rhode Island, Buzzi was the daughter of Angelo Buzzi, a recognized stone sculptor. She grew up in Stonington, Connecticut, where her father ran Buzzi Memorials, a gravestone business. During high school, she was the head cheerleader.
Buzzi started at the Pasadena Playhouse at 17, and two years later, she gained performance experience by touring with singer Rudy Vallee in a musical and comedy act. This early opportunity allowed her to earn an Actors’ Equity union card before graduating from the College of Theater Arts at the playhouse.
After relocating to New York, Buzzi quickly secured roles in off-Broadway musical revues and television commercials, landing her first national TV appearance on “The Garry Moore Show” in 1964, shortly after Carol Burnett’s departure from the series.
Her career took a notable turn when “Laugh-In” creator George Schlatter noticed her on “The Steve Allen Comedy Hour.” During auditions for “Laugh-In,” he received a photo of Buzzi in her iconic Gladys Ormphby attire, sitting in a trash barrel.
Buzzi was the only regular cast member to appear in all six seasons of “Laugh-In,” including the pilot. The NBC show aired from 1968 to 1973, earning her a Golden Globe and five Emmy nominations.
Her character Gladys Ormphby, known for her hairnet and purse-wielding antics, became a television comedy staple. Her frequent target on “Laugh-In” was Arte Johnson’s character Tyrone F. Horneigh.
In a 2018 interview with The Connecticut Post, Buzzi explained that Gladys represented those overlooked or marginalized, stating that when Gladys fought back with her purse, she was speaking for everyone mistreated.
Beyond “Laugh-In,” Buzzi appeared on over 200 television shows during her 45-year career, including “That Girl” and “The Lost Saucer” with Jim Nabors.
Her television work included guest spots on shows hosted by Carol Burnett, Flip Wilson, Glen Campbell, Tony Orlando, Donny and Marie Osmond, and Leslie Uggams. She also featured in Lucille Ball’s final series, “Life With Lucy.”
Buzzi extended her portrayal of Gladys to the Dean Martin Celebrity Roasts in Las Vegas, where she humorously struck celebrities like Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin, and Lucille Ball with her purse.
Her voice acting included roles in animated series such as “Pound Puppies,” “Berenstain Bears,” “The Smurfs,” and “The Angry Beavers.” She received an Emmy nomination for her role as shopkeeper Ruthie on “Sesame Street.”
Buzzi’s film credits include “Freaky Friday,” “Chu Chu and the Philly Flash,” “The North Avenue Irregulars,” and “The Apple Dumpling Gang Rides Again.”
Active on social media until near her death, Buzzi entertained followers with her witty remarks, such as “I have never faked a sarcasm” and “Scientists say the universe is made up entirely of neurons, protons and electrons. They seem to have missed morons.”
In 1978, she married actor Kent Perkins. They relocated from California to Texas in 2003, purchasing a one-square-mile ranch near Stephenville. Buzzi retired from acting in 2021.
Journey Gunderson, executive director of the National Comedy Center, remarked on Buzzi’s legacy, noting her characters captured the era’s absurdity and that she would be remembered for the joy and laughter she brought to her fans.
Throughout her career, Buzzi remained humble about her accomplishments. “I never took my work for granted, nor assumed I deserved more of the credit or spotlight or more pay than anyone else,” she once told The Connecticut Post. “I was just thrilled to drive down the hill to NBC every day as an employed actor with a job to do.”
Buzzi is survived by her husband Kent Perkins. The couple had no children, which she humorously addressed in a 2015 social media post: “I would have probably had kids, but my cat’s allergic.”