Actor. Known primarily for comedy, his nearly 50 year career will probably be best remembered for the nonsense verse he deadpanned on "Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In". Born James Bateman, he was raised in Philadelphia, and started acting from around age eight. After earning his degree from Catholic University of America in 1957, he served as a US Air Force Intelligence officer (in France), then formed a comedy duo with his college friend Jon Voight, who soon moved on. Reciting his self-written poetry on stage (taking "Henry Gibson" for the similarity in sound to author Henrik Ibsen), he was spotted by Jerry Lewis, and given a small role (his screen debut) in the 1963 "The Nutty Professor". A series of ever larger movie and television jobs occupied him thru the 1960s; he landed his place on "Laugh-In" in 1968, and was to continue it thru 1971, always holding a flower while he declaimed "A Poem, by Henry Gibson". Over the ensuing years, Gibson maintained a steady schedule of television and silver screen appearances; he was the voice of Wilbur-the-Pig in "Charlotte's Web" (1973), the head of the Illinois Nazi Party in the 1980 "The Blues Brothers", a country singer in "Nashville" (1975), and a priest in 2005's "Wedding Crashers". His television career continued as late as 2008, with voice-overs on "King of the Hill", and the role of a Judge on "Boston Legal". Gibson died of cancer, his wife Lois Geiger having pre-deceased him in 2007.
Actor. Known primarily for comedy, his nearly 50 year career will probably be best remembered for the nonsense verse he deadpanned on "Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In". Born James Bateman, he was raised in Philadelphia, and started acting from around age eight. After earning his degree from Catholic University of America in 1957, he served as a US Air Force Intelligence officer (in France), then formed a comedy duo with his college friend Jon Voight, who soon moved on. Reciting his self-written poetry on stage (taking "Henry Gibson" for the similarity in sound to author Henrik Ibsen), he was spotted by Jerry Lewis, and given a small role (his screen debut) in the 1963 "The Nutty Professor". A series of ever larger movie and television jobs occupied him thru the 1960s; he landed his place on "Laugh-In" in 1968, and was to continue it thru 1971, always holding a flower while he declaimed "A Poem, by Henry Gibson". Over the ensuing years, Gibson maintained a steady schedule of television and silver screen appearances; he was the voice of Wilbur-the-Pig in "Charlotte's Web" (1973), the head of the Illinois Nazi Party in the 1980 "The Blues Brothers", a country singer in "Nashville" (1975), and a priest in 2005's "Wedding Crashers". His television career continued as late as 2008, with voice-overs on "King of the Hill", and the role of a Judge on "Boston Legal". Gibson died of cancer, his wife Lois Geiger having pre-deceased him in 2007.
Bio by: Bob Hufford
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