Buddy Hackett
| Buddy Hackett | |
|---|---|
Hackett in It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World, 1963
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| Born |
Leonard Hacker August 31, 1924 Brooklyn, New York, U.S. |
| Died | June 30, 2003 (aged 78) Malibu, California, U.S. |
| Cause of death | Diabetes, stroke |
| Nationality | American |
| Alma mater | New Utrecht High School |
| Occupation | Actor, comedian |
| Years active | 1950–2003 |
| Spouse(s) | Sherry Cohen (m. 1955; d. 2003) |
| Children | 3 |
| Parent(s) | Anna and Philip Hacker |
Buddy Hackett (born Leonard Hacker; August 31, 1924 – June 30, 2003) was an American comedian and actor. His best remembered roles include Marcellus Washburn in The Music Man (1962), Benjy Benjamin in It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World (1963), Tennessee Steinmetz in The Love Bug (1968), and Scuttle in The Little Mermaid (1989).
Hackett was born in Brooklyn, New York to Anna (née Geller) and Philip Hacker, an upholsterer and part-time inventor. He grew up on 54th and 14th Ave in Borough Park, Brooklyn, across from Public School 103 (now a yeshiva). He graduated from New Utrecht High School in 1942.
While still a student, he began performing in nightclubs in the Catskills Borscht Belt resorts as "Butch Hacker". He appeared first at the Golden Hotel in Hurleyville, New York, and he claimed he did not get one single laugh. He enlisted in the United States Army during World War II and served for three years in an anti-aircraft battery.
Hackett's first job after the war was at the Pink Elephant, a Brooklyn club. It was here that he changed his name from Leonard Hacker to Buddy Hackett. He made appearances in Los Angeles and Las Vegas, and continued to perform in the Catskills. He acted on Broadway, in Lunatics and Lovers, where Max Liebman saw him and put him in two television specials.
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