Buddy hackett net worth at death

1. Biography of Buddy Hackett
2. Early Life and Career
3. Film Career
4. Later Years and Legacy
5. Personal Life and Philanthropy

Biography of Buddy Hackett

Buddy Hackett, born Leonard Hacker on August 31, 1924, in Brooklyn, New York, was an American comedian and actor. He made a significant contribution to the film industry and was honored with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

Early Life and Career

Hackett, the son of a Jewish window trimmer, attended New Utrecht High School and graduated in 1942. After serving in the Air Defense Command during World War II, Leonard got his first job at the Brooklyn club 'Pink Elephant.' It was there that he changed his name to Buddy Hackett.

Hackett performed in Los Angeles and Las Vegas before moving to Broadway in the farce 'Lunatics and Lovers,' where he caught the attention of Max Liebman, who helped launch his television career. Liebman produced a new series called 'Stanley,' specifically created for Hackett, which also helped kickstart the career of actress Carol Burnett.

In 1955, Buddy Hackett married Sherry Cohen. He gained widespread fame through his television appearances in the 1950s and 1960s, frequently appearing as a guest on talk shows hosted by Jack Paar and Arthur Godfrey. Hackett was known for his boldness and often delivered risqué jokes and made funny faces to the camera during his performances.

Film Career

Hackett's film career began in the 1950s with a sports short film called 'King of the Pins' for Columbia Pictures. However, it wasn't until 1953 that he truly made his mark in the film industry. His breakout role came in Lloyd Bacon's musical comedy 'Walking My Baby Back Home,' where he played Edward.

In 1963, Hackett achieved box office success with the adventure comedy 'It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World,' directed by Stanley Kramer. He portrayed the character of Benjy Benjamin in this film. Hackett continued to appear in various films, including the musical 'The Music Man' and the Disney comedy 'The Love Bug,' where he played an attractive hippie mechanic.

Later Years and Legacy

After replacing Art Carney in 'The Jackie Gleason Show,' Hackett had the opportunity to star in Anthony Mann's drama 'A Dream of Kings' in 1958. He also appeared in the Canadian film 'Hey Babe!' in 1980 alongside the debutant actress Yasmin Bleeth.

In the later years of his career, Hackett mainly made guest appearances on various television shows and prime-time sitcoms. He appeared in the fourth season of the series 'Boy Meets World' and portrayed the character Lenny Hacker in the series 'Space Rangers.'

Hackett's final on-screen work was providing the voice for the character Scuttle, a silly little seagull, in Disney's animated film 'The Little Mermaid' in 1989, as well as its sequel 'The Little Mermaid II: Return to the Sea' in 2000. He also voiced a character in the animated series 'Garfield and Friends.'

Personal Life and Philanthropy

Buddy Hackett passed away on June 30, 2003, at the age of 78 in his beach house in Malibu, California. His son, Sandy Hackett, revealed that his father had suffered from diabetes complicated by obesity for several years. In the last years of his life, the American comedian and his wife established the 'Singita Animal Sanctuary,' a wildlife sanctuary in the San Fernando Valley, California.