Alan Grigsby Sues was an American comic actor widely known for his roles on the 1968–1973 television series
Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In died from a heart attack he was 85..
Alan's on-screen persona was campy, outrageous and contained verbal
slapstick. Typical of his humor was a skit that found him following a
pair of
whiskey-drinking
cowboys to a
Wild West bar and requesting a frozen
daiquiri.
[2][3] Alan's recurring characters on the program included Big Al the Sportscaster and Uncle Al the Kiddie's Pal.
[2] Alan also parodied castmate
Jo Anne Worley when she left the show, appearing in drag.
(March 7, 1926 – December 1, 2011)
Early life
Alan was born on March 7, 1926, in
Ross, California. His parents were Alice (
née
Murray) and Melvyn Sues, who raised racehorses, requiring the family to
move frequently. Alan served in the Army in Europe during World War II.
[1]
Career
Alan used World War II veterans’ benefits to pay for acting lessons
at the Pasadena Playhouse, where he performed, later making his Broadway
debut in the stage play
Tea and Sympathy, directed by
Elia Kazan, which had a successful run in New York City beginning in 1953.
[1]
During this period, Alan met and married Phyllis Gehrig, a dancer and
actress, subsequently starting a vaudevillian nightclub act in Manhattan
— with which they toured North America before divorcing in 1958.
[1]
After touring the country with his wife, Alan was able to get more
work in stand-up comedy (at Reuben Bleu and Blue Angel, both clubs in
Manhattan), worked with
Julius Monk, and joined an improv/sketch group with
The Mad Show, which led to his being cast in
Laugh-In.
[1]
Outside of
Laugh-In, Alan appeared in the classic
Twilight Zone episode "
The Masks",
in a non-comic role. This episode called for his character to be of
college (or, possibly even high school) age, as evidenced by references
to his being captain of the football team and doing well in school.
Being 38 at the time, his looks ran counter to this, with a
comb-over and thinning hair.
[4] He also had supporting roles in the films
Move Over, Darling (1963) and
The Americanization of Emily (1964).
[5]
After
Laugh-In, Alan also portrayed Moriarty onstage in
Sherlock Holmes (opposite
John Wood, and later
Leonard Nimoy),
which, according to Alan, was "one of my favorite roles, because it's
so against type, and I loved the makeup". The makeup for Moriarty was
used in several books about makeup as an example of shadowing and
technique.
Alan appeared in television commercials for
Peter Pan Peanut Butter during the 1970s, as a tongue-in-cheek
Peter Pan. He also toured with
Singin' in the Rain, playing the Elocution Instructor. In addition, he appeared in several movies, and provided voiceovers including
Oh! Heavenly Dog and
Rudolph and Frosty's Christmas in July.
Later years
Alan appeared in the short films
Lord of the Road (1999) and
Artificially Speaking (2009), the latter making its premiere at the 2009
Dances With Films festival in Los Angeles.
[6]
In 2008, fifty years after his divorce from Phyllis, she conducted a lengthy interview with Alan at his home for her website.
[7]
Alan had recently finished recording an audio stories CD collection, entitled
Oh, Nothing..,
which was released for sale December 22, 2011 on his website. The
project is compiled of several comedic stories and anecdotes from his 50
years in theater, film and television.
Alan died on December 1, 2011, at Ceders-Sinai Medical Center, West
Hollywood, where he was taken after suffering an apparent heart attack
while watching television with his beloved dog, Doris,
[1] according to his friend and accountant, Michael Michaud.
Michael Michaud said that, even though Alan never disclosed publicly
during his career that he was gay, his over-the-top, flamboyant,
stereotypically gay mannerisms displayed on
Laugh-In were an
inspiration to many viewers when they were young, as he was "the only
gay man they could see on television at the time."
[1]
Alan was survived by various family members, including his late
brother’s widow, her daughter and her daughter's husband and their three
children, and by many long-standing friends.
A private Memorial was held for Alan at his house in West Hollywood
on March 25, 2012, where he was remembered, on a sunny California
afternoon, with much humor and affection. Many surviving “Laugh-In”
alumnae attended.
Alan's ashes were scattered on the ocean off the Connecticut coast.
Stage
Filmography
Film
Television
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