Jonathan Harshman Winters (November 11, 1925 – April 11, 2013) was an American comedian, actor, author, television host, and artist. He started performing as a stand up comedian before transitioning his career to acting in film and television. Winters received numerous accolades including two Grammy Awards, a Primetime Emmy Award, as well as a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 1960, the American Academy of Achievement in 1973, and the Mark Twain Prize for American Humor in 1999.
Beginning in 1960, Winters recorded many classic comedy albums for the Verve Records label including The Wonderful World of Jonathan Winters (1960). He also had records released every decade for over 50 years, receiving 11 Grammy nominations, including eight for Best Comedy Album, during his career. From these nominations, he won the Grammy Award for Best Album for Children for his contribution to an adaptation of The Little Prince in 1975 and the Grammy Award for Best Spoken Comedy Album for Crank(y) Calls in 1996.
With a career spanning more than six decades, Winters also appeared in hundreds of television shows and films, including eccentric characters on The Steve Allen Show, The Garry Moore Show, The Wacky World of Jonathan Winters (1972–74), Mork & Mindy, and Hee Haw. For his role in the 1963 comedy film It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World, he received a nomination for the Golden Globe Award for Best Actor – Motion Picture Musical or Comedy. In 1991, Winters won the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series for playing Gunny Davis in the short-lived sitcom Davis Rules. In 2002, he was nominated for the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Guest Actor in a Comedy Series for his performance as Q.T. Marlens on Life with Bonnie. Winters was presented with a Pioneer TV Land Award by Robin Williams in 2008.
He also voiced Grandpa Smurf on The Smurfs TV series from 1986 to the show's conclusion in 1989. Over twenty years later, Winters was introduced to a new generation through voicing Papa Smurf in The Smurfs (2011) and The Smurfs 2 (2013).
Winters died nine days after recording his dialogue for The Smurfs 2; the film was dedicated to his memory. Winters also spent time painting and presenting his artwork, including silkscreens and sketches, in many gallery shows. He authored several books including his book of short stories entitled Winters' Tales (1988).
Early life
Winters was born in Dayton, Ohio, to Alice Kilgore Rodgers and Jonathan Harshman Winters II, an insurance agent who later became an investment broker. He was a descendant of Valentine Winters, founder of the Winters National Bank in Dayton, Ohio. Of English and Scottish-Irish ancestry, Winters had described his father as an alcoholic who had trouble holding a job. His grandfather, a frustrated comedian, owned the Winters National Bank, which failed as the family's fortunes collapsed during the Great Depression.
When he was seven, his parents separated. Winters' mother took him to Springfield, Ohio, to live with his maternal grandmother. "Mother and dad didn't understand me; I didn't understand them," Winters told Jim Lehrer on The News Hour with Jim Lehrer in 1999. "So consequently it was a strange kind of arrangement." Alone in his room, he created characters and interviewed himself. A poor student, Winters continued talking to himself and developed a repertoire of strange sound effects. He often entertained his high school friends by imitating a race at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway.
In another television interview, Winters described how deeply he was hurt by his parents' divorce. He fought youthful tormentors who ridiculed him for not having a father in his life. When the tormentors were not around, he would go to a building or tree and weep in despair. Winters said that he learned to laugh at his situation but admitted that his adult life had been a response to sorrow.
During his senior year at Springfield High School, Winters quit school, joined the U.S. Marine Corps at the age of seventeen and served 21⁄2 years in the Pacific Theater during World War II. Upon his return, he attended Kenyon College. He later studied cartooning at Dayton Art Institute, where he met Eileen Schauder, whom he married on September 11, 1948. He was a brother of the Delta Kappa Epsilon fraternity (Lambda chapter).
1980s and 1990s career
Jonathan Winters was a guest star on The Muppet Show in 1980. That same year, he also appeared in I Go Pogo (a.k.a. Pogo for President). In 1981, he was a guest on the short-lived comedy series Aloha Paradise.
In the fourth and final season of the sci-fi-styled TV comedy Mork & Mindy, Winters (one of Robin Williams's idols) was brought in as Mork & Mindy's child, Mearth. Due to the different Orkan physiology, Mork laid an egg, which grew and hatched into the much older Winters. It had been previously explained that Orkans aged "backwards," thus explaining Mearth's appearance and that of his teacher, Miss Geezba (portrayed by a then-11-year-old actress Louanne Sirota). Mork's infant son Mearth in Mork & Mindy was created in hopes of improving ratings and as an attempt to capitalize on Williams's comedic talents. Winters had previously guest-starred in Season 3, Episode 18, as Dave McConnell, Mindy's uncle. However, after multiple scheduling and cast changes, Mork & Mindy's fourth season was already quite low in the ratings and ended up being the show's last season.
Winters became a regular on Hee Haw during the 1983–1984 season. He was later the voice of Grandpa Smurf from 1986 to 1990 on the television series The Smurfs. Additionally, he did the voice of Bigelow in the 1985 TV film Pound Puppies and voice-acted on Yogi's Treasure Hunt in 1985, among other voice roles throughout the 1980s and 1990s.
In 1987, Winters was featured in NFL Films' The NFL TV Follies. That same year he published Winters' Tales: Stories and Observations for the Unusual. In 1991 and 1992, he had a supporting role on Davis Rules, a sitcom that lasted two seasons (25 episodes), for which he won a Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series. He played Gunny Davis, an eccentric grandfather helping raise his grandchildren after his son lost his wife.
Winters had various roles and appeared in numerous television features throughout the early to mid-2000s.[25] In 2000, Winters appeared in The Adventures of Rocky and Bullwinkle. In 2003, he appeared in the film Swing.
Later years
Winters had various roles and appeared in numerous television features throughout the early to mid-2000s. In 2000, Winters appeared in The Adventures of Rocky and Bullwinkle. In 2003, he appeared in the film Swing.
In 2004, Comedy Central Presents: 100 Greatest Stand-Ups of All Time ranked Winters as the No. 18 greatest stand-up comedian. In 2005 and 2006, Winters appeared on Jimmy Kimmel Live!.
In 2008, Winters was presented with a Pioneer TV Land Award by Robin Williams. That same year, PBS aired Pioneers of Television, and Make 'Em Laugh: The Funny Business of America in 2009, both featuring Winters.
Winters was coaxed out of retirement to voice Papa Smurf in The Smurfs (2011), the first-ever animated/live-action Smurfs film, and later in The Smurfs 2 (2013), his final film project. He died only nine days after he finished recording Papa's voice.
Winters was originally cast in Big Finish (2014), during pre-production. It is a comedy set in a retirement home. His scheduled role was to appear alongside Jerry Lewis and Bob Newhart.
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- SERVES
- 4
- COOK TIME
- 20 Min
What makes this dish such a miracle? The fact that it couldn't be any easier to make, that's what! If you can boil water, then you can make Miracle Pasta, and that's no exaggeration! All you need is 20 minutes, and you've got a delicious dinner ready to go!
- 12 ounces linguine pasta, uncooked, broken in half
- 1 (28-ounce) can diced tomatoes
- 1 onion, thinly sliced
- 4 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
- 4 1/2 cups chicken broth
- 2 teaspoons dried oregano
- 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil
- Grated Parmesan cheese for sprinkling
- In a soup pot, place linguine, tomatoes, onion, and garlic. Pour in chicken broth and sprinkle with oregano, crushed red pepper, and salt. Drizzle top with oil and cover.
- Bring to a boil over medium high heat, reduce heat to low, and simmer 10 minutes, stirring every 2 to 3 minutes, or until liquid is almost gone. Stir in basil and serve garnished with Parmesan cheese.
1919 – Gower Champion, American dancer and choreographer (d. 1980)
We won’t limit you or time you on this affectionate holiday. National Kissing Day on June 22nd encourages us to pucker up for a smooch. Whether the kiss comes from your significant other, your children or pets, share the love!
The kiss has been a part of our culture for thousands of years. The reasons we kiss vary, too. While affection and attraction may be the most common reason for kissing, the kiss has also been used as a greeting. In some cultures, kissing a cheek may date back to Christian rituals. In Ireland, the custom of kissing the Blarney Stone has existed for centuries and is said to bestow the kisser with the gift of eloquence and persuasiveness. Another medieval tradition that hopefully has been extinguished is the practice of kissing the feet or royalty or those in power. A similar act of kissing includes kissing the ring of someone to show fealty.
Which leads to hand-kissing. While this gesture suggests loyalty to someone, it has a friendlier connotation than that of kissing feet. For some, it’s a sign of respect and affection.
But National Kissing Day offers more than a history lesson. It encourages us to reconnect and draw closer to our loved ones. Whether it’s a peck on the cheek or a passionate kiss, when we receive one from someone we love, kissing brings joy. Kissing triggers the release of endorphins which in turn tells our brain it’s happy. When we kiss, our anxiety is reduced and our blood pressure lowers, too. Maybe those boo-boo kisses from mom carry some real power.
HOW TO OBSERVE NATIONAL KISSING DAY
Celebrate the power of a kiss. Pull your partner into a passionate kiss or practice your kissing style with them. You can also:
- Watch movies with great kissing. We suggest Cinema Paradiso directed by Giuseppe Tornatore.
- Time yourself. Can you beat the longest kissing record in the world? Ekkachai and Laksana Tiranat currently hold the record at 58 hours, 35 minutes, and 58 seconds. Sure hope they used long-lasting breath mint!
- Share a story about your first kiss.
- Not all kisses go well. Share stories of kisses gone wrong. That includes those accidental kisses.
- What’s your favorite on-screen kiss? Is it from the Breakfast at Tiffany’s, Body Guard, or Crazy, Stupid Love?
NATIONAL KISSING DAY HISTORY
While researching the history of National Kissing Day, we did not find a source for June 22nd. However, several events took place around that date starting in 2002. An episode of the United Kingdom soap opera Hollyoak aired on June 25, 2002. The episode featured characters Ellie and Ben who set a record for the longest film kiss. Actors Sarah Baxendale and Marcus Patrick kissed for three minutes and fifteen seconds in a kissing contest hosted for National Kissing Day. While they may have been celebrating the holiday in England that takes place on July 6, it’s still an impressive feat. However, other records have been set since, including some long-lasting kisses on episodes of The Bachelor.
