Heaven just got a LOT funnier! I just learned that Jonathon Winters passed away about ten minutes ago, and I felt moved to write my own eulogy. When i was a kid, I was amazed by the work of Jonathan Winters. When people asked me what I wanted to be when I grew up, I wouldn't say "an astronaut" or "a fireman" I knew that I wanted to be Jonathan Winters.
He would improvise monologues and sound effects and hop effortlessly from character to character. I never saw anyone on TV who could do what he did. He was one of my comedy idols and the chief reason that I wanted to start improvising. Later in life, I would find out that there were other people in the world who could improvise, and I made it my goal to learn how, so I could be like them. And more importantly, so I could be like him.
I was thrilled that he and Robin Williams were able to work together on Mork and Mindy, but I always wished I could have been in the studio audience to see what sort of instantly happened when the cameras weren't rolling and they could do whatever they wanted.
Since then I've met and worked with some of the best improvisers on the planet, but my biggest regret is that I never had the chance to see him live and in person and say, "Thanks for giving a chubby kid who could make sound effects and do characters a role model."
"Now is the winter of our discontent / Made glorious summer by this son of York," -- William Shakespeare - Richard III
by Bill Chott
He would improvise monologues and sound effects and hop effortlessly from character to character. I never saw anyone on TV who could do what he did. He was one of my comedy idols and the chief reason that I wanted to start improvising. Later in life, I would find out that there were other people in the world who could improvise, and I made it my goal to learn how, so I could be like them. And more importantly, so I could be like him.
I was thrilled that he and Robin Williams were able to work together on Mork and Mindy, but I always wished I could have been in the studio audience to see what sort of instantly happened when the cameras weren't rolling and they could do whatever they wanted.
Since then I've met and worked with some of the best improvisers on the planet, but my biggest regret is that I never had the chance to see him live and in person and say, "Thanks for giving a chubby kid who could make sound effects and do characters a role model."
"Now is the winter of our discontent / Made glorious summer by this son of York," -- William Shakespeare - Richard III
by Bill Chott
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