Join or Sign In
Sign in to customize your TV listings
By joining TV Guide, you agree to our Terms of Use and acknowledge the data practices in our Privacy Policy.
Veteran character actor Henry Gibson died Monday. His son, Jon, told The New York Times the cause was cancer. He was 73. Gibson was born James Bateman and went to college with Jon Voight, with whom he created a comedy team. Voight claims to have given Gibson his stage name as a tribute to Norwegian poet Henrik Ibsen (say it out loud with a Southern accent). He was definitely one of those "oh, that guy" actors that you know, but can't place. Allow us to assist you.
Veteran character actor Henry Gibson died Monday. His son, Jon, told The New York Times the cause was cancer. He was 73.
Gibson was born James Bateman and went to college with Jon Voight, with whom he created a comedy team. Voight claims to have given Gibson his stage name as a tribute to Norwegian poet Henrik Ibsen (say it out loud with a Southern accent).
He was definitely one of those "oh, that guy" actors that you know, but can't place. Allow us to assist you.
Among countless other roles:
-He had a recurring gig as a Southern poet on Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In.
-He was the obsequious country star Haven Hamilton in Robert Altman's Nashville.
-He played Thurston Howell, the creepy guy who hits on William H. Macy in the bar in Paul Thomas Anderson's Magnolia.
-He was the not-so-easily offended Father O'Neill in Wedding Crashers.
-He played a judge on Boston Legal for the last four seasons of the show's run.
Right, that guy. R.I.P.
Watch clips of Henry Gibson in our Online Video Guide and follow TVGuide.com on Twitter for more breaking news and scoop