Legendary screenwriter Buck Henry of ‘The Graduate’ and ‘Get Smart’ has died at age 89

Screenwriter, actor and producer Buck Henry died of a heart attack at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles on Jan. 8. He was 89.

Along with Calder Willingham, Henry wrote the adapted screenplay for 1967’s “The Graduate,” for which they received an Oscar nomination. He also co-directed “Heaven Can Wait” with Warren Beatty in 1978, for which they also received another Oscar nod.

His other writing credits include Broadway’s “The Owl and the Pussycat to Die For,” the 1972 movie “What’s Up Doc?” and several other films and television shows. Along with Mel Brooks, he also co-created the sitcom “Get Smart.”

He was also a performer. In addition to writing and producing, Henry hosted “Saturday Night Live” a total of 10 times during the show’s first five years, from 1975 to 1980. He also appeared in films such as “Grumpy Old Men,” “Catch-22″ and The Man Who Fell to Earth,” as well as sitcom episodes, including “30 Rock,” “Murphy Brown” and “Will & Grace.”

“I never wanted to stay at anything very long,” Henry told The New York Times in 2002 of his prolific and varied career. “I’m moderately lazy, and I’m interested in much too large a list of things other than my career.”

Several celebrities have taken to social media to share their remembrances of their friend and colleague.

“I am grateful to have worked with and been a friend of Buck Henry,” tweeted former U.S. senator and comedian Al Franken, along with a photo of Henry on “SNL.” (NPR reported that in this scene, Henry stepped too far forward, and John Belushi accidentally slashed his forehead with the samurai sword! Belushi’s own doctor was in the audience that night. “He patched me up during the commercial,” Henry said.) :

Filmmaker Judd Apatow called Henry “hilarious and brilliant” and shared an anecdote of working with him at South by Southwest along with a photo from the event on Instagram:

https://www.instagram.com/p/B7FgO1xF0mk/?igshid=1b3xfyop7hjek

Writer and producer Larry Karaszewski called Henry “our most fearless screenwriter” in a tweet, noting that he considered him the “funniest, smartest” guy on “SNL”:

He leaves behind his wife, Irene Ramp, whom he wed in 2008.

We’re sending our deepest condolences to Henry’s loved ones during this difficult time.