Dominick DeLuise (August 1, 1933 May 4, 2009) was an American actor, comedian, director, producer, chef, and author. As his film career declined, Mr. DeLuise found a creative outlet in food. His father, who spoke only Italian, was a garbage collector, and those humble beginnings stayed with him throughout his life. One lunch began with turkey soup and ended with strawberry shortcake. He finally agreed in 1993 when he needed hip replacement surgery and his doctor refused to perform it until he lost 100 pounds. I never met anybody like him, she told The Times in 1999. Dom DeLuise, the portly actor-comedian whose affable nature made him a popular character actor for decades with movie and TV audiences as well as directors and fellow actors, has. Dom DeLuise. "He loves to pick up a broken chair and fix it.". "DeLuise's death was confirmed Tuesday by a representative for his son, David DeLuise. For five years, he sought work in theater or television with little luck. A lifelong opera fan, he also portrayed the role of L'Opinion Publique in drag for the Los Angeles Opera's production of Offenbach's Orpheus in the Underworld.[12]. Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting. In 1973, he starred in a situation comedy, "Lotsa Luck," but it proved to be short-lived. 2009 The Associated Press. "My dad knows everything there is to know about garbage," one of the actor's sons, David DeLuise, told The Associated Press in 2008. (1980) (although Dom was arguably the best thing in it), Loose Cannons (1990), in which he appeared as portly pornographer Harry "The Hippo" Gutterman, Driving Me Crazy (1991), which filmed far away in Germany, and The Silence of the Hams (1994), a parody on the horror genre in which he played Dr. The same decade, he launched his film career, including roles in comedies such as The Glass Bottom Boat and Whats So Bad About Feeling Good?. Dom DeLuise, the portly actor-comedian whose affable nature made him a popular character actor for decades with movie and TV audiences as well as directors and fellow actors, has died. He. And in 1991, he hosted the short-lived syndicated return of the classic comedy-reality show Candid Camera. Over the years, DeLuise appeared on Broadway a number of times, including replacing James Coco as Barney Cashman in Last of the Red Hot Lovers, the Neil Simon comedy that ran from 1969 to 1971. He later found himself part of Martin's "in-crowd" of comedians on his "celebrity roasts. [15], DeLuise died in his sleep of kidney failure on May 4, 2009, at Saint John's Health Center in Santa Monica, California, at age 75. My father was a peasant, a blue-collar worker, who was amazed that I got paid for what I do. Greg was the man who said, Just go for it; I trust you, he recalled. He was 75. "My dad knows everything there is to know about garbage," one of the actor's sons, David DeLuise, told The Associated Press in 2008. Working with Mr. Reynolds and Mr. Brooks, Mr. DeLuise went on a tear in the 1970s and early 1980s. "I was just having such a great time.". It just so happened he was a voice actor for Spaceballs (1987), a spoof of Star Wars. Mr. DeLuise, the willfully goofy star of numerous comedies like "Blazing Saddles" and "The Muppet Movie," died Monday after a long illness, Michael DeLuise said. He finally agreed in 1993 when he needed hip replacement surgery and his doctor refused to perform it until he lost 100 pounds. For years, he resisted the efforts of family members and doctors who tried to put him on various diets. One lunch began with turkey soup and ended with strawberry shortcake. . The star actor who doubles as a film director starred alongside his older brother again on "SeaQuest DSV." Copyright 2023 CBS Interactive Inc. All rights reserved. DeLuise died Monday night, Michael DeLuise told radio station KNX on Tuesday. : Itll Also Make You Feel Better (1997). In 1964, while working in a summer theater in Provincetown, Massachusetts, DeLuise met actress Carol Arthur. . Dom DeLuise, the mirthful, moon-faced comic actor who provided frequent comedic support in television variety shows of the 1960s and '70s and in movies starring Mel Brooks and Burt Reynolds, has. The couple's three sons, Peter, Michael and David, all became actors and all appeared with their father in the 1990s TV series "SeaQuestDSV," in which Peter and Michael were regulars. His wife and three children survive him, as do three grandchildren. On the positive side, his love of food resulted in two successful cookbooks, 1988's "Eat This -- It Will Make You Feel Better!" Dom DeLuise, the portly actor-comedian whose affable nature made him a popular character actor for decades with movie and TV audiences as well as directors and fellow actors, has died. He appeared in The Twelve Chairs, Blazing Saddles, Silent Movie, History of the World, Part I, Spaceballs, and Robin Hood: Men in Tights. At his best, looking embarrassed or agitated, the laughs usually came at his own expense, whether playing a panic-stricken klutz or squirming nervous-Nelly type. Learn how and when to remove this template message, Calvary Cemetery, Woodside, Queens, New York. He went on to graduate from New York City's famed School of Performing Arts in Manhattan. He followed with a comedy, "The Glass Bottom Boat," starring Doris Day, and from then on he alternated between films and television. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=znsZYcEdlGc, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tpNMYntemw4, Marjorie Taylor Greens call for national divorce (basically civil war) gets backing of Foxs Hannity, ANNOUNCING TMV CAPSULE MOVIE AND BOOK REVIEWS. Reynolds fondly recalled DeLuise in a statement issued by his publicist. "It was quite an amazing learning place for me.". Two years later, he hosted The Dom DeLuise Show, his own comedy-variety summer series on CBS. He also started making noise on the off-Broadway scene. On Broadway, DeLuise appeared in Neil Simon's "Last of the Red Hot Lovers" and other plays. Brooks once remarked that, whenever he cast Dom in one of his films he'd add an extra two days to the shooting schedule because of delays. He also found time to write children's books on the side.Dom tackled broad comedy films with great abandon -- a wallflower he was not -- but they were hit-or-miss. Unknown to him, this was Dom's way of training his sons for the big screen. He broke into show business in the late 1950s in parts like Tinker the Toymaker in the daytime television show Tinkers Workshop. (The shows creator and first host, Bob Keeshan, had gone on to create and star in Captain Kangaroo.) He then made regular appearances on The Shari Lewis Show as a bumbling private eye. LOS ANGELES -- Dom DeLuise, the portly actor-comedian whose affable nature made him a popular character actor for decades with movie and TV audiences as well as directors and fellow actors, has. His wife, Carol Arthur, a Broadway actress whom he married in 1965, was one of the regulars. Appearing in the plays "The Jackass" and "All in Love," he became part of the featured ensemble of the 1961 musical revue "An Evening with Harry Stoones," which included 19-year-old Barbra Streisand. He was 75. Other DeLuise collaborations included The Twelve Chairs, Blazing Saddles, Silent Movie, History of the World, Part I, and Robin Hood: Men in Tights.He also appeared in the Orpheus in the Underworld at the Los Angeles Opera Company in 1989, and the next year performed with New York's Metropolitan Opera as Frosch, the jailer, in the comic production Die Fledermaus. "Dom's obvious comic genius was more readily evident, and succeeded better, in tandem with other performers than it was on its own. DeLuise died Monday night, son Michael DeLuise told KTLA-TV and radio station KNX on Tuesday. Although his parents were supportive of his career, DeLuise told The Times in 1999, I was really in this acting thing alone. Kiss announce farewell tour set to conclude in NYC LOS ANGELES (AP) Carol Arthur DeLuise, an actor who appeared in several Mel Brooks films and was the widow of Dom DeLuise, has died. He followed with a comedy, "The Glass Bottom Boat," starring Doris Day, and from then on he alternated between films and television. [1] His first steady gig was as an intern at the Cleveland Play House, 1952-54, as stage manager and actor. He had his own summer replacement show in 1968 and was a regular on Glen Campbell's "Goodtime Hour" in 1971-72. Following his passing, Dom DeLuise's sons, Peter, Michael, and David DeLuise, continued his legacy and also carved a niche for themselves in the entertainment sphere. ", The actor also appeared frequently in films opposite his friend Burt Reynolds. In 1971, Dom returned successfully to Broadway in a perfectly-suited Neil Simon vehicle, "The Last of the Red Hot Lovers. "He loves to pick up a broken chair and fix it.". At his Pacific Palisades home, DeLuise often prepared feasts for family and friends. 2023 TV GUIDE, A FANDOM COMPANY. She was 85. Carol Arthur, the widow of comedian Dom DeLuise who appeared in Blazing Saddles and four other Mel Brooks films and on Broadway opposite Dick Van Dyke and Lauren Bacall, has died. Their three sons, Peter DeLuise, Michael DeLuise and David DeLuise all eventually found their way into show business. Dom's catchphrase, with an Italian accent, was "No Applause Please, Save-a to the End". He was born Dominick DeLuise in New York City on Aug. 1, 1933, to Italian immigrants. Other TV credits included appearances on such shows as "The Munsters," "The Girl From U.N.C.L.E.," "Burke's Law," "Sabrina the Teenage Witch" and "Diagnosis Murder.". Gene Wilder cast him as a hammy opera star in The Adventure of Sherlock Holmes Smarter Brother (1975) and as the mad studio chief Adolf Zitz in The Worlds Greatest Lover (1977). At his Pacific Palisades home, DeLuise often prepared feasts for family and friends. Because of his passion for food, the actor battled obesity throughout much of his life, his weight reaching as much as 325 pounds at one point. "I was making $7,000 a week -- a lot of money back then -- but I didn't even know I was rich," he recalled in 1994. His first acting credit was as a regular performer in the television show The Entertainers in 1964. A natural school-class clown, his irrepressible sense of humor helped Dom fit in at school, and he started drawing belly laughs fairly young in his very first school play that had him portraying an inert copper penny! Acting called him back, however, and he found work at the Cleveland Playhouse, appearing in stage productions that ranged from comedies such as "Kiss Me Kate" to Shakespeare's "Hamlet. Bipartisan Senate group unveils rail safety bill in response to Ohio derailment, What to know about Shigella bacteria as drug-resistant strain spreads, Tom Sizemore's family told there's "no further hope" after aneurysm, Ed Sheeran reveals wife was diagnosed with tumor while pregnant, Kiss announce farewell tour set to conclude in NYC, How the creator of Dilbert went from star to "train wreck", Justin Bieber concerts canceled on ticket sales sites. Dom later joined Wilder once again, along with Wilder's wife Gilda Radner, in the leaden comedy Haunted Honeymoon (1986), a clumsy haunted-house spoof that even Dom, in full drag, could not salvage.Change-of-pace roles were few and far between. He also wrote Charlie the Caterpillar, The Pouch Potato and other books for children. "He hosted Candid Camera from 1991-92, and starred in two incarnations of The Dom DeLuise Show in 1968 and 1987. For five years, he sought work in theater or television with little luck. In the late 80s, he wrote a cookbook containing his favorite Italian recipes, Eat This: Itll Make You Feel Better, which was followed by Eat This Too!, When I was a kid, he wrote in the first book, if I had a fever, had a cold, had a fight, had a fall, had a cut, was depressed, had a disappointment, fell off a truck, woke up with a headache . For years, he resisted the efforts of family members and doctors who tried to put him on various diets. Its a sad day. He and his family enrolled at the Duke University Diet and Fitness Center in Durham, N.C., and DeLuise lost enough weight for the surgery, although he gained some of it back afterward. He also loved to cook. The comedian died in his sleep after a long illness. He is often identified for his work in the films of Mel Brooks and Gene Wilder, as well as a series of collaborations and appearances with Burt Reynolds. Brooks once remarked that, whenever he cast Dom in one of his films he'd add an extra two days to the shooting schedule because of delays between takes due to the constant laughter from cast and crew at Dom's improvisations.The lovable, butterball comedian was a mainstay on 1960s and '70s TV variety as a "second banana," or comic-relief player. The couple's three sons, Peter, Michael and David, all became actors and all appeared with their father in the 1990s TV series "SeaQuestDSV," in which Peter and Michael were regulars. .component--type-recirculation .item:nth-child(5) { The Adventure of Sherlock Holmes' Smarter Brother. Other questions:subscriberservices@theadvocate.com. We believe that every person's story is important as it provides our community with an opportunity to feel a sense of belonging, share their hopes and dreams. On Broadway, DeLuise appeared in Neil Simon's "Last of the Red Hot Lovers" and other plays. She was 85.. The 75-year-old was known for his love of food and carved out a second . After making his Broadway debut in 1963 as the cheerfully nervous mountebank Muffin T. Ragamuffin in The Student Gypsy, he appeared as a nervous flier in the cold-war thriller Fail-Safe (1964). Burt Reynolds, another fan, teamed up with Mr. DeLuise in several films, including Smokey and the Bandit II (1980), Cannonball Run (1981) and The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas (1982). I never heard him say an unkind word about anyone. His son, Michael DeLuise, told Los Angeles TV station KTLA and radio station KNX that his father died in his . It was my hardest role to date. He used to say, If you can make money with your mouth, God bless you! , DeLuise, whose girth grew greater over the years -- reportedly weighing 325 pounds in 1999-- was obviously a man who loved to eat. By | Fox News. The Brooklyn-born entertainer, who got his start on stage and in childrens television in the 1950s, emerged on TV variety shows in the 1960s. You have permission to edit this article. Mr. DeLuise in a scene from "History of the World Part I" in 1981. That decision failed to expunge the idea of being a comedian from his head and heart, however, and that determination finally prevailed.Dom's formative years as an actor were spent apprenticing at the Cleveland Playhouse, where which he gamely played roles in everything from contemporary shows like "Guys and Dolls" and "Stalag 17" to classics like "The School for Scandal" and even "Hamlet." He was surrounded by his family, including his wife, Carol Arthur, and three sons. With Reynolds, DeLuise appeared in Smokey and the Bandit II, The Cannonball Run, Cannonball Run II, The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas and The End. In the latter, DeLuise had a field day playing a frenzied schizophrenic. But he was best known for his movie work with Brooks and Reynolds. [citation needed], DeLuise also lent his distinctive voice to various animated films and was a particular staple of Don Bluth's features, playing major roles in The Secret of NIMH, An American Tail, A Troll in Central Park and All Dogs Go to Heaven. Before long Mr. DeLuise was appearing in films, usually in broad comedies as a nervous sidekick, a schmo or a preposterous fraud. Dom DeLuise, the portly actor-comedian whose affable nature made him a popular character actor for decades with movie and TV audiences as well as directors and fellow actors, has died. Mr. DeLuises performances, never marked by restraint, stuck at fortissimo as time went on. His chubby face and hysterical laugh made him a natural for comic roles, like the dimwitted spy in the Doris Day film The Glass Bottom Boat (1966). [15] He had been battling cancer for more than a year prior to his death and was also suffering from high blood pressure and diabetes. 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