NBCU Photo Bank/NBCUniversal via Getty Images via Getty Images(LOS ANGELES) — Buck Henry, the writer behind the big screen classics The Graduate and What’s Up Doc? and a co-creator, along with Mel Brooks on TV’s Get Smart, died Wednesday night of a heart attack at Cedars-Sinai Health Center in Los Angeles, a family member tells Deadline. He was 89.
Henry earned an Oscar nomination for Best Adapted screenplay for The Graduate, Mike Nichols’ groundbreaking 1967 film, starring a young Dustin Hoffman — making his major motion picture debut — along with Katharine Ross and Anne Bancroft. The film earned Nichols an Oscar for Best Director.
Henry’s other film credits include writing the classic ’70s screenplays What’s Up, Doc?, Catch 22, and The Owl and the Pussycat. He also co-directed and wrote 1978’s Heaven Can Wait with Warren Beatty and played “the escort” in the film.
Henry had more than three dozen other acting credits.
After getting his start writing for Steve Allen and Garry Moore’s respective TV shows, Henry teamed up with Brooks in the 1960s for the spy spoof Get Smart, starring Don Adams as the bumbling detective Maxwell Smart. The comedy ran on NBC from 1965-1968, before moving to CBS for its fifth and final season in 1969-70. Henry earned a writing Emmy for the series.
Henry also hosted Saturday Night Live several times during its first five seasons, most notably appearing in John Belushi’s classic “Samurai” sketches.
“R.I.P. my dear friend and mentor Buck Henry,” former SNL writer Alan Zweibel tweeted upon hearing of Henry’s passing. “My world will be missing a huge source of laughter that I will try my best to fill with so many memories. Oh my…this is a going to be a tough one.”
“Buck Henry, guys. A brilliant talent and a really lovely guy. RIP,” wrote Michael McKean.
In an Instagram post late Wednesday, Judd Apatow shared in part, “Buck Henry was hilarious and brilliant and made us laugh more times than we even know.”
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