Ruth Buzzi, ‘Laugh-In’ Comedian, Dies at 88

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Ruth Buzzi, the effervescent Emmy-nominated comedian and voice actor who starred on “Rowan & Martin’s Laugh-In,” died Thursday at her Texas home, her family announced on Facebook. She was 88.

The zany comedian appeared in every episode of the popular variety show that ran for five seasons, playing characters such as the frumpy, hairnet-wearing Gladys Ormphby. On the show, she was known for using her purse as a weapon to whack Arte Johnson’s dirty old man character on the park bench.

Buzzi won a Golden Globe and received five Emmy nominations during her run on “Laugh-In.” The comedian, who was only 30 years old when she became famous for playing a little old lady, told the AP in 2018, “Gladys is the underdog. Gladys embodies the overlooked, the downtrodden, the taken for granted, the struggler. So when she fights back, she speaks for everyone who’s been marginalized, reduced to a sex object or otherwise abused. And that’s almost everyone at some time or other.”

In 1993, Buzzi joined “Sesame Street” as shopkeeper Ruthie and went on to voice other characters and appear in “Sesame Street” specials, as well as making an appearance in the film “The Adventures of Elmo in Grouchland.”

Her extensive voice work included voicing Nose Marie on “Pound Puppies” and Mama Bear on “Berenstain Bears.”

Buzzi also had a recurring role on “That Girl” as Marlo Thomas’ friend Margie. She made appearances on numerous TV series.

On film, she appeared in the original “Freaky Friday,” in the “Lucky Luke” Westerns and in “Chu Chu and the Philly Flash” and “The Apple Dumpling Gang Rides Again.”

Buzzi continued working up until 2021. She remained in the public eye through her Twitter account, which continued to post one-liners to more than 200,000 followers.

she was a funny babe. in her spare time she was an avid classic car collector.