Victor Buono

Victor Buono was an American actor, comic and brief recording artist best remembered for his towering presence and resonant voice that allowed him to portray characters far older than his 43‑year life. Born Victor Charles Buono on February 3, 1938 in San Diego, California, he entered the entertainment world as a teenager, joining the Globe Theater Players at 18 and earning praise for Shakespearean parts such as Falstaff, which caught the eye of a Warner Bros. talent scout in 1959. His early television work included a bearded poet on 77 Sunset Strip and numerous heavies on series like The Untouchables before a breakthrough role as the hapless accompanist Edwin Flagg in Robert Aldrich’s What Ever Happened to Baby Jane? (1962), a performance that earned him Academy Award and Golden Globe nominations for Best Supporting Actor. Buono’s most iconic villain was the flamboyant King Tut on the 1960s Batman series, a role he relished for its opportunity to over‑act without restraint, and he later returned to television as a recurring antagonist on shows such as The Wild Wild West, Man from Atlantis and Taxi, where he played the millionaire father of Reverend Jim Ignatowski. Throughout the 1970s he diversified into comedy recordings, releasing albums like Heavy! and publishing a book of comic poetry, while also appearing on The Tonight Show to recite his self‑styled “Fat Man’s Prayer.” Despite a prolific career that spanned 1956‑1981, Buono’s personal life remained private; he never married, had no children, and was known to have lived discreetly with male companions during an era when many gay actors stayed closeted. He died of a heart attack on January 1, 1982 in Apple Valley, California, leaving behind a legacy of memorable character parts that continue to be celebrated by fans of classic Hollywood cinema.