Buck Henry
Highest Rated: 100% Taking Off (1971)
Lowest Rated: 13% Town & Country (2001)
Birthday: Dec 09, 1930
Birthplace: New York, New York, USA
After limited success as a stage actor, writer Buck Henry established himself as a sketch writer and performer in 1960s television before writing scripts for some of cinema's most seminal films. Henry first found screen success on "The New Steve Allen Show" (ABC, 1961) and "That Was the Week That Was" (NBC, 1964-65) before joining forces with Mel Brooks to create "Get Smart" (NBC/CBS 1965-1970), the popular and Emmy Award-winning screwball sitcom that lived a long fruitful life in syndication for generations. During the spy comedy's run, Henry wrote the script for Mike Nichols' iconic film, "The Graduate" (1967), which earned him his first Academy Award nomination. He continued to pen engaging films like "Catch-22" (1970) and "What's Up Doc?" (1972), while directing Warren Beatty in "Heaven Can Wait" (1978), only to find himself slipping with the unwatchable "First Family" (1980) and the routine Goldie Hawn comedy, "Protocol" (1984). Henry shifted focus from putting pen to paper in order to concentrate on performing, which included hosting "Saturday Night Live" (NBC, 1975- ) over 10 times, while serving as a rotating host for the failed late night talker, "The Late Show" (NBC, 1984), and a recurring stint on "Falcon Crest" (CBS, 1981-1990). Henry regained his stature as one of Hollywood's top screenwriters with "To Die For" (1995), only to get pulled into the disaster known as "Town & Country" (2001), which showed that his career had as many moments of sharp disappointment as it did of unadulterated genius.
Photos
Highest Rated Movies
Filmography
Movies
| Credit | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Kiss Kiss Fingerbang | Cat Owner (Character) | - | 2015 |
| 52% | 28% | The Humbling | Screenwriter | - | 2014 |
| No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Passion For Snow | Narrator | - | 2013 |
| 30% | 58% | A Bird of the Air | Duncan Webster (Character) | $10.2K | 2011 |
| 89% | 76% | It Came From Kuchar | Unknown (Character) | - | 2009 |
| 62% | 32% | The Last Shot | Lonnie Bosco (Character) | $463.7K | 2004 |
| 13% | 14% | Town & Country |
Suttler (Character), Writer |
$6.7M | 2001 |
| 43% | 40% | Famous | Himself (Character) | $112.5K | 2000 |
| 26% | 32% | Breakfast of Champions | Fred T. Barry (Character) | $175.4K | 1999 |
| 40% | 27% | I'm Losing You | Phillip Dagrom (Character) | $12.7K | 1998 |
| No Score Yet | No Score Yet | 1999 | Mr. Goldman (Character) | - | 1998 |
| No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Curtain Call | Charles Van Allsburg (Character) | - | 1998 |
| 34% | 38% | The Real Blonde | Dr. Leuter (Character) | $355.5K | 1997 |
| No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Shotgun Freeway: Drives Through Lost L.A. | Unknown (Character) | - | 1995 |
| 88% | 65% | To Die For |
Mr. H. Finlaysson (Character), Writer |
$20.5M | 1995 |
| No Score Yet | 81% | Harrison Bergeron | TV producer (Character) | - | 1995 |
| 63% | 74% | Grumpy Old Men | Snyder (Character) | $69.3M | 1993 |
| 95% | 88% | Short Cuts | Gordon Johnson (Character) | $6.1M | 1993 |
| No Score Yet | 60% | Keep the Change | Smitty (Character) | - | 1992 |
| No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Lounge People | Lewis Louis (Character) | - | 1992 |
| No Score Yet | 76% | The Linguini Incident | Cecil (Character) | - | 1992 |
| 97% | 83% | Defending Your Life | Dick Stanley (Character) | $16.2M | 1991 |
| 50% | 52% | Tune in Tomorrow... | Father Serafim (Character) | - | 1990 |
| 19% | 48% | Rude Awakening | Lloyd Stool (Character) | $2.4M | 1989 |
| No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Dark Before Dawn | Unknown (Character) | - | 1988 |
| 54% | 47% | Aria | Preston (Character) | - | 1987 |
| 86% | 72% | Eating Raoul | Mr. Leech (Character) | - | 1982 |
| 93% | 80% | Gloria | Jack Dawn (Character) | - | 1980 |
| 20% | 6% | First Family |
Father Sandstone (Character), Director |
- | 1980 |
| 50% | No Score Yet | Old Boyfriends | Art Kopple (Character) | - | 1979 |
| No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Strong Medicine | Unknown (Character) | - | 1979 |
| 88% | 68% | Heaven Can Wait |
The Escort (Character), Director |
- | 1978 |
| 82% | 69% | The Man Who Fell to Earth | Oliver Farnsworth (Character) | $81.8K | 1976 |
| 91% | 89% | What's Up, Doc? | Screenwriter | - | 1972 |
| No Score Yet | 50% | Is There Sex After Death? | Dr. Louise Manos (Character) | - | 1971 |
| 100% | 84% | Taking Off | Larry Tyne (Character) | - | 1971 |
| 79% | 76% | Catch-22 |
Lt. Col. Korn (XO/ Screenwriter |
- | 1970 |
| 80% | 66% | The Owl and the Pussycat |
Man Looking Through Doubleday's Bookstore (uncredited) (Character), Writer |
- | 1970 |
| 87% | 90% | The Graduate |
Hotel Desk Clerk (Character), Writer |
$285.8K | 1967 |
| No Score Yet | No Score Yet | The Troublemaker |
T. R. Kingston (Character), Screenwriter |
- | 1964 |
TV
| Credit | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 61% | 92% | Franklin & Bash | Judge Henry Dinsdale (Guest Star) | 2013 |
| 78% | 89% | Law & Order: Special Victims Unit | Mr. Morton (Guest Star) | 2012 |
| No Score Yet | No Score Yet | The Story of Film: An Odyssey | himself (Character) | 2011 |
| No Score Yet | 78% | Hot in Cleveland | Fred (Guest Star) | 2011 |
| 78% | 93% | 30 Rock | Dick Lemon (Guest Star) | 2010 2007 |
| No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Hopeless Pictures | Unknown (Guest Voice) | 2005 |
| No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Dilbert | Unknown (Guest Voice) | 1999 |
| 82% | 98% | Tales From the Crypt | Unknown (Character) | 1992 |
| No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Alfred Hitchcock Presents |
Unknown (Character), Writer |
1985 |
| No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Saturday Night Live | Host | 1976-1980 |
| No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Johnny Carson | Guest | 1977-1978 |
| No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Get Smart |
Unknown (Guest Star), Writer |
1965-1966 |
QUOTES FROM Buck Henry CHARACTERS
Gen. Dreedle says: Why aren't you wearing clothes, Captain?
Capt. Yossarian says: I don't wanna.
Gen. Dreedle says: What do you mean you don't want to, why the hell don't you?
Capt. Yossarian says: I don't know, I just don't wanna [laughs].
Gen. Dreedle says: Why isn't he wearing clothes?
Col. Korn says: [to Cathcart] He's talking to you.
Col. Cathcart says: Why isn't he wearing clothes, Major?
Major Major says: Why isn't he wearing clothes, Sergeant?
Col. Korn says: All you have to do is be our pal.
Col. Cathcart says: Say nice things about us.
Col. Korn says: Tell the folks at home what a good job we're doing. Take our offer, Yossarian.
Col. Cathcart says: Either that, or a court-martial for desertion.
Oliver Farnsworth says: More?
Thomas Jerome Newton says: More.
Oliver Farnsworth says: What the hell for?
Hotel Clerk says: Are you here for an affair, sir?