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Buck Henry

Buck Henry

Highest Rated: 100% Taking Off (1971)

Lowest Rated: 13% Town & Country (2001)

Birthday: Dec 9, 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.

Highest rated movies

100% 84% Taking Off
98% 83% Defending Your Life
95% 88% Short Cuts
91% 79% Gloria
89% 76% It Came From Kuchar
88% 66% To Die For 87% 90% The Graduate
86% 71% Eating Raoul

Filmography

Movies

Credit
No Score Yet No Score Yet Kiss Kiss Fingerbang Cat Owner (Character) - 2015
53% 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),
Screenwriter
$6.7M 2001
44% 40% Famous Self $112.5K 2000
24% 31% Breakfast of Champions Fred T. Barry (Character) $175.4K 1999
No Score Yet No Score Yet 1999 Mr. Goldman (Character) - 1998
No Score Yet No Score Yet Curtain Call Charles Van Allsburg (Character) - 1998
40% 27% I'm Losing You Phillip Dagrom (Character) $12.7K 1998
34% 37% The Real Blonde Dr. Leuter (Character) $355.5K 1997
88% 66% To Die For Mr. H. Finlaysson (Character),
Writer
$20.5M 1995
No Score Yet No Score Yet Shotgun Freeway: Drives Through Lost L.A. Unknown (Character) - 1995
No Score Yet 82% Harrison Bergeron TV producer (Character) - 1995
65% 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
50% 76% The Linguini Incident Cecil (Character) - 1992
98% 83% Defending Your Life Dick Stanley (Character) $16.2M 1991
50% 53% Tune in Tomorrow... Father Serafim (Character) - 1990
19% 47% Rude Awakening Lloyd Stool (Character) $2.4M 1989
No Score Yet No Score Yet Dark Before Dawn Unknown (Character) - 1988
57% 47% Aria Preston (Character) - 1987
86% 71% Eating Raoul Mr. Leech (Character) - 1982
91% 79% Gloria Jack Dawn (Character) - 1980
20% 11% First Family Father Sandstone (Character),
Director
- 1980
53% 31% Old Boyfriends Art Kopple (Character) - 1979
No Score Yet No Score Yet Strong Medicine Unknown (Character) - 1979
86% 69% Heaven Can Wait The Escort (Character),
Director
- 1978
79% 69% The Man Who Fell to Earth Oliver Farnsworth (Character) $81.8K 1976
89% 88% What's Up, Doc? Screenwriter - 1972
100% 84% Taking Off Larry Tyne (Character) - 1971
No Score Yet 50% Is There Sex After Death? Dr. Louise Manos (Character) - 1971
82% 64% The Owl and the Pussycat Man Looking Through Doubleday's Bookstore (Character),
Writer
- 1970
81% 76% Catch-22 Lt. Col. Korn (XO/Roman policeman) (Character),
Screenwriter
- 1970
36% 47% Candy Screenwriter - 1968
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% 84% Franklin & Bash Judge Henry Dinsdale (Guest Star) 2013
78% 83% Law & Order: Special Victims Unit Mr. Morton (Guest Star) 2012
No Score Yet 89% Hot in Cleveland Fred (Guest Star) 2011
78% 92% 30 Rock Dick Lemon (Guest Star) 2007 2010
No Score Yet No Score Yet Hopeless Pictures Unknown (Guest Voice) 2005
No Score Yet No Score Yet Dilbert Unknown (Guest Voice) 1999
82% 90% Tales From the Crypt Unknown (Character) 1992
No Score Yet No Score Yet Alfred Hitchcock Presents Unknown (Character),
Writer
1985
No Score Yet 62% Saturday Night Live Host 1976-1980
No Score Yet 82% Get Smart Unknown (Guest Star),
Writer
1965-1966