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John Byner

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John Byner
Byner in 1976
Born
John Biener

(1938-06-28) June 28, 1938 (age 86)
New York City, U.S.
Occupations
  • Actor
  • comedian
  • impressionist
Years active1963−present
Spouses
  • Eleanor Belcher
    ​
    ​
    (m. 1960; div. 1969)​
  • Sally Fisher
    ​
    ​
    (m. 1982; div. 1983)​
  • Ksenia Prohaska
    ​
    ​
    (m. 1985, divorced)​
  • Anne Gaybis
    ​
    (m. 1992)​
Children4 (with Eleanor Belcher)[citation needed]
John Byner, Rue McClanahan, Bea Arthur and Hermione Baddeley on Maude (1977)

John Byner (né Biener; born June 28, 1938) is an American actor, comedian and impressionist who has had a lengthy television and film career. His voice work includes the cartoon series The Ant and the Aardvark, in which the title characters are voiced by Byner's impressions of Dean Martin and Jackie Mason.

Career

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On The Ed Sullivan Show, where he made his first early TV appearances, he mimicked Ed Sullivan among many others. Other impressions included John Wayne and singing like Dean Martin and Johnny Mathis. His ability to mimic "Toastmaster General" George Jessel came in handy during his appearances on panel programs such as celebrity roasts and other tributes.[1]

In 1966, Byner released "Everybody Do The," a musical spoof of dance crazes, as a single on the Pop-Side label. Byner wrote the song with his manager Harry Colomby. The B side of the record was a cover of the blues/R&B/rock standard "Baby, Please Don't Go."[2]

On a 1967 episode of Get Smart, he played a KAOS agent who made a phone call to the Chief of CONTROL (played by Edward Platt), performed a perfect impression of President Lyndon B. Johnson, and told the Chief he was fired and replaced with agent Maxwell Smart (Don Adams).

In 1970-1971, he hosted 22 episodes of Something Else, a syndicated half-hour musical variety series. He then hosted his own show in 1972 called the John Byner Comedy Hour, where the character Super Dave Osborne, portrayed by Bob Einstein, was first introduced. The same year, he had a cameo in What's Up, Doc? In the mid-1970s, he guest-starred in two episodes of The Odd Couple.[3]

Byner played a comedian/impersonator aboard a cruise ship in season 6 of Hawaii Five-O. His character did impersonations of John Wayne and then got hit on the back of his head as a diversionary tactic by the bad guy.[4] He had a recurring role in the sitcom The Practice during its first season in 1976.

In the late 1970s, he had a featured role as Detective Donahue on the TV series Soap. He was cast in Happy Days as Mork from Ork but found the premise ridiculous, so he declined the role days before filming began. Robin Williams was called in at the last minute, and this substitution proved to be a career-making part for Williams.[5]

In the 1970s, Byner appeared several times on The Carol Burnett Show, where in one comedy sketch he wore a Donald Duck costume and mimicked the cartoon character's distinctive voice. He appeared several times on talk shows hosted by David Letterman.[6]

In the 1980s, he hosted Bizarre (produced and filmed in Canada), which re-introduced many people to hapless daredevil Super Dave Osborne played by Bob Einstein. In 1983, he had a role as Doc, who was Burt Reynolds's longtime childhood friend in the film Stroker Ace. In 1985, The Walt Disney Company's animated feature The Black Cauldron was released, featuring Byner's voice as the characters Gurgi and Doli. He was a regular celebrity guest on Hollywood Squares during the John Davidson years and later hosted the 1988-1989 syndicated game show Relatively Speaking.[citation needed] He appeared in an episode of Friday the 13th: The Series as a ventriloquist.

On the February 13th, 1997 episode of Judge Judy, Byner appeared as a plaintiff against the agent Dan Jordon and won a judgement of $3,500 as a kill fee for the cancellation of a stand up comedy performance. [7]

On May 26, 2017, it was reported that Byner had been cast in a supporting role in the horror anthology series Lore, based on the podcast of the same name. Byner portrays Patrick Boland, the father of Bridget Cleary (played by Holland Roden).[8] Lore premiered on October 13, 2017.[9]

In 2020, Byner released his autobiography Five Minutes, Mr. Byner!, co-written with Douglas Wellman.[10]

In 2022, he played an affable gangster named Majak in Kurt St. Thomas' D.O.A., a loose remake of the 1950 film noir of the same title. His performance earned him the Best Supporting Actor award at the 2023 Flagler Film Festival.[11]

Personal life

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Byner was born John Biener in New York City on June 28, 1938, the son of Christina, a mental hospital attendant, and Michael Biener, a truck mechanic.[12][13]

Byner has been married four times, and he has four children with his first wife Eleanor Belcher. One of his children, Don (Donny) Byner, appeared for the first time on television dressed as him in a 1969 episode of Something Else on ABC.[14] He has been married to Anne Gaybis since 1992.[citation needed]

Filmography

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Film

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Year Title Role Notes
1969 The Ant and the Aardvark Ant / Aardvark Short film; voice role
1969 Hasty But Tasty Ant / Aardvark Short film; voice role
1969 The Ant from Uncle Ant / Aardvark / Aunt Short film; voice role
1969 I've Got Ants in my Plans Ant / Aardvark / Green Aardvark Short film; voice role
1969 The Deadwood Thunderball Roland Short film; voice role
1969 Technology, Phooey Ant / Aardvark / Computer Short film; voice role
1969 Tijuana Toads Texas Grasshopper Short film; voice role
1969 Never Bug an Ant Ant / Aardvark Short film; voice role
1969 Dune Bug Ant / Aardvark / Life Guard / Woman Short film; voice role
1969 Isle of Caprice Aardvark Short film; voice role
1970 Scratch a Tiger Ant / Aardvark Short film; voice role
1970 Odd Ant Out Ant / Aardvark / Green Aardvark Short film; voice role
1970 Ants in the Pantry Ant / Aardvark / Pest Control Employee Short film; voice role
1970 Science Friction Ant / Aardvark / Scientist Short film; voice role
1970 Mumbo Jumbo Ant / Aardvark / Tiny Short film
1970 The Froze Nose Knows Ant / Aardvark Short film; voice role
1970 Don't Hustle an Ant with Muscle Ant / Aardvark Short film; voice role
1971 Rough Brunch Ant / Aardvark Short film; voice role
1971 From Bed to Worse Ant / Aardvark Short film; voice role
1972 What's Up, Doc? Man at the Hotel Banquet Uncredited
1977 The Great Smokey Roadblock Bobby Apples also known as The Goodbye Run and the Last of the Cowboy
1979 A Pleasure Doing Business Lenny
1983 Stroker Ace Doc Seegle
1985 The Black Cauldron Gurgi / Doli Voice
1985 Transylvania 6-5000 Radu
1992 Munchie Strikes Back Coach Elkins
1997 Wishmaster Doug Clegg
2000 My 5 Wives Preston Gates
2008 RoboDoc The Judge
2009 The Greatest Show on Earth Walter / The Magnificent Mr. Beauregard Short film
2015 The Kustomonster Movie Colonel Climber
2016 Endangered!!! Narration Short film
2022 D.O.A. Majak

Television

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Year Title Role Notes
1964 The Ed Sullivan Show Himself June 21st, Impersonated Elvis Presley
1967 The Steve Allen Comedy Hour Himself Episode: #1.01
1967–1968 Accidental Family Dewey Recurring role; 4 episodes
1968 Get Smart Gorshen Episode: "The Hot Line"
1968 The Mothers-in-Law Arnold Lacy Episode: "It's a Dog's Life"
1969 That's Life Episode: "Chalk Can Be Sexy"
1969 The Pink Panther Show Ant / Aardvark Unknown episodes
1971 Aesop's Fables Tortoise Animated television special; voice role
1972 The Don Rickles Show Giuseppe Episode: #1.3
1972 The Singles Television film
1973 Love, American Style Wendall McFee Segment: "Love and the Lifter"; Episode: "Love and the Comedienne/Love and the Lie/Love and the Lifter/Love and the Suspicious Husband"
1973–1974 The Odd Couple Hooper / Bert Guest role; 2 episodes
1974 Hawaii Five-O Duffy Malone Episode: "Killer at Sea"
1975 When Things Were Rotten Dr. Otto Bahn Episode: "The Ultimate Weapon"
1976 The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson Himself Episode: #15.4
1976 The Practice Dr. Roland Caine Guest role; 2 episodes
1976 The Pink Panther Laugh and a Half Hour and a Half Show Ant / Aardvark Voice role
1977 Maude Marshall Keebler Episode: "Captain Hero"
1977 McNamara's Band Johnny McNamara Television film
1978–1980 Soap Detective Donahue Recurring role; 17 episodes
1978 Three on a Date Donald Lumis Television film
1978 A Guide for the Married Woman Elevator Man Television film
1979 Stockard Channing in Just Friends Jerry Smeg Episode: "The Hollywood Syndrome"
1979 The Man in the Santa Claus Suit Stan Summerville Television film
1980 Murder Can Hurt You! Len "Hatch" Hatchington Television film
1980–1986 Bizarre Himself Host and Performer; 141 episodes
1982 Will: G. Gordon Liddy Richard Nixon Television film; voice role
1986 ABC Weekend Special Guest with Dog Episode: "The Mouse and the Motorcycle"
1986 The Love Boat Arthur Burkley Guest role; 2 episodes
1988 A Whole Lotta Fun Television film
1988 Friday the 13th: The Series Travis Plunckett Episode: "Read My Lips"
1991 Married... with Children The Prospector Episode: "Route 666: Part 1"
1991 A Wish for Wings That Work Bill the Cat Television special; voice role
1992–1994 Silk Stalkings Cotton Dunn Recurring role; 12 episodes
1993 Garfield and Friends Guest role; 2 episodes, voice role
1993 SWAT Kats: The Radical Squadron David Littlebin Episode: "Enter the Madkat"; voice role
1993–1994 The Pink Panther Ant / Aardvark Guest role, voice role
1994 Lamb Chop in the Haunted Studio Himself Television film
1994–1995 Aaahh!!! Real Monsters Sheriff / Old Man / Dean Guest role; 3 episodes
1994–1996 Duckman Dr. Gerhardt Morsink Guest role; 2 episodes
1995 In the Heat of the Night Tom Harwood Episode: "Grow Old Along with Me"
1995 The Twisted Tales of Felix the Cat Mr. Frog Guest role; 2 episodes, voice role
1997 Rugrats Carwash Owner / Cashier Episode: "The Carwash/Heatwave"; voice role
1997 Judge Judy Himself / Plaintiff Episode: "John Byner Sues a Theater"
1997 Dharma & Greg Reverend James Episode: "And Then There's the Wedding"
1998 Super Dave's All Stars Elvis Episode: #1.4
1998 The Angry Beavers Alien Object / Man's Voice Episode: "The Day the World Got Really Screwed Up"; voice role
2002 The Big Time Ed Wynn Television film
2013 The First Family Malcolm MacDougal Episode: "The First Shrink"
2017 Lore Patrick Boland Episode: "Black Stockings"

References

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  1. ^ Evanier, Mark. "A Party for Wences". povonline.com. Archived from the original on September 9, 2006. Retrieved February 8, 2022.
  2. ^ "John Byner – Everybody Do The/Baby, Please Don't Go." Discogs. Retrieved December 4, 2022.
  3. ^ "The Odd Couple Season 5 Episodes". TVGuide.com. Retrieved October 3, 2024.
  4. ^ (Season 6, Disc 6 Hawaii Five-O complete series)
  5. ^ "'Happy Days' Cast Reveals How Robin Williams Got Cast as a "Martian" in Show's "Worst Script"". The Hollywood Reporter. November 20, 2014. Retrieved August 10, 2018.
  6. ^ "Entertainer Actor Comedian: John Byner". JohnByner.com. Retrieved November 3, 2017.
  7. ^ "Judge Judy Season 1 Episode 109: John Byner sues a theater".
  8. ^ McNeice, Katie (May 26, 2017). "'Ray Donovan' Actor Cathal Pendred to take leading role in 'Lore' Adaption for Amazon". Irish Film and Television Network. Retrieved February 8, 2022.
  9. ^ McAdams, Eric (August 29, 2017). "Watch the Trailer for Lore, Amazon's Creepy New Show". Paste. Retrieved February 8, 2022.
  10. ^ "Book Review – Five Minutes, Mr. Byner!". Montreal Times. October 29, 2020. Retrieved April 24, 2022.
  11. ^ "'D.O.A.' and Its Local Cast Come Alive as Top Winners at Resurrected Flagler Film Festival". FlaglerLive. January 23, 2023. Retrieved May 23, 2024.
  12. ^ Wallace, Jeff (August 31, 2015). "5 things you didn't know about John Byner". AXS. Retrieved November 3, 2017. Archived November 7, 2017, at the Wayback Machine
  13. ^ "June 28: On This Day In History". Brooklyn Eagle. June 28, 2021.
  14. ^ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XEK0YdKGp0I. "Rude, Crude and Outrageous, John Byner's Bizarre Behavior Makes Him Cable's King of Comedy". People. Retrieved November 3, 2017.
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