Alan Sues, Wacky Star Of TV's 'Laugh-In,' Dies At 85
LOS ANGELES (CBS) — Alan Sues, madcap comic best known for his outrageous, flamboyant and edgy mugging on TV's "Laugh-In" in the late 1960's has died, according to the New York Times.
"Laugh-In," one of the top-rated shows of its time, helped launched the careers of Goldie Hawn, Lily Tomlin, Judy Carne, Henry Gibson and Flip Wilson.
Sued died Thursday at his West Hollywood home while watching TV, according to Michael Michaud, a Sues friend and administrator.
He told the Times Sues died of an apparently heart attack.
Sues was best known for a wide array of characters, including Big Al, an effete sportscaster; Uncle Al -- the Kiddie's Pal, an always hung over children's entertainer, and for doing a drag impersonation of fellow "Laugh-In" cast member Jo Anne Worley.
Married briefly, Sues acknowledged that he was gay but not publicly for fear it would keep him from getting work. In later years, Michaud said Sues appreciated his large legion of gay fans, especially because he was a rare role model on TV from 1967-1972 when he was a weekly "Laugh-In" fixture.
He also appeared in many serious dramas on TV including "The Twilight Zone" and "The Wild Wild West."
Sues was born March 7, 1926 in Ross, California.
