Comedian Jonathan Winters Dead at 87

Rest Well, Papa Smurf

Updated Apr. 21, 2017 11:00AM EDT / Published Apr. 12, 2013 1:28PM EDT

Charley Gallay

Comedy legend Jonathan Winters, whose TV and movie career spanned more than five decades, passed away Thursday at his Montecito, California, home of natural causes, the AP reports. Winters was known for his improv work, which inspired new generations of stand-up comedians, including Robin Wiliams and Jim Carrey. He hosted The Jonathan Winters Show from 1967 to 1969, frequently appeared in character on late-night shows with Jack Paar, Johnny Carson, and Steve Allen, and most notably played the role of Lennie Pike in the 1963 film It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World. His most recent role was voicing Papa Smurf in the 2011 film The Smurfs, a role he reprised for this summer’s upcoming The Smurfs 2.

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Comedian Jonathan Winters Dead at 87

Charley Gallay