Harry Anderson
A street magician with a twinkle in his eye who somehow conned America into letting him play a wisecracking judge on primetime for nearly a decade.
1952–2018 (age 66)·American actor, comedian, and magician·Birthday: October 14·Baby Boomers
Biography
Harry Anderson’s career was a magic trick in itself: he turned a life of card sharping and carnival hustling into mainstream television stardom. He honed his act on the streets of San Francisco and in comedy clubs, a con man with a heart of gold whose stories were as compelling as his sleight of hand. That persona landed him perfectly as Judge Harry Stone on 'Night Court,' a lovable, jazz-obsessed magistrate who ruled his chaotic courtroom with whimsy and warmth. Anderson never shed his magical roots; even as a sitcom star, he’d perform tricks for the studio audience during breaks. His later years saw him retreat from Hollywood, running a magic shop in New Orleans, forever the charming grifter who made it big.
Baby Boomers
1946–1964
The largest generation in history at the time. Shaped by postwar prosperity, the Vietnam War, the sexual revolution, and Watergate. They questioned every institution their parents built — then ran them.
Harry was born in 1952, placing them squarely in the Baby Boomers. The events that shaped this generation — postwar prosperity, civil rights, Vietnam, and the counterculture — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Harry Was Born
The biggest hits of 1952
#1 Movie
The Greatest Show on Earth
Best Picture
The Greatest Show on Earth
#1 TV Show
I Love Lucy
Harry's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1952Born
Queen Elizabeth II ascends the throne
Gas: $0.27/galHome: $8,350Min wage: $0.75/hrPresident: Harry S. Truman"Blue Tango" — Leroy AndersonBest Picture: The Greatest Show on Earth
1957Started school
Sputnik launches the Space Age
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $10,550Min wage: $1.00/hrPresident: Dwight D. Eisenhower"All Shook Up" — Elvis PresleyBest Picture: The Bridge on the River Kwai
1965Became a teenager
US sends combat troops to Vietnam
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $13,600Min wage: $1.25/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"(I Can't Get No) Satisfaction" — The Rolling StonesBest Picture: The Sound of Music
1968Could drive
Martin Luther King Jr. and Robert Kennedy assassinated
Gas: $0.34/galHome: $14,950Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"Hey Jude" — The BeatlesBest Picture: Oliver!
1970Could vote
First Earth Day; The Beatles break up
Gas: $0.36/galHome: $17,000Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Richard Nixon"Bridge over Troubled Water" — Simon & GarfunkelBest Picture: Patton
1973Turned 21
US withdraws from Vietnam; Roe v. Wade decided
Gas: $0.39/galHome: $22,100Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Richard Nixon"Tie a Yellow Ribbon Round the Ole Oak Tree" — Tony Orlando & DawnBest Picture: The Sting
1982Turned 30
Michael Jackson releases Thriller
Gas: $1.22/galHome: $55,200Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Physical" — Olivia Newton-JohnBest Picture: Gandhi
1992Turned 40
LA riots after Rodney King verdict
Gas: $1.13/galHome: $84,300Min wage: $4.25/hrPresident: George H.W. Bush"End of the Road" — Boyz II MenBest Picture: Unforgiven
2002Turned 50
Euro currency enters circulation
Gas: $1.36/galHome: $137,800Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: George W. Bush"How You Remind Me" — NickelbackBest Picture: Chicago
2012Turned 60
Curiosity rover lands on Mars; Sandy Hook shooting
Gas: $3.64/galHome: $143,200Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Somebody That I Used to Know" — GotyeBest Picture: Argo
2018Died at 66
Royal wedding of Harry and Meghan; Parkland shooting
Gas: $2.72/galHome: $211,800Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Donald Trump"God's Plan" — DrakeBest Picture: Green Book
Key Achievements
- Starred as Judge Harry T. Stone on the hit NBC sitcom 'Night Court' for nine seasons, earning three Emmy nominations.
- Headlined his own CBS sitcom, 'Dave's World,' based on the life and columns of humorist Dave Barry.
- Hosted the television special 'Harry Anderson's Sideshow,' which won him an Emmy Award for Outstanding Individual Performance.
- Frequently appeared on 'Saturday Night Live' in the early 1980s, often performing magic and comedy sketches.
- Had a memorable recurring role as con man Harry 'The Hat' Gittes on the sitcom 'Cheers.'
Did You Know?
He ran away from home as a teenager and supported himself by playing poker and performing magic on the street.
Anderson owned and operated a magic shop called 'Infinite Mysteries' in the French Quarter of New Orleans.
He was a dedicated fan of jazz music, a passion written into his 'Night Court' character.
He guest-starred on 'The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson' over a dozen times, often to perform magic.
Anderson was an expert at three-card monte, the street gambling card game.
“Magic is the only honest profession. A magician promises to deceive you, and he does.”
