Victor Buono
A massive man with a booming voice and exquisite wit, he stole scenes as grandiose villains and tragic figures, often playing decades older than his age.
1938–1982 (age 44)·American actor and comic·Birthday: February 3·The Silent Generation
Biography
Victor Buono turned his imposing physical presence into a unique and memorable acting career. Discovered while performing comedy in a Los Angeles cafe, he shot to fame with his first major film role as the sinister, mama's-boy pianist Edwin Flagg in 'What Ever Happened to Baby Jane?' The performance earned him an Oscar nomination and typecast him in roles of pompous menace. He embraced it with relish, most famously as the pompous, amnesiac villain King Tut on the 'Batman' TV series. Buono possessed a rare combination of heft and lightness; his villains were often funny, and his delivery was impeccably timed. Despite his size, he moved with a surprising grace and brought a pathos to characters that could have been mere cartoons. His career was cut short by a heart attack at 43, leaving behind a gallery of deliciously over-the-top performances.
The Silent Generation
1928–1945
Born between the Depression and the end of WWII. Too young to fight, old enough to remember. They became the conformist middle managers of the 1950s — and the civil rights leaders who quietly dismantled Jim Crow.
Victor was born in 1938, placing them squarely in The Silent Generation. The events that shaped this generation — world wars, depression, and rapid industrialization — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Victor Was Born
The biggest hits of 1938
#1 Movie
You Can't Take It with You
Best Picture
You Can't Take It with You
Victor's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1938Born
Kristallnacht and the escalation toward WWII
Gas: $0.20/galHome: $2,850Min wage: $0.25/hrPresident: Franklin D. Roosevelt"Begin the Beguine" — Artie ShawBest Picture: You Can't Take It with You
1943Started school
Allies invade Sicily; Battle of Stalingrad ends
Gas: $0.21/galHome: $3,290Min wage: $0.30/hrPresident: Franklin D. Roosevelt"I've Heard That Song Before" — Harry JamesBest Picture: Casablanca
1951Became a teenager
First color TV broadcast in the US
Gas: $0.27/galHome: $7,925Min wage: $0.75/hrPresident: Harry S. Truman"Too Young" — Nat King ColeBest Picture: An American in Paris
1954Could drive
Brown v. Board of Education desegregates US schools
Gas: $0.29/galHome: $8,925Min wage: $0.75/hrPresident: Dwight D. Eisenhower"Little Things Mean a Lot" — Kitty KallenBest Picture: On the Waterfront
1956Could vote
Elvis Presley appears on The Ed Sullivan Show
Gas: $0.30/galHome: $10,050Min wage: $1.00/hrPresident: Dwight D. Eisenhower"Heartbreak Hotel" — Elvis PresleyBest Picture: Around the World in 80 Days
1959Turned 21
Fidel Castro takes power in Cuba
Gas: $0.30/galHome: $12,400Min wage: $1.00/hrPresident: Dwight D. Eisenhower"The Battle of New Orleans" — Johnny HortonBest Picture: Ben-Hur
1968Turned 30
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!
1978Turned 40
First test-tube baby born
Gas: $0.63/galHome: $35,300Min wage: $2.65/hrPresident: Jimmy Carter"Shadow Dancing" — Andy GibbBest Picture: The Deer Hunter
1982Died at 44
Michael Jackson releases Thriller
Gas: $1.22/galHome: $55,200Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Physical" — Olivia Newton-JohnBest Picture: Gandhi
Key Achievements
- Received an Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actor for his film debut in 'What Ever Happened to Baby Jane?' (1962).
- Played the recurring villain King Tut on the classic 1960s 'Batman' television series.
- Won a Golden Globe Award for New Star of the Year – Actor for 'What Ever Happened to Baby Jane?'
- Had a successful recording career, releasing several comedy and poetry albums.
Did You Know?
He weighed over 300 pounds by his late teens and began his career as a stand-up comic.
He was an avid collector of rare books and first editions.
He provided the voice for the villainous Dr. Messenger in the animated film 'The Man Called Flintstone.'
He wrote poetry and published a book of his poems titled 'It Could Be Verse.'
“I don't mind being typed. After all, a rosebush is typed—it produces roses.”
