Ruth Buzzi Faces Health Scare With Husband Of 43 Years By Her Side And Laughter Aplenty

Aug 15, 2022 by apost team

A powerhouse of the comedy scene in the 1960s and 1970s, Ruth Buzzi could always be counted on to put a smile on your face, whether as the “spinster” Gladys Ormphby or gossip writer Busy-Buzzi on “Rowan and Martin’s Laugh-In” or in guest starring roles on shows such as “Donny & Marie,” “The Carol Burnett Show,” “Emergency!” and “The Gong Show.” She kept up her entertaining spirit rights into the present, with fans lapping up her zingy one-liners on Twitter. Comedy has always been in her blood, and from a young age, she honed her skills to achieve the status of legendary comedienne she can boast about today.

Buzzi was born on July 24, 1936, in Westerley, Rhode Island, but raised in Stonington, Connecticut. A cheerleader at her high school, Buzzi pursued performing arts at the Pasadena Playhouse and graduated with honors. 

Early stints in her career included live musical and comedy performances and off-Broadway appearances. She then moved on to TV with roles in “The Garry Moore Show,” “The Entertainers” and “Sweet Charity” before hitting the big-time with “Laugh-In.”

The only cast member to have appeared in all 140 episodes of “Laugh-In,” Buzzi enthralled fans. A precursor to “Saturday Night Live,” the sketch show included a host of regular characters, including Buzzi’s Ormphby, known for clobbering Arte Johnson's Tyrone F. Horneigh, who was forever making unwanted advances toward her with her purse. Another popular character she played on the show was one half of the barfly couple Doris Swizzle to Dick Martin’s Leonard Swizzle. 

With a cast comprised Goldie Hawn, Lily Tomlin and Dan Rowan, among others, the show was a hit and earned Buzzi a Golden Globe win in 1973. Since then, Buzzi’s reputation as one of TV's funniest women was sealed.

Buzzi carried on the momentum of her “Laugh-In” success into the 1980s and 1990s, starring in “Sesame Street” and lending her unmistakable voice to series’ such as “The Berenstain Bears.” Throughout her career, she always had her husband cheering her on.

Buzzi married actor and writer Kent Perkins in December 1978, and 43 years later, they are still going strong. The pair live on a 600-acre cattle and horse ranch near Fort Worth, Texas, and Buzzi has said she loved living there. The couple has no children, although Buzzi tweeted about why not with the witty retort, “I would have probably had kids, but my cat's allergic.” 

Her hilariously clever one-liners on Twitter have earned her quite the following, with more than 200,000 fans. It’s no wonder with quips such as “My pronouns are ‘retired’ and ‘happy’ and my favorite color is Malbec” and “My dentist can knock you out with gas or his boat paddle. It’s a matter of ether or oar.” Even when something seemed like no laughing matter, Buzzi had a zinger ready.

Perkins revealed on July 19, 2022, that Buzzi had suffered a series of strokes that had left her “bedridden and incapacitated.” Alongside a photo of Buzzi, Perkins wrote in a Facebook post:

“This photo was from nearly a year ago on Ruthie's birthday. She wants you to know she is not in pain and is aware you are sending your best wishes her way as she battles the results of devastating strokes that have left her bedridden and incapacitated. She can still speak and understand, she still recognizes all her friends and loved ones. I am reading to her your wonderful comments and she smiles."

“She is dealing with this situation bravely, and still with humor, believe it or not…” Perkins continued.

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On Aug. 3, 2022, Buzzi surprised fans by tweeting a picture of herself smiling with some characteristic wisecracks:

“Some people have strokes of luck; I had the other kind. But thanks for all your love, messages, cards, letters and Sweet Tweets! And although my final arrangements include cremation, I’m not quite ready to make an ash out of myself.”

Her Twitter fans lit up, offering words of encouragement and hope.

“It's so good to see your smile again. The fact that you can joke about your experience tells us your not going anywhere anytime soon. This pic made my morning,” one tweet read.

“Oh my word, this news just makes my day, I was worried about you! Thanks so much for the update and continue to get better. You have really urned our love and we dust don't want you to go anytime soon!!” another fan wrote. “Precious and hilarious in the darkest hours. That's our Ruthie.”

No one was more appreciative of Buzzi’s sunny outlook than her husband.

“I might add that I am living with an attitude of gratitude for 43 years of marriage to my best friend, the greatest person I ever met, the one and only Ruth Buzzi. Her love for others knows no bounds, and she has spent a lifetime making people smile,” Perkins wrote, adding that his wife is grateful for all the support she has received. “With the love of God in her heart and soul, she thanks you for being her friend. And for the love you've shown her continuously for the past six decades or more… Whatever happens, please know you have always been loved right back in return.”

What do you think of Ruth Buzzi’s uplifting attitude in the face of such a health scare? Were you a fan of her comedy sketches in the past? Let us know, and pass this on to all the jokesters in your family and friends.