Ruth Buzzi: Laugh-In Comedian and Sesame Street's Ruthie Dies at 88

Ruth Buzzi was an American actress and comedian best known as the purse-swinging spinster Gladys Ormphby on Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In. Born on July 24, 1936, in Westerly, Rhode Island, she became one of the most beloved comic performers of 1960s and 1970s television.

Buzzi was a regular on Laugh-In from 1967 to 1973, appearing in all 141 episodes, including the pilot, and won a Golden Globe in 1973. She was inducted into the Rhode Island Heritage Hall of Fame in 1971 and the NAB Broadcasting Hall of Fame in 2002. In 1993 she joined Sesame Street as the shopkeeper Ruthie, and she made countless guest appearances and voiced animated characters.

Buzzi married Basil Keko in 1965 and actor Kent Perkins in 1978. She was diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease in 2012, and she died of complications from the disease at her home in Stephenville, Texas, on May 1, 2025, at age 88. Remembered for her fearless physical comedy, she made generations laugh.

Achievements: Regular on Laugh-In (1967-1973), won a Golden Globe (1973), joined Sesame Street (1993), inducted into the NAB Broadcasting Hall of Fame (2002).

Birth: July 24, 1936 - Westerly, Rhode Island.

Profession: Actress, comedian and singer.

Interesting Facts: Buzzi's best-known character, Gladys Ormphby, grew out of her role as Agnes Gooch in a summer stock production of Auntie Mame.