Beloved comedian and actor Tim Conway passed away on Tuesday morning (May 13) at the age of 85 in Los Angeles. A representative for the actor told Variety he passed away from “water in the brain.”
He was a legendary actor, best known for his time on The Carol Burnett Show, which garnered him one Emmy for writing and three for his performance.
Conway got his start working for local Ohio television stations writing comedy skits for intermissions. In the early 1960s, he starred on The Steve Allen Show before getting his big break on McHale’s Navy, where he played Executive Officer of World War II, Ensign Charles Parker.
#RIP Tim Conway who passed away today at the age of 85. The popular comedic actor got his break playing the bumbling Ensign Charles Beaumont Parker on "McHale's Navy" alongside Ernest Borgnine. pic.twitter.com/Gt2OsBRdA4
— U.S. Naval Institute (@NavalInstitute) May 14, 2019
After his work on The Carol Burnett Show, he hosted his own variety show, The Tim Conway Show, for a year. Since then, he’s appeared on countless television shows as a guest and voiced characters on many cartoons such as The Simpsons, Hercules, and Scooby-Doo. His most well-known voice-over role was as the beloved superhero Barnacle Boy on Spongebob Squarepants.
The show tweeted out a tribute to Conway with a photo of his character. They wrote, “We are sad to learn Tim Conway, the legendary voice of Barnacle Boy, has passed away. Thank you for everything you contributed to Bikini Bottom.”
We are sad to learn Tim Conway, the legendary voice of Barnacle Boy, has passed away. Thank you for everything you contributed to Bikini Bottom pic.twitter.com/gQxFuqun1H
— SpongeBob (@SpongeBob) May 14, 2019
Tributes from other Hollywood actors who looked up to Conway came flooding in.
The amount of joy Tim Conway brought my family as a child was immeasurable. The man was pure comedy. Riotously funny. I finally got to see him work when he guest starred on The Larry Sanders show and he was all I dreamed he would be. As kind as he was funny. He will be missed. https://t.co/69NkVC6TwZ
— Judd Apatow 🇺🇦 (@JuddApatow) May 14, 2019
When I was a kid watching "The Carol Burnett Show," no one made me laugh harder than Tim Conway. What a sweet and effortlessly funny man.
— Conan O'Brien (@ConanOBrien) May 14, 2019
There are so many touching tributes online, but the person everyone was waiting to hear from was Carol Burnett.
Tim Conway and Carol Burnett on “The Carol Burnett Show” pic.twitter.com/oz111yhqLv
— Aurora (@CitizenScreen) December 16, 2018
The 86-year-old legend broke her silence Tuesday afternoon, telling Fox News, “I’m heartbroken. He was one in a million, not only as a brilliant comedian but as a loving human being. I cherish the times we had together both on the screen and off. He’ll be in my heart forever.”
Our thoughts and prayers are with Conway’s family, friends, and fans. Watch some of Conway and Burnett’s best moments together in the video below.