Budd Friedman, comedy icon and founding father of The Improv, dies at 90
Budd Friedman, founder and proprietor of the unique Improvisation Comedy Membership, higher often called The Improv, died Saturday of coronary heart failure. He was 90.
Friedman opened The Improv in New York in 1963, ultimately increasing the franchise to incorporate 22 golf equipment in 12 states. He was additionally instrumental in launching the careers of a number of the greatest names in comedy from Richard Pryor, Andy Kaufman, Lily Tomlin, and Robin Williams to Jerry Seinfeld, Chris Rock, Billy Crystal, and Jay Leno.
Friedman even briefly managed Bette Midler‘s profession when she was simply beginning out, serving to to land her a spot on The Tonight Present.
David Livingston/Getty Budd Friedman, comedy icon and founding father of The Improv, dies at 90
Born June 6, 1932 in Norwich, Conn., Friedman’s household moved to New York Metropolis in 1941. After graduating highschool, he enlisted within the military and fought within the Korean Conflict. He was injured on his first day in motion by an enemy grenade, for which he was awarded the Purple Coronary heart.
Friedman earned a level in promoting in 1957 and launched into a profession as an advert government earlier than deciding he wished to provide a Broadway play. On the thought of his then-girlfriend and future ex-wife singer-actress Silver Saundors, he opened The Improvisation in 1963 as a spot for Broadway performers to congregate after hours in hopes of constructing some contacts within the theater world.
The Improvisation hosted its first comic , Dave Astor, in 1964 and the remainder is, as they are saying, historical past. The success of Astor’s set impressed different comedians and The Improv formally turned a comedy membership, the primary of its sort however actually not the final.
“That is how I turned a comedy genius, girls and gents, due to Dave Astor,” Friedman once said. “I did not have the thought of opening [a venue] for comics. I obtained uninterested in singers singing the identical songs on a regular basis, however I may hearken to a comic book do the identical jokes again and again as a result of there was at all times a nuance I may decide up on.”
In 1974, Friedman opened The Improv in Los Angles, which turned the hub for quite a few up and coming comedians and performers. Judd Apatow labored the door, Debra Winger was a waitress, Kevin Nealon a bartender.
“The comedy world misplaced an enormous immediately,” The Hollywood Improv tweeted. “In 1963 he modified the world of comedy by creating the primary comedy membership for the plenty to return collectively in laughter. In 1963 he modified the world. He went world. He was a pioneer. He was a gentleman. He was a luminary.”
Tributes lit social media highlighting Friedman’s contributions to comedy and his capacity to attach with these making their means within the enterprise. A type of names impressed by the comedy legend was Adam Sandler who posted a photograph of the 2 of them and wrote, “Budd Friedman. Cannot thank this man sufficient for what he gave to all of us. A comedy residence. All of the stage time. All the guidelines. All of the encouragement. A spot for comedians to hang around and speak about nothing however comedy.”
Friedman and Saundors divorced in 1992, and she or he obtained the unique Improv within the settlement. Then in 2018, Friedman and his enterprise associate Mark Lonow bought the franchise to Levity Leisure Group.
In addition to being a comedy pioneer, Friedman had minor roles in quite a few movies, together with the Andy Kaufman biopic Man on the Moon starring Jim Carrey and Apatow’s Humorous Individuals. He’s survived by his spouse Alix, 4 youngsters, and 5 grandchildren.
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