Buck Henry is an American actor, writer, film director, and television director. He has been nominated for an Academy Award twice, once in 1968 for Best Adapted Screenplay for The Graduate and once in 1979 for Best Director for Heaven Can Wait.Henry was born in New York City, the son of silent film actress Ruth Taylor. Henry’s dry humor attracted attention in the entertainment community. He became a cast member on TV programs such as The New Steve Allen Show (1961) and That Was The Week That Was (1964-65). He was a co-creator and writer for Get Smart (1965-70), with Mel Brooks.Henry hosted NBC’s Saturday Night Live ten times, appearing first in 1976, and for the last time in 1980. It became a tradition in those four years that he hosted the last show of each season. Henry also hosted the only live remote attempted by SNL, broadcast live from Mardi Gras in New Orleans. During the October 30, 1976 episode, Buck Henry was injured in the forehead by John Belushi’s katana in the samurai sketch. Henry’s head began to bleed and he was forced to wear a large bandage on his forehead for the rest of the show. As a gag, the members of the SNL cast each wore a bandage on their foreheads as well.Henry has appeared in more than 40 films including Catch-22, Taking Off, The Man Who Fell to Earth, Gloria, Eating Raoul, Aria, The Graduate, Tune in Tomorrow, Defending Your Life, The Player, and Grumpy Old Men. He co-directed Heaven Can Wait, the 1978 remake of Here Comes Mr. Jordan, and appeared in the film as an officious angel, reprising the character originally played by Edward Everett Horton.His many writing credits include Candy, The Owl and the Pussycat, What’s Up, Doc?, Catch-22, The Day of the Dolphin, Protocol, and To Die For. He shared an Oscar nomination for his screenplay, The Graduate, a film in which he made a cameo appearance. In 1997, Henry was the recipient of the Austin Film Festival’s Distinguished Screenwriter Award.His Broadway credits include the 2002 revival of Morning’s at Seven. Off-Broadway in July 2009, he starred opposite Holland Taylor in Mother, a play by Lisa Ebersole.
