| Who is it? | Actor |
| Birth Day | February 03, 1938 |
| Birth Place | San Diego, California, United States |
| Age | 82 YEARS OLD |
| Died On | January 1, 1982(1982-01-01) (aged 43)\nApple Valley, California, U.S. |
| Birth Sign | Pisces |
| Cause of death | Heart attack |
| Occupation | Actor, comic |
| Years active | 1959–1981 |
Victor Buono, an acclaimed actor in the United States, is estimated to have a net worth of $12 million by the year 2024. Buono established himself as a versatile performer, showcasing his talent in various film and television roles throughout his career. Known for his charismatic persona and captivating performances, Buono garnered a dedicated fan base and critical acclaim for his work. With a successful career spanning several decades, it comes as no surprise that Buono has accumulated such a substantial net worth, solidifying his status as a prominent figure in the entertainment industry.
We are what we eat, said a wise old man,
But cut it thin and toast it twice.
And Lord, if that's true, I'm a garbage can!
At oleomargarine I'll never mutter,
For the road to hell is spread with butter.
And cake is cursed, and cream is awful,
And Satan is hiding in every waffle.
Give me this day my daily slice—
Buono was born in San Diego, California, the son of Myrtle Belle (née Keller; 1909–1979) and Victor Francis Buono (1907–1981). His maternal grandmother, Myrtle Glied (1886–1969), was a vaudeville performer on the Orpheum Circuit. When he was a boy, she taught him songs and recitations and encouraged him to perform for visitors.
In the summer of 1959, a talent scout from Warner Bros. saw the heavy-set Buono play Falstaff at the Globe and took him to Hollywood for a screen test. Buono made his first network TV appearance playing the bearded poet Bongo Benny in an episode of 77 Sunset Strip. Over the next few years, he played menacing heavies in series on TV and appeared on The Untouchables. After appearing in a few uncredited film roles, he was cast by Director Robert Aldrich in the psychological horror movie What Ever Happened to Baby Jane? (1962). The film starred Bette Davis and Joan Crawford, and Buono played the ne'er-do-well musical accompanist Edwin Flagg, a performance for which he was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor and the Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actor – Motion Picture.
In regard to relationships (and the implicit questioning of his sexuality), Buono is quoted as saying, "I've heard or read about actors being asked the immortal question, 'Why have you never married?' They answer with the immortal excuse, 'I just haven't found the right girl.' Because I'm on the hefty side, no one's asked me yet. If they do, that's the answer I'll give. After all, if it was good enough for Monty Clift or Sal Mineo..." Buono was unusual among gay performers of his era by openly living together with same-sex partners, although he was not flamboyant about his lifestyle and referred to himself as a "conscientious objector" in the "morality revolution" of the 1960s.
Buono appeared in four episodes of Perry Mason. In season 5, (March 17,1962), he portrayed Alexander Glovatsky, a small-town Sculptor, in "The Case of the Absent Artist". In season 7, (April 2, 1964), he played murderer John (Jack) Sylvester Fossette in the episode "The Case of the Simple Simon". In season 8, (April 29, 1965) he played murderer Nathon Fallon in "The Case of the Grinning Gorilla". In season 9, (February 27, 1966), he appeared in "The Case of the Twice Told Twist", the only color episode, as Ben Huggins, the ringleader of a car-stripping ring.
In the episode "Firebug" (January 27, 1963) of the anthology series GE True, hosted by Jack Webb, Buono plays a barber in Los Angeles, who is by night a pyromaniac. In the storyline, the United States Forest Service believes one arsonist is causing a series of fires in California.
He played another villain in a 1967 unsold TV pilot film based on the Dick Tracy comic strip.
In the late 1970s and in 1980, Buono played the millionaire father of the memory-impaired Reverend Jim Ignatowski on Taxi. Buono died before the end of the series and another actor briefly assumed the role. The character was eventually killed off, followed by an episode where Jim learns to cope with his father's death.
In 1980, Buono appeared in the television movie Murder Can Hurt You as Chief Ironbottom, a parody of the title character from Ironside. His later roles were more of pompous intellectuals and shady con men, although he also played straight roles. In the miniseries Backstairs at the White House (1979), he portrayed President william Howard Taft.
Buono was found dead at his home in Apple Valley, California on New Year's Day 1982; he died of a sudden heart attack. He is entombed with his mother, Myrtle, in Greenwood Memorial Park in San Diego, but his name is not inscribed on the crypt.
