Alan Sues

Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In, L > R: Ruth Buzzi, Joanne Worley, John Wayne, Tiny Tim, Alan Sues, Dick Martin, Dennis Roy Allen, and Henry Gibson. Alan Grigsby Sues (March 7, 1926 – December 1, 2011) was an American actor and comedian best known as a cast member of the 1968–1973 television series Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In.

Sues's on-screen persona was campy and outrageous. Typical of his humor was a skit that found him following a pair of whiskey-drinking cowboys to a Wild West bar and requesting a frozen daiquiri. His recurring characters on the program included "Big Al the Sportscaster", "Uncle Al the Kiddies' Pal", and "Jo Anne Worley", after Worley left the show.

Career Sues used his G.I. Bill benefits to pay for acting lessons at the Pasadena Playhouse, where he performed, later making his Broadway debut in the stage play Tea and Sympathy, directed by Elia Kazan, which had a successful run in New York City beginning in 1953. He also had supporting roles in the films Move Over, Darling (1963) and The Americanization of Emily (1964).

After Laugh-In, Sues portrayed Professor Moriarty onstage in Sherlock Holmes (opposite John Wood, and later Leonard Nimoy), which, according to Alan, was "one of my favorite roles, because it's so against type, and I loved the makeup". The makeup for Moriarty was used in several books about makeup as an example of shadowing and technique.

During the 1970s, Sues appeared as a celebrity guest on some popular game shows of the era, including The Movie Game, Celebrity Sweepstakes, The Cross-Wits and Liar's Club.

Later years and death Sues appeared in the short films Lord of the Road (1999) and Artificially Speaking (2009), the latter making its premiere at the 2009 Dances With Films festival in Los Angeles.

In 2008, fifty years after their divorce, Sues and his former wife, Phyllis, conducted a lengthy interview at his home for her website.

Sues died on December 1, 2011, at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, where he was taken after suffering an apparent heart attack while watching television with his beloved dog, Doris, according to his partner and accountant, Michael Michaud. The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes (1974–1976) — Professor Moriarty The Three Musketeers (1976) Singin' in the Rain (national tour 1995–1999) — Director/elocutionist Two for the Show (1998–2000) — One-man stage show, multiple characters

Filmography Films Move Over, Darling (1963) — Court Clerk The Wheeler Dealers (1963) - Whitby The Americanization of Emily (1964) — Officer Enright Raggedy Ann and Andy: A Musical Adventure (1977) — Sir Leonard Looney (voice) Oh! Heavenly Dog (1980) — Freddie The Reluctant Dragon (1981) — The Dragon (voice) Snowballing (AKA Smooth Moves) (1984) — Roy A Bucket of Blood (1995) — Art Buyer Lord of the Road (1999) Artificially Speaking (2009) — Sparky Schlosser

Television The Twilight Zone (episode: "The Masks"; 1964) — Wilfred Harper, Jr. The Wild Wild West (1965) — Matt Dawson The Doris Day Show (episode: "The Relatives;" 1968) - Edgar Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In (1968–1972) — Regular performer Rudolph and Frosty's Christmas in July (1979) — Scratcher the jealous Reindeer (voice) Gridlock (1980 TV film) — Dudley The Brady Brides (episode: "Cool Hand Phil"; 1981) — Duke Punky Brewster (episode: "Tangled Web"; 1987) — Andre Sockstein Sabrina, the Teenage Witch (episode: "Good Will Haunting"; 1998) — Bellevuedere

Sues also appeared in two episodes of "Love, American Style".