Rip Taylor, flamboyant comedian who made more than 2,000 TV appearances, dies at 84

The New York Times

From the 1960s through the 2010s, Taylor -- known for his wild style, mustache and affinity for nicknames -- was a mainstay of television, appearing in everything from The Ed Sullivan Show to Late Night with David Letterman to WWE Raw and Will & Grace. Taylor, who died Sunday after suffering a seizure, specialized in game show and variety show appearances, including Hollywood Squares, Match Game, The Gong Show and Super Password. “The greatest joy Rip had in life was from the result of making others laugh,” said his publicist, B. Harlan Böll. “He didn’t have an easy childhood. Abused and bullied, he said he discovered early that they weren’t hitting you if they were laughing.” From 1978 to 1980, Taylor hosted The $1.98 Beauty Show, a beauty contest parody that awarded the winner a tacky plastic crown, rotten vegetables as a bouquet, and the cash prize of $1.98. Taylor was often confused with The Larry Sanders Show star Rip Torn, who died in July at age 88. “He found humor in it,” Mr. Böll said of the confusion. “In fact, when Rip passed away, he got notes and condolences. He made a big joke out of it. He said he hoped he got half as much attention when he died.”