Rest Well, Papa Smurf

Comedian Jonathan Winters Dead at 87

Had a career spanning more than five decades.

Comedy legend Jonathan Winters, whose TV and movie career spanned more than five decades, passed away Thursday at his Montecito, California, home of natural causes, the AP reports. Winters was known for his improv work, which inspired new generations of stand-up comedians, including Robin Wiliams and Jim Carrey. He hosted The Jonathan Winters Show from 1967 to 1969, frequently appeared in character on late-night shows with Jack Paar, Johnny Carson, and Steve Allen, and most notably played the role of Lennie Pike in the 1963 film It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World. His most recent role was voicing Papa Smurf in the 2011 film The Smurfs, a role he reprised for this summer’s upcoming The Smurfs 2.