Full Name: Paul Edward Lynde (/lɪnd/)
Born: June 13, 1926, Mount Vernon, Ohio, United States
Died: January 10, 1982, Beverly Hills, California, United States
Pronouns: He/Him
Orientation: Gay (closeted publicly during his lifetime)
Gender Identity: Cisgender man
Occupation: Actor, Comedian, Game Show Panelist, Voice Actor, Writer
Known For: Hollywood Squares, Bewitched, Bye Bye Birdie, distinctive voice and biting wit
Resting Place: Amity Cemetery, Knox County, Ohio
Notable Traits: Sarcastic humor, flamboyant camp style, influential queer-coded roles in mid-century American television

Early Life and Education

Paul Edward Lynde was born on June 13, 1926, in Mount Vernon, Ohio, to Sylvia Bell (née Doup) and Hoy Corydon Lynde. His father owned and operated a local meat market. Paul was the fifth of six children, with older sisters Grace and Helen, older brothers Richard Hoy and Coradon “Cordy” George, and a younger brother, John “Johnny.” His favorite sibling, Coradon, tragically died in combat in 1944 at age 21 during the Battle of the Bulge in World War II. In 1949, both of Lynde’s parents died within just three months of each other, leaving him orphaned at the age of 23.

As a child, Lynde was known for his quick wit and love of performing. He graduated in 1944 from Mount Vernon High School, where he played bass drum in the marching band and gained a reputation for being funny and theatrical. Following graduation, he enrolled at Northwestern University in Evanston, Illinois, where he majored in speech and drama. He thrived in the campus’s theatrical scene and became involved in numerous productions.

At Northwestern, Lynde was part of an extraordinary group of students who would go on to fame, including Cloris Leachman, Charlotte Rae, Patricia Neal, Jeffrey Hunter, and Claude Akins. He also joined the Upsilon chapter of the Phi Kappa Sigma fraternity, where he remained a celebrated alumnus. Lynde graduated in 1948, fully intent on pursuing a career in performance and comedy.

Lynde graduated from Mount Vernon High School in 1944, where he played bass drum in the band, and then attended Northwestern University. There, he studied speech and drama and was classmates with Cloris Leachman, Charlotte Rae, Patricia Neal, and others. He graduated in 1948 and joined Phi Kappa Sigma fraternity.

Broadway and Early Career (1950s)

After graduating from Northwestern University in 1948, Lynde moved to New York City, where he worked odd jobs while trying to break into show business. His first significant break came with the Broadway revue New Faces of 1952, where he starred alongside newcomers Eartha Kitt, Robert Clary, Carol Lawrence, and Alice Ghostley. In the show, Lynde performed a monologue called “Trip of the Month Club,” portraying a hapless man on crutches who recounted a disastrous safari with his late wife. The revue was a major success and was later adapted into the film New Faces (1954), in which Lynde reprised his role.

The success of New Faces led to more opportunities. Lynde continued performing in clubs and theater revues, earning a reputation for his sharp timing and sardonic wit. He also worked as a comedy writer, contributing gags for other performers. In 1956, he co-starred in the NBC sitcom Stanley, alongside Buddy Hackett and Carol Burnett. The show was short-lived but notable for featuring several future stars early in their careers.

That same year, Lynde appeared on The Martha Raye Show, showcasing his comedic versatility in sketches and musical numbers. Although his flamboyant style and distinctive delivery set him apart, Lynde found himself typecast in campy or flamboyant roles, which he would later resent as limiting.

In the late 1950s, he continued to develop his craft through stage work and writing. His wit and theatrical persona began to gain traction on the nightclub circuit, and his ability to entertain live audiences positioned him well for the next decade, when television would provide him with national recognition.

He co-starred in the 1956 sitcom Stanley with Carol Burnett and appeared on The Martha Raye Show the same year. He returned to Broadway in 1960 as Harry MacAfee in Bye Bye Birdie, reprising the role in the 1963 film. That year he also released a comedy LP titled Recently Released, writing all six tracks.

Lynde became a frequent guest on variety and sitcom television, including The Phil Silvers Show, The Farmer’s Daughter, The Patty Duke Show, The Munsters, The Flying Nun, and I Dream of Jeannie. He also appeared in films like Send Me No Flowers, The Glass Bottom Boat, and Beach Blanket Bingo.

Television Stardom (1960s1970s)

During the 1960s and 1970s, Paul Lynde became a staple of American television, with a prolific presence on sitcoms, variety shows, and game shows. His flamboyant demeanor, sharp wit, and distinctive voice helped him stand out in a crowded entertainment field.

He was a familiar face on a long list of sitcoms, guest-starring in episodes of The Phil Silvers Show, The Farmer’s Daughter, The Patty Duke Show, The Munsters, The Flying Nun, Gidget, I Dream of Jeannie, F Troop, and That Girl. His variety show appearances included The Ed Sullivan Show, The Dean Martin Show, and The Carol Burnett Show, where his campy humor and comedic timing earned consistent laughs.

Bewitched

In 1965, Lynde made his first appearance on Bewitched in the first-season episode “Driving is the Only Way to Fly,” portraying Harold Harold, Samantha Stephens’ anxious driving instructor. His performance impressed star Elizabeth Montgomery and producer William Asher, who invited Lynde back to portray Uncle Arthur, Endora’s mischievous brother. He appeared as Uncle Arthur in ten episodes from 1965 to 1971, becoming one of the most beloved recurring characters in the series. Lynde, Montgomery, and Asher were close friends off-set and often socialized together.

Failed Pilots

Lynde starred in four TV pilots during the 1960s:

• Howie (1962, CBS)
• Two’s Company (1965, ABC)
• Sedgewick Hawk-Styles: Prince of Danger (1966, ABC)
• Manley and the Mob (1967, ABC)

While Sedgewick Hawk-Styles was picked up briefly, it was cancelled before airing due to concerns over Lynde’s erratic offscreen behavior and the persistent rumors regarding his sexuality. ABC executives were hesitant to risk featuring him as a lead despite his popularity.

Hollywood Squares

Lynde made his debut on The Hollywood Squares in 1966, quickly becoming its most popular panelist. By 1968, he was the permanent “center square,” ensuring he would be called on frequently by contestants. His snappy comebacks and often risqué humor, filled with thinly veiled references to his homosexuality, became iconic. Lynde’s zingers helped redefine the boundaries of mainstream television comedy in the 1970s.

He remained on the show until 1979, when he left feeling boxed in creatively. He returned in 1980 after being promised co-star billing alongside host Peter Marshall, staying until the show’s cancellation in early 1981. In total, he appeared in 1,083 episodes. Some of his most famous lines include:

• “Why do motorcyclists wear leather?”, “Because chiffon wrinkles.”
• “Who determines the sex of a child?”, “I say let the child make up its own mind!”
• “What should you yell if a woman falls overboard?”, “Full speed ahead!”
• “What do we call a gelded rooster?”, “Is that the one that just goes ‘a-doodle-doo’?”

Despite never publicly coming out, Lynde’s camp humor resonated with LGBTQ+ audiences and left a lasting cultural legacy.

Voice Acting

Paul Lynde’s voice acting career became a notable extension of his unique comedic persona, especially in the late 1960s through the mid-1970s. Between 1969 and 1974, he was extensively featured in Hanna-Barbera productions, where his snide, flamboyant delivery added depth to a range of animated villains and comic foils.

Major Animated Roles:

• Templeton in Charlotte’s Web (1973), Lynde provided the voice of the gluttonous, sarcastic rat in the animated adaptation of E.B. White’s classic. His performance is widely regarded as one of the highlights of the film.
• Mildew Wolf in It’s the Wolf! (a segment of Cattanooga Cats), A hapless wolf character obsessed with catching a lamb named Lambsy. The role drew heavily on Lynde’s trademark whine and flamboyant tone.
• Sylvester Sneekly / The Hooded Claw in The Perils of Penelope Pitstop, A dual role as Penelope’s guardian and secret nemesis, the villainous Hooded Claw. His exaggerated delivery became a cult favorite.
• Claude Pertwee in Where’s Huddles?, A quirky neighbor with a tone modeled after Lynde’s real-life persona.
• Pumpkinhead in Journey Back to Oz (recorded in the 1960s, released in 1974), This animated sequel to The Wizard of Oz allowed Lynde to embody another eccentric figure through voice.
• Aban-Khan in Hugo the Hippo (1975), An animated Hungarian film dubbed into English.
• Shame in Sweet Emotion (1978), A rare animated project outside the Hanna-Barbera umbrella.

Lynde’s sarcastic delivery and his catchphrase-like inflection (“What’s in it for meee?”) made his voice instantly recognizable. His tone often added a second layer of innuendo or irony to the scripts, making him a favorite among animators and adult viewers alike.

Despite widespread belief that Alice Ghostley was inspired by Lynde, actress Kaye Ballard clarified that Lynde was in fact the one influenced by Ghostley’s speech patterns and timing.

His voice work left an enduring mark on American animation, and Lynde is still mimicked by comedians and voice actors to this day. Seth MacFarlane cited Lynde’s voice as a primary inspiration for Roger the Alien on American Dad! and veteran sound editors such as David Acord used a Lynde-style voice in Star Wars: The Clone Wars.

The Paul Lynde Show and Temperatures Rising

In 1972, Paul Lynde was cast in The Paul Lynde Show, a primetime ABC sitcom created as a contractual replacement for a ninth season of Bewitched. The show starred Lynde as Paul Simms, an uptight attorney navigating chaos caused by his liberal son-in-law, Howie (played by John Calvin), who is married to Simms’ daughter, Barbara (Jane Actman). The cast also included Elizabeth Allen as Simms’ wife Martha, and real-life couple Jerry Stiller and Anne Meara as Howie’s parents.

Critics frequently described the show as a derivative of All in the Family, then a ratings powerhouse. While the show never reached that level of acclaim, Lynde’s performance stood out for its sharp delivery and comedic timing. He was nominated for a Golden Globe Award for Best Actor in a Television Series, Musical or Comedy. However, the show struggled in the ratings, airing opposite CBS’s The Carol Burnett Show and NBC’s Adam-12. It was cancelled after just one season.

After the cancellation of The Paul Lynde Show, ABC moved Lynde to Temperatures Rising, a medical sitcom that had previously starred James Whitmore. Lynde’s addition was an effort to revive the show by reshaping it into a more traditional sitcom format. Lynde played Dr. Paul Mercy, a sardonic chief of staff who clashed with his free-spirited staff and patients. The shift in tone from the original incarnationcombined with backstage turmoilcontributed to poor ratings.

Producer William Asher, who had worked with Lynde on Bewitched, objected to the network’s meddling and left the show. Asher later returned for a final batch of seven episodes after further cast changes were made, including bringing in Alice Ghostley as Lynde’s sister Edwina. Despite these adjustments, The New Temperatures Rising Show was permanently cancelled after the summer of 1974.

Summer Stock and Variety Specials

Throughout the 1960s and 1970s, Paul Lynde maintained a busy schedule in summer stock theater, becoming a regular with the Kenley Players, one of the largest and most respected summer stock theater companies in the United States. He appeared in at least nine Kenley productions, more than any other headlining performer. Some of his roles included:

• Don’t Drink the Water (1970, 1979)
• The Impossible Years (1969, 1978)
• Mother is Engaged (1974)
• My Daughter is Rated X (1973)
• Plaza Suite (1971)
• Stop, Thief, Stop! (1975; a retitled version of Three Goats and a Blanket)

In the summer of 1980, Lynde embarked on a national tour across the U.S. and Canada in a trio of Neil Simon one-act plays collectively titled Neil Simon’s Suite. The cast included Beverly Sanders, his friend and bodyguard Paul Barresi, and Kristie Siverson. This tour marked one of his last major live performance efforts.

Lynde also had a successful run with television variety specials, especially after becoming a well-known fixture through Hollywood Squares. ABC signed him to host a series of comedy specials between 1975 and 1979. These included:

• The Paul Lynde Comedy Hour (November 6, 1975), Co-starring Jack Albertson, Nancy Walker, and The Osmonds
• The Paul Lynde Halloween Special (October 29, 1976), Featuring Margaret Hamilton as the Wicked Witch of the West, Billie Hayes as Witchiepoo, KISS in their network debut, Donny and Marie Osmond, Betty White, Tim Conway, and Roz Kelly
• The Paul Lynde Comedy Hour (April 23, 1977), With Cloris Leachman and Tony Randall
• ‘Twas the Night Before Christmas (December 7, 1977), With Alice Ghostley, Martha Raye, George Gobel, and Foster Brooks
• The Paul Lynde Comedy Hour (May 20, 1978), Featuring Juliet Prowse, Brenda Vaccaro, and Harry Morgan
• Paul Lynde at the Movies (March 24, 1979), With Betty White, Vicki Lawrence, Robert Urich, and Gary Coleman
• Paul Lynde Goes M-A-A-A-AD (May 20, 1979), Co-starring Marie Osmond, Charo, and Vicki Lawrence

He was also a regular guest on Donny & Marie from 1976 to 1978. However, his recurring appearances ended after incidents involving public intoxication and confrontations with police while on set.

Later Career and Personal Life

Acting offers dwindled in the late 1970s, but he continued touring and doing guest spots. In 1980, he was named King of the Beaux Arts Ball alongside Queen Kitty Carlisle. That same year, he got sober.

Lynde was intensely private, and though widely presumed to be gay, this was never publicly stated during his lifetime. His closest media acknowledgment came from People magazine referring to his “suite mate” and hairstylist Stan Finesmith.

Lynde bought Errol Flynn’s mansion and lived there with his dog, Harry MacAfee. After Harry died in 1977, Lynde moved out.

He battled alcoholism for much of his life. A tragic incident in 1965 saw his young friend James “Bing” Davidson fall to his death from their hotel window, fueling speculation and trauma. He was also involved in multiple public intoxication arrests and controversial incidents, including racist remarks made at Northwestern University in 1977.

Death and Tributes

On January 10, 1982, after failing to show up for a planned birthday celebration, Paul Lynde was found dead in his Beverly Hills home by his close friend and former bodyguard, actor Paul Barresi. When Barresi and actor Dean Dittman couldn’t reach him by phone or door, Barresi entered through a side door and discovered Lynde’s body. Lynde had died in his sleep of a massive heart attack. He was 55 years old.

Although rumors swirled in tabloid media suggesting that he had died in the company of another man or under suspicious circumstances, Barresi and the police confirmed that Lynde had been alone. The home alarm had been set and triggered upon Barresi’s entry, proving that the house had not been accessed after Lynde had retired for the night. He was found peacefully in pajamas and a robe, not as some sensationalist reports had claimed.

The official cause of death was coronary artery disease. At the time of his death, Lynde had recently recommitted to sobriety and was reportedly focused on reviving his career and health. His sudden death came as a shock to friends and fans alike.

Lynde’s ashes were interred at Amity Cemetery in Knox County, Ohio, next to those of his sister Helen and brother Johnny. His parents and brother Coradon, a World War II casualty, are buried nearby.

In the years following his death, Lynde became an enduring figure of queer-coded legacy in American pop culture. The A&E Biography series produced an episode on his life, and E! True Hollywood Story featured a deep dive into his career and struggles. Biographers and critics alike began reassessing his impactnot just as a comic icon, but as a man who channeled closeted pain into groundbreaking comedic presence.

He has been honored posthumously by LGBTQ+ historians and drag performers, and his one-liners from Hollywood Squares are still circulated today as part of queer cultural lore. In 2020, plans for a biopic titled Man in the Box, starring Billy Eichner, were announcedsignaling growing recognition of Lynde’s place in both comedy and LGBTQ+ history.

Legacy and Cultural Impact

Paul Lynde’s legacy is both iconic and paradoxical. As one of television’s most flamboyant and campy comedians, he stood out as a beacon of coded queerness during an era when overt expressions of homosexuality were censored or punished in mainstream media. Despite being closeted publicly throughout his life, Lynde’s sarcastic wit, nasal voice, and flamboyant mannerisms made him a subversive figure of LGBTQ+ representation.

For many queer viewers in the 1960s and 1970s, Lynde’s screen presence offered a rare glimpse of someone who spoke, acted, and joked in a way that resonated with gay identityeven if it could not yet be named. His ability to sneak double entendres past censors made him a comedic revolutionary and a cultural icon for future generations.

Lynde’s comedy also contributed to mainstream acceptance of camp humor, helping to pave the way for drag performance on television and openly gay comedians in later decades. Though he personally struggled with self-acceptance, his public persona inspired others to embrace their uniqueness.

He became an archetype of the witty, fussy, camp gay man in popular culture, with many characters created in his likeness:

• Seth MacFarlane cited Lynde as the vocal inspiration for Roger the Alien on American Dad!
• BenDeLaCreme’s portrayal of Lynde on RuPaul’s Drag Race: All Stars Season 3 won the “Snatch Game” episode and reintroduced Lynde’s humor to a younger generation.
• Steve Carell’s version of Uncle Arthur in the 2005 Bewitched film was modeled directly on Lynde.
• Voice actor David Acord used a Lynde-inspired voice for a character in Star Wars: The Clone Wars.

In addition to numerous impersonations and tributes, Lynde has been the subject of books, documentaries, and stage shows:

• Center Square: The Paul Lynde Story (2005) by Steve Wilson and Joe Florenski offered a detailed account of his life and legacy.
• Michael Airington created and performed An Evening with Paul Lynde, a one-man show reenacting Lynde’s comedy routines and persona.
• In 2020, Billy Eichner announced plans to star in a biopic titled Man in the Box, exploring Lynde’s life and cultural significance.

While some LGBTQ+ historians have viewed Lynde as a symbol of internalized homophobia, many more see him as a trailblazeran entertainer who, without being able to live openly, still managed to make queerness visible, funny, and unforgettable. His legacy continues to influence comedy, LGBTQ+ media, and American pop culture.

All Filmography

Film:

• New Faces (1954), Himself (also writer)
• Son of Flubber (1963), Sportscaster
• Bye Bye Birdie (1963), Harry MacAfee
• Under the Yum Yum Tree (1963), Murphy
• For Those Who Think Young (1964), Sid Hoyt
• Send Me No Flowers (1964), Mr. Atkins
• Beach Blanket Bingo (1965), Bullets
• The Glass Bottom Boat (1966), Homer Cripps
• Silent Treatment (1968), Documentary appearance
• How Sweet It Is! (1968), The Purser
• Charlotte’s Web (1973), Templeton (voice)
• Journey Back to Oz (1974), Pumpkinhead (voice)
• Hugo the Hippo (1975), Aban-Khan (voice)
• Rabbit Test (1978), Dr. Roger Vidal, M.D.
• Sweet Emotion (1978), Shame (voice)
• The Villain (1979), Nervous Elk

Television:

• The Red Buttons Show (1955)
• The Good Fairy (1956)
• Stanley (19561957)
• The Perry Como Show (19611963)
• The Patty Duke Show (1963)
• Burke’s Law (19631965)
• The Munsters (19641965)
• The Cara Williams Show (1964)
• Bewitched (19641971)
• The Farmer’s Daughter (1965)
• Gidget (1965)
• I Dream of Jeannie (19661968)
• F Troop (1966)
• That Girl (1967)
• Hey, Landlord (1967)
• The Beverly Hillbillies (1967)
• The Mothers-In-Law (1968)
• The Flying Nun (1968)
• Dean Martin Presents the Golddiggers (19681969)
• Gidget Grows Up (1969)
• Love, American Style (19691974)
• Cattanooga Cats (19691971), Voice
• The Perils of Penelope Pitstop (19691971), Voice
• Where’s Huddles? (1970), Voice
• The Jonathan Winters Show (19681969)
• Gidget Gets Married (1972)
• The Paul Lynde Show (19721973)
• The New Temperatures Rising Show (19731974)
• Hong Kong Phooey (1974), Voice
• Donny & Marie (19761978)
• The Paul Lynde Halloween Special (1976)
• The Dean Martin Celebrity Roast (19761977)
• ’Twas the Night Before Christmas (1977)
• The Carol Burnett Show (Guest, various episodes)
• America 2-Night (1978)
• Paul Lynde at the Movies (1979)
• Paul Lynde Goes M-A-A-A-AD (1979)

Unsold Pilots:

• Howie (1962, CBS)
• Two’s Company (1965, ABC)
• Sedgewick Hawk-Styles: Prince of Danger (1966, ABC)
• Manley and the Mob (1967, ABC)

All Discography

• Recently Released (1960), Columbia Records LP (Live comedy album, self-written)
• Hollywood Squares: Zingers (1974), Various Artists (Featured jokes and lines from the show, including Lynde’s best-known one-liners)
• Charlotte’s Web (1973), Original Soundtrack (as Templeton the Rat)
• Bye Bye Birdie (1963), Film soundtrack (as Harry MacAfee)

Sources

• Biography.com
• Center Square: The Paul Lynde Story by Steve Wilson and Joe Florenski
• Paul Lynde: A Biography, His Life, His Love(s), and His Laughter by Cathy Rudolph
• Interviews from E! True Hollywood Story, A&E Biography, VH1
• Salon, Newsday, Chicago Tribune, AP, UPI, Fox News, Closer Weekly
• ONE Archives Foundation, Paley Center for Media, IMDb, TCM, Playbill Vault