Budd Friedman
American actor and comedy club founder (1932–2022)
title: "Budd Friedman" type: doc version: 1 created: 2026-02-28 author: "Wikipedia contributors" status: active scope: public tags: ["1932-births", "2022-deaths", "male-actors-from-connecticut", "military-personnel-from-norwich,-connecticut", "american-male-film-actors", "20th-century-american-male-actors", "comedians-from-connecticut"] description: "American actor and comedy club founder (1932–2022)" topic_path: "arts" source: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Budd_Friedman" license: "CC BY-SA 4.0" wikipedia_page_id: 0 wikipedia_revision_id: 0
::summary American actor and comedy club founder (1932–2022) ::
::data[format=table title="Infobox person"]
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| name | Budd Friedman |
| birth_name | Gerson Merton Friedman |
| birth_date | |
| birth_place | Norwich, Connecticut, U.S. |
| death_date | |
| death_place | Los Angeles, California, U.S. |
| occupation | Actor, producer |
| years_active | 1971–2022 |
| :: |
| name = Budd Friedman | image = | caption = | birth_name = Gerson Merton Friedman | birth_date = | birth_place = Norwich, Connecticut, U.S. | death_date = | death_place = Los Angeles, California, U.S. | occupation = Actor, producer | years_active = 1971–2022
Gerson Merton Lenord Friedman (June 6, 1932 – November 12, 2022), known professionally as Budd Friedman, was an American actor and comedian, as well as the founder and original proprietor and MC of the Improvisation Comedy Club, which opened in 1963, on West 44th Street near the SE corner of 9th Avenue, in the Hell's Kitchen neighborhood of Manhattan. He was instrumental in launching the comedy careers of Rodney Dangerfield, Richard Lewis, Robert Klein, Jay Leno, Andy Kaufman, Freddie Prinze, Steve Landesberg, Jimmie Walker, and for a brief time, managed Bette Midler at the early stages of her career. It was with Friedman's help and guidance that Ms. Midler first appeared on The Tonight Show.
He was also an actor and producer. Friedman also opened Improv clubs at other locations including Pechanga Resort and Casino in Temecula, California, on March 23, 2007, in Los Angeles in 1975, and in Fantasy Springs Resort and Casino in Indio, California.
Korean War
Friedman served in the infantry in the U.S. Army during the Korean War. He was wounded by an enemy grenade during his first day in action in the summer of 1953 while his unit was assaulting Pork Chop Hill. He was awarded the Purple Heart and the Combat Infantryman Badge (CIB). The ceasefire went into effect while he was still recuperating in the hospital.
Personal life and death
Friedman married his first wife, Silver Saundors, they divorced in 1979.
Friedman married Alix Friedman (née Mark) in 1981, and remained with her for an unconfirmed number of years. They had four children named Zoe, Beth, Ross, and Dax. Friedman died in Los Angeles, on November 12, 2022, at the age of 90, from heart failure.
Filmography
Actor
- National Lampoon's Funny Money (2003) ... as Announcer
- Man on the Moon (1999) ... as Himself
- Star 80 (1983) ... as Emcee
- An Evening at the Improv (1982) ... as Host
Producer
- National Lampoon's Funny Money (2003) ... executive producer
- An Evening at the Improv (1982) ... executive producer
Awards and recognition
- Norwich (Connecticut) Native Son Award (1980)
- Golden Goody Award (2013)
References
References
- (September 21, 2017). "How Budd Friedman, Founder of the Improv, Basically Invented the Modern Comedy Club".
- Risen, Clay. (October 16, 2022). "Budd Friedman, Who Built an Empire of Comedy Clubs, Dies at 90". The New York Times.
- Risen, Clay. (16 November 2022). "New York Times".
- link. (July 23, 2007)
- Marc Maron, [[WTF with Marc Maron]] Podcast, Episode 339 - Budd Friedman, 20121129
- "Ten Things We Learned from 'The Improv'". [[The Wall Street Journal]].
- (December 9, 2022). "Silver Saundors Friedman, Who Helped Found the Improv, Dies at 89". The New York Times.
- Barnes, Mike. (November 12, 2022). "Budd Friedman, Founder of the Improv, Dies at 90".
- (November 12, 2022). "Budd Friedman Dies: The Improv Comedy Club Founder Was 90". Deadline.
- (October 24, 2018). "Budd Friedman - 1980 Norwich Native Son - Norwich Rotary Events". Norwich Rotary Events.
- "Improv Founder Budd Friedman honored with Golden Goody Award – Goody Awards".
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