Victor Buono - A Hollywood Actor Profile
Victor Buono Most Famously Played The Larger Than Life King Tut on Batman
Victor Buono lived among us large. The actor impressed all who encountered him as a larger than life figure in every sense of the word. He wasn’t only a big framed man, but at 6’3 and weighing around 400 lbs, his formidable physique glared out as an obvious physical given. His sharp sense of humor, classical demeanor and a booming, Shakespearean timbre voice, enhanced his playful girth and mirth more than appropriately.
In his sadly short life, he passed away at only 43, the actor fleshed out many memorable characters, but the one which most all Batman fans know him well for playing is the maniacal, comical King Tut in the Adam West starring TV show from the 1960’s. Aside from Joker, Riddler, Penguin and Catwoman, Buono’s King Tut ruled as the most used villain in the entire show’s broadcast, nailing a royal ransom of an episode run at eight in total.
Buono Is Born
He was born in 1938 in San Diego, California. As a child, his grandmother nurtured the artist developing within him by teaching him songs and poems. After performing in plays at the Globe Theater, Buono was given a screentest in Hollywood and began appearing on television shows, with his first role in 77 Sunset Strip.
He’d go on to guest star in many other TV series, then landed his first feature film co-starring role in the psychological horror movie, Whatever Happened To Baby Jane, for which he was nominated for a Best Supporting Actor Oscar.
Buono In Baby Jane
The film wowed the boxoffice back in the day as an unlikely blockbuster hit. In the dark, comic romp, the heavyset actor played struggling musician Edwin Flagg, who’s nagging mother makes him answer a newspaper classified ad placed by Baby Jane Hudson (Bette Davis), a former child superstar, now a washed up lush caring for her invalid sister, Blanche, played by Joan Crawford.
Buono’s Flagg becomes an obsession to Baby Jane, and then ultimately, her sister’s savior. The film was enough of a box office success to have studio Warner Brothers bring back the stars and film’s director to make Hush, Hush Sweet Charlotte, though, unfortunately, Crawford was ultimately replaced by Olivia De Havilland. Buono’s first movie is now widely regarded as a cult classic and regularly appears highly ranked on numerous best movie lists around the globe.
Buono In Batman
For a villain created expressly for the TV show, without comic book foundation, Buono’s King Tut became one of the most beloved of Gotham’s villainous rogues gallery.
Buono relished his colorful role on the comic based show for a primary reason his acting training had forbade him to do, said Buono, “Batman allowed me to do what actors are taught never to do, overact.”
One of his Batman co-stars, Lee Meriwether, summed up working with the wonderfully flamboyant actor, “Victor was wonderful. Victor said to me one day on the set that he knew he would not live past 32. It was one thing I remember about our conversations -well, that and Shakespeare. He was so talented; he was very gifted. But I don’t think he ever really thought anyone ever would believe the talent that he knew he had. He was having a lot of fun on the show!”
Buono Beyond
Victor Buono lived his private life as a gay man. He lived with several male partners, but never officially revealed his sexual identity to the world.
Unlike the wide ranging personal freedoms LGBT Hollywood professionals enjoy in today’s transparent climate, coming out of the closet in his time wasn’t advised. As usual, Buono employed cleverly crafted humor to explain his decision to keep his sexuality under wraps, “I've heard or read about actors being asked the immortal question, 'Why have you never married?' They answer with the immortal excuse, 'I just haven't found the right girl.' Because I'm on the hefty side, no one's asked me yet. If they do, that's the answer I'll give. After all, if it was good enough for Monty Clift or Sal Mineo..."