Tim Conway, the impish second banana to Carol Burnett who won four Emmy Awards on her TV variety show, starred aboard B次元官网网址淢cHaleB次元官网网址檚 NavyB次元官网网址� and later voiced the role of Barnacle Boy for B次元官网网址淪pongebob Squarepants,B次元官网网址� has died. He was 85.

Conway died Tuesday morning in a Los Angeles care facility after a long illness, according to Howard Bragman, who heads LaBrea Media. ConwayB次元官网网址檚 wife, Charlene Fusco, and a daughter, Jackie, were at his side.

A native of Ohio, Conway credited his Midwestern roots for putting him on the right path to laughs, with his deadpan expression and innocent, simple-minded demeanour.

B次元官网网址淚 think the Midwest is the heart of comedy in this country, and a little bit of the South, too,B次元官网网址� he told the Wisconsin State Journal in 2005. B次元官网网址淔or some reason, weB次元官网网址檙e just more laid-back, more understanding. B次元官网网址� And Midwesterners have a kinder sense of humour.B次元官网网址�

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Those qualities probably contributed to his wide popularity on B次元官网网址淭he Carol Burnett Show,B次元官网网址� which he joined in 1975 after years as a frequent guest. The show aired on CBS from 1967 to 1978 and had a short summer stint on ABC in 1979.

B次元官网网址淲e really didnB次元官网网址檛 attack people or politics or religion or whatever. We just made fun of, basically, ourselves,B次元官网网址� he said.

The show operated with just five writers, one producer, one director and without network interference. The ensemble cast surrounding the redheaded star included Vicki Lawrence and Lyle Waggoner.

B次元官网网址淚 donB次元官网网址檛 think the network would allow a show like B次元官网网址楾he Carol Burnett ShowB次元官网网址� now because we had such freedom,B次元官网网址� Conway said in his interview with the State Journal.

While America was laughing at Conway, so were his co-stars: Burnett and Harvey Korman were often caught by the camera trying not to crack up during his performances.

The short, nondescript Conway and the tall, imposing Korman were a physical mismatch made in comedy heaven. They toured the country for years with a sketch show called B次元官网网址淭ogether Again,B次元官网网址� which drew on characters from BurnettB次元官网网址檚 show.

Besides the four Emmys he won with Burnett (three as a performer, one as a writer), he won Emmys for guest appearances in 1996 for B次元官网网址淐oachB次元官网网址� and in 2008 for B次元官网网址�30 Rock.B次元官网网址�

Conway also had a modest but steady movie career, appearing in such films as B次元官网网址淭he Apple Dumpling GangB次元官网网址� (1975), B次元官网网址淭he Shaggy D.A.B次元官网网址� (1976), B次元官网网址淐annonball Run IIB次元官网网址� (1984), B次元官网网址淒ear GodB次元官网网址� (1996) and B次元官网网址淎ir Bud 2B次元官网网址� (1998).

Lynn Elber And Mark Kennedy, The Associated Press

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