TMC
04-19-2018, 01:45 AM
...agonized over never succeeding as a Hollywood A-list actor, claims new book
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-5630307/Bewitched-star-Paul-Lynde-struggled-childhood-insecurities.html
Lynde's close friend Cathy Rudolph said he struggled with his weight and being gay at a time it was not openly accepted
Rudolph said he often wished he was a bigger star so he would be left alone
He tried to leave 'Hollywood Squares' for movie roles but none came so he returned to the show
Lynde hated being upstaged and felt that a new character on 'Bewitched' was getting funnier lines than he was
Despite being a household name in the 1960s and 1970s 'Bewitched' star Paul Lynde struggled with childhood insecurities.
His friend Cathy Rudolph, and author of the book 'Paul Lynde: A Biography - His Life, His Love(s) and His Laughter', told Closer Weekly that the Ohio native did not have much confidence due to his weight and the realization that he was gay at a time when it was not openly accepted.
'He was very lonely and continually pushed people away, though I don't think he realized that or he couldn't understand it,' she said.
'I also think he had issues from when he was a child. He was obese - 250 pounds by the time he graduated high school - and had no love life either way. He was just unhappy.'
Despite the personal demons in life, he was beloved by television viewers. He appeared as a guest actor on several TV shows before getting the recurring role on 'Bewitched' as Uncle Arthur to Elizabeth Montgomery's Samantha from 1965 to 1971.
'He used to say to me: "I was only on the show 11 times; they must have run a lot of reruns because everybody calls me Uncle Arthur when I go on the street",' Rudolph told the magazine. 'The kids especially. And he loved it.'
Despite his storied career on television, on Broadway and in movies, Rudolph said her friend's real dream was to be a Hollywood movie star, which never came to fruition.
Lynde was on the game show 'The Hollywood Squares' for 13 years, which brought him further fame because he was known for his one-liners, but he left for a short time to seek out movie roles. When none came his way, he returned to the show.
She added that sometimes Lynde wished he was a bigger star so he would be left alone, but she says he loved the adoration from fans and never took it for granted.
'That's why he said he would stay after every show two hours just to sign autographs and talk to people,' Rudolph told Closer Weekly.
'He said, "What's more wonderful than hearing 100 people telling you over and over again how great you are?" If he was a movie star, he wouldn't have that, but the reality is that he needed it. He needed his audience. The fact that people loved him was the part of his life that filled the loneliness.'
And because of that, he didn't like being upstaged. When Montgomery, whom he was close friends with, created the character of Serena for 'Bewitched', Samantha's wise-cracking cousin, his insecurities came out again.
'The character of Serena was the same thing because she started getting funnier lines than him. She became her own little character, which Elizabeth invented herself because she didn't want to be the pretty housewife all the time,' Rudolph said,
'She wanted to be a little bit wild with wigs, short skirts and makeup…Serena was a pretty powerful character, which made him insecure.'
Lynde passed away in January 1982 at age 55 from heart disease but his legacy is lasting.
'I still have people writing and telling me how much they loved him, that they think he’s great, and they’re still amazed at what a genius he was with those one-liners that came out of his head on "The Hollywood Squares",' Rudolph said.
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-5630307/Bewitched-star-Paul-Lynde-struggled-childhood-insecurities.html
Lynde's close friend Cathy Rudolph said he struggled with his weight and being gay at a time it was not openly accepted
Rudolph said he often wished he was a bigger star so he would be left alone
He tried to leave 'Hollywood Squares' for movie roles but none came so he returned to the show
Lynde hated being upstaged and felt that a new character on 'Bewitched' was getting funnier lines than he was
Despite being a household name in the 1960s and 1970s 'Bewitched' star Paul Lynde struggled with childhood insecurities.
His friend Cathy Rudolph, and author of the book 'Paul Lynde: A Biography - His Life, His Love(s) and His Laughter', told Closer Weekly that the Ohio native did not have much confidence due to his weight and the realization that he was gay at a time when it was not openly accepted.
'He was very lonely and continually pushed people away, though I don't think he realized that or he couldn't understand it,' she said.
'I also think he had issues from when he was a child. He was obese - 250 pounds by the time he graduated high school - and had no love life either way. He was just unhappy.'
Despite the personal demons in life, he was beloved by television viewers. He appeared as a guest actor on several TV shows before getting the recurring role on 'Bewitched' as Uncle Arthur to Elizabeth Montgomery's Samantha from 1965 to 1971.
'He used to say to me: "I was only on the show 11 times; they must have run a lot of reruns because everybody calls me Uncle Arthur when I go on the street",' Rudolph told the magazine. 'The kids especially. And he loved it.'
Despite his storied career on television, on Broadway and in movies, Rudolph said her friend's real dream was to be a Hollywood movie star, which never came to fruition.
Lynde was on the game show 'The Hollywood Squares' for 13 years, which brought him further fame because he was known for his one-liners, but he left for a short time to seek out movie roles. When none came his way, he returned to the show.
She added that sometimes Lynde wished he was a bigger star so he would be left alone, but she says he loved the adoration from fans and never took it for granted.
'That's why he said he would stay after every show two hours just to sign autographs and talk to people,' Rudolph told Closer Weekly.
'He said, "What's more wonderful than hearing 100 people telling you over and over again how great you are?" If he was a movie star, he wouldn't have that, but the reality is that he needed it. He needed his audience. The fact that people loved him was the part of his life that filled the loneliness.'
And because of that, he didn't like being upstaged. When Montgomery, whom he was close friends with, created the character of Serena for 'Bewitched', Samantha's wise-cracking cousin, his insecurities came out again.
'The character of Serena was the same thing because she started getting funnier lines than him. She became her own little character, which Elizabeth invented herself because she didn't want to be the pretty housewife all the time,' Rudolph said,
'She wanted to be a little bit wild with wigs, short skirts and makeup…Serena was a pretty powerful character, which made him insecure.'
Lynde passed away in January 1982 at age 55 from heart disease but his legacy is lasting.
'I still have people writing and telling me how much they loved him, that they think he’s great, and they’re still amazed at what a genius he was with those one-liners that came out of his head on "The Hollywood Squares",' Rudolph said.