Harry Anderson

Early life

Harry Anderson was born in Newport, Rhode Island. His first exposure to magic began when the Anderson family moved to Chicago. Anderson's father, who was a salesman, would occasionally take him to The Pump Room, the famous restaurant downstairs in the Ambassador East Hotel. There, Anderson discovered wise guys playing card games, hustling and occasionally performing magic tricks. The young Anderson became highly intrigued by the art of conjuring and wanted to learn more about the subject.

During his teen years, he had the opportunity to see legendary magician Harry Blackstone, Sr. perform. Anderson was fascinated by the performance and, in his after school time, would practice his magician skills. Anderson resided during high school in Orange County, California, and Hollywood. He attended Buena Park High School then North Hollywood High School, graduating in 1970 as class valedictorian.

He joined the Dante Magic Club where he met magicians Paul Harris and Paul Green. He also frequented the Magic Castle, where he befriended legendary magician Dai Vernon. At age 17, Anderson decided to move to San Francisco and worked the streets performing magic.

Career

His many appearances on Saturday Night Live led to his role as Harry "The Hat" Gittes on the several seasons of the TV sitcom Cheers and eventually as Judge Harry Stone on another hit television sitcom Night Court. Anderson went on to appear in numerous other TV specials and shows, including 12 appearances on The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson. As a magician, Anderson has since toured extensively and performed many comedy/magic shows for clubs and broadcast, including Harry Anderson's Sideshow in 1987. In 1990, he starred in the television adaptation of Stephen King's It as the adult Richie Tozier. From 1993 to 1997, Anderson starred in the TV sitcom Dave's World, based loosely on the life and columns of humor columnist Dave Barry.

Together with longtime friend Turk Pipkin, Anderson wrote a book called Games You Can't Lose: A Guide for Suckers, a collection of gags, cons, tricks and scams. First published in 1989 (ISBN 978-1-58080-086-0, 2001 reprint), this title also contains a survey of "Games You Can't Win" told from an insider's perspective. He appeared with Criss Angel in a TV special called The Science of Magic, later released on DVD. In November 2008, Anderson played himself on an episode of 30 Rock along with fellow Night Court cast members Markie Post and Charles Robinson.

Anderson kept a nominally low profile after Dave's World was canceled. Tired of L.A.'s glaring spotlight, Anderson moved from Pasadena, California, to New Orleans in 2002. In the 1990s, he and his second wife Elizabeth (whom he met in New Orleans while she was bartending) opened a small shop in the French Quarter named "Sideshow" selling various "magic, curiosities, and apocrypha". In 2005, he opened a nightclub in the French Quarter called "Oswald's Speakeasy", located at 1331 Decatur Street at the corner of Esplanade Avenue. He performed a one-man show there called Wise Guy.

In 2000, Anderson hosted the pilot for a potential revival of the classic panel game show What's My Line?for CBS primetime. However, it was rejected later in favor of the long-running reality show Survivor.

Anderson appears in Hexing a Hurricane, a documentary about the first six months in New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina. He and his wife Elizabeth sold Oswald's Speakeasy in October 2006. Anderson continues to present his evening show Wise Guy, which was originally developed for his theater in New Orleans. Popular Webcomic Homestuck makes several references to Anderson, including a fictional book by Anderson called Wise Guy.

Personal life

A longtime fan of singer Mel Tormé, Anderson's character Judge Stone on Night Court was also and especially a Tormé fan; the singer appeared on the sitcom six times (as himself). Night Court's creator Reinhold Weege has stated the fact that Anderson was also a Tormé fan was completely coincidental. Anderson was among the many people who delivered eulogies at the singer's funeral in 1999.

In August 2006, Anderson and his wife Elizabeth announced their decision to leave New Orleans and move to Asheville, North Carolina.