John Goodman names the greatest comedy actor of all time: “We laughed so hard”
Somebody’s favourite something, whether it’s a sports team, band, song, movie, or TV show, is often tied to a cherished memory. Those associations only strengthen that bond, and John Goodman laughed so much at one actor and comedian’s performances that it ended up shaping his entire career.
It goes without saying that Goodman is no slouch in the comedic department, and he’s been showcasing those chops for years. From Golden Globe-winning tenure on Roseanne to his scene-stealing stint on The Righteous Gemstones, the actor has been making audiences bust a gut for well over three decades.
Some of his greatest comic moments have come under the direction of the Coen brothers, ranging from Raising Arizona‘s Gale Snoats to The Big Lebowski‘s Walter Sobchak, via Barton Fink‘s Charlie Meadows. There aren’t many genres that he can’t handle, but Goodman has always thrived in the comedy arena.
As mentioned, much of that is tied to some formative memories, especially those he shared with his older brother, Leslie. Some comedians don’t get the credit they deserve until after they passed away, and since his death in 1962, Ernie Kovacs has joined the club of performers who’ve posthumously enhanced their legacy.
His experimental, anarchic, and off-the-cuff style broke new ground in the 1950s, and he made such a lasting impact that he’s been credited as an influence on everyone and everything from Johnny Carson, the Muppets, and Sesame Street, to Andy Kaufman, virtually every late-night host in America, and even Chevy Chase, who seems like a guy who experiences physical pain when he says nice things about anyone.
And yet, the ex-SNL tyrant and well-known dickhead praised Kovacs, saying that “he knew there was an intrinsic magic about television itself that should be explored,” calling him a pioneer who “chose to break precedents whenever possible.” For Goodman, it pushed him in the direction of indulging his comedic side.
“When I was young, I watched Ernie Kovacs with my brother,” he told Inquirer. “It was always nice to listen to my brother laugh. I used to read religiously a magazine called MAD and later on, National Lampoon. Laughter makes me feel better than almost anything. It sure gets you through a lot. But I love to laugh almost more than anything else. At an early age, I used to be able to do imitations and do just anything. I think it was just a naked need for attention in school.”
Further reflecting on Kovac’s influence, Goodman recalled that when he and his brother watched him, “We’d just cry, we laughed so hard.” The actor’s own style has always been more measured than unrestrained, but the uniqueness of the way the small-screen staple conducted and carried himself made a lasting mark.
His half-hour specials, which Goodman remembered as “legitimately funny” and “surreal, trippy” showcases for Kovac’s talents remain etched in his mind: “I always dug that.” That’s not to say he was solely responsible for nudging the veteran character man into the genre that made him a household name, but he definitely helped.
