Disney Legend Tim Conway, who starred in such beloved Disney classics as The Apple Dumpling Gang, The Shaggy D.A., Gus, and The Apple Dumpling Gang Rides Again has passed away at the age of 85.
Born Thomas D. Conway on December 15, 1933, in Willoughby, Ohio, he grew up in the curiously named community of Chagrin Falls, which later inspired his unique comedy routines.
In 1962, Tim was snagged to play Ensign Charles Parker on the popular wartime sitcom McHale’s Navy, which lasted six seasons and sailed Tim to television stardom. Other series included Rango, The Tim Conway Show, and The Tim Conway Comedy Hour.
Probably best remembered as a regular on The Carol Burnett Show, Tim received five Emmys® during his 1970s tenure, often playing opposite comedian Harvey Korman—and always delivering hilarious performances. While on the show, Tim created such unforgettable characters as Mr. Tudball and The Oldest Man, and took pride in cracking up co-stars with his antics.
In 1973, Tim first shuffled onto the Disney lot to star in The World’s Greatest Athlete, followed by The Apple Dumpling Gang (1975). In the latter, he and Knotts portrayed the bumbling “Hash Knife Outfit,” a pair of desperadoes destined to be caught. Conway went on to play opposite a football-kicking mule in Disney’s Gus and, later, a football-playing pooch in the studio’s Air Bud: Golden Receiver (1998). “I think there’s a great demand for family films, and now certain actors are associated with films that the whole family can see. Sure, I’m one, and that’s fine with me.”
On the small screen, some of Tim’s most notable Disney and ABC television credits include Walt Disney World Celebrity Circus, Carol & Company, Coach, The Proud Family, and Wizards of Waverly Place, amongst others.
Over a career spanning six decades, Conway was nominated for 13 Emmys® and won six, and further provided generations of viewers with the gift of timeless laughter. “If I can’t surprise myself, I can’t surprise an audience,” he once said.
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