Posted on 01/06/2018 12:43:49 PM PST by EdnaMode
The younger brother of Dick Van Dyke, the comic actor turned down 'Gilligan's Island' to star on the ill-fated 'My Mother the Car.'
Jerry Van Dyke, the younger brother of Dick Van Dyke who earned four Emmy nominations for playing the befuddled defensive coordinator Luther Van Dam on the ABC comedy Coach, has died, a source close to his family confirmed to The Hollywood Reporter. He was 86.
Van Dyke famously passed up the opportunity to star on Gilligan's Island in favor of toplining the short-lived My Mother the Car, considered one of the worst shows in TV history.
Van Dyke started out as a banjo-playing stand-up comic, and his fun persona throughout his long career was that of a country boy, endearingly earnest and slow-witted.
After working on several TV shows that never stuck, Van Dyke earned supporting actor Emmy nominations in 1990, '91, '92 and '94 for his work as one of Craig T. Nelson's assistants on the staff of the Minnesota State University Screaming Eagles on Coach. The series aired for nine seasons, from 1989 until 1997.
“God knows I tried to make it earlier in life, but with all due respect to myself, nothing I ever did was any good,” Van Dyke told People magazine in a 1993 interview. "I would like to philosophize and say what it was that kept me going, but the truth is, I can't do anything else."
More recently, Van Dyke had a recurring role as Tag Spence, the father of Patricia Heaton's Frankie, on The Middle. Dick appeared as his brother on the ABC sitcom in 2015, and the two often appeared on the small screen together. They also shared the stage for a production of The Sunshine Boys.
(Excerpt) Read more at hollywoodreporter.com ...
He had a quirky and humble way of delivering humor. Something totally missing in today’s entertainment.
The best is during the two-show episode of the Dick Van Dyke show, he is featured
In character, he does a stand up routine. Mary Tyler Moore breaks character to crack up, telling Dick Van Dyke, sitting next to her, “he’s funny”
So what year, make, and model is he coming back as?
RIP Jerry you will be missed!
Before you asked. Ginger.
If you’ve ever seen Jerry Van Dyke’s early career doing stand up and playing the banjo - he was Steve Martin before Steve Martin was Steve Martin! ;)
RIP, Jerry. Thanks for all the laughs.
Very sad. Rest in peace, Mr. Van Dyke.
He looked a lot like his brother.
He looks fantastic.
Best coach episode was when Luther and coach destroyed Christine’s apartment...And it all started with grape juice.....
On an episode of “Coach,” Luther went to a family reunion and complained that he didn’t know anyone there. At precisely that moment, without saying a word, Dick van Dyke walked across the room.
He was on the series Yes Dear.
He did one of his early bits at the end of one show.
He was funny.
Jerry and Dick are from my hometown in Illinois. Also Gene Hackman and Bobby Short - they were friends from our town. We’re proud of them.
Although I am not that old I remember seeing some of Jerry's standup routines. When Steve Martin came on the scene one of the first things I thought was he had ripped off Jerry. Enough years had gone by that, to many people, it was not obvious.
Much later I watched the early Tom Hanks comedy movies and it looked to me as if he was trying to emulate Bill Murray, and doing a very bad job of it.
Great picture! I was born in 1969.
He looked like a nice guy and all, but I didn’t think he was that funny. When he was on Andy Griffith for a few episodes, he stuttered a lot, and Andy had to finish his sentences. That drove me crazy. His roles always seemed the same. But it is sad for his brother and other loved ones. RIP.
He looked like a nice guy and all, but I didn’t think he was that funny. When he was on Andy Griffith for a few episodes, he stuttered a lot, and Andy had to finish his sentences. That drove me crazy. His roles always seemed the same. But it is sad for his brother and other loved ones. RIP.
Rose Marie had connections to Hollywood’s most sought-after gossip and produced some gossip material herself. Her connections to Peter Lawford was more than just social apparently. She, like the Van Dykes, had a long lifetime in the biz.
The last Season 5 Andy Griffith Show episode introduced Jerry as the new deputy. Don Knotts was leaving the show. Jerry chose to do My Mother the Car instead. A terrible mistake, which almost ended his career.
My mom said he was also on it where he played a carnival worker, I think.
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