Buck Henry, Frequent 'SNL' Host, Dies At 89

Buck Henry, who wrote The Graduate and was a beloved host in the early days of Saturday Night Live, has died. He was 89.

According to Deadline, Henry’s family confirmed he died of a heart attack at Cedars-Sinai Health Center in Los Angeles Wednesday night (January 8).

In his lifetime, Henry garnered two Academy Award nominations, including one for co-writing the Dustin Hoffman starrer in 1967 and another for co-directing the 1978 film Heaven Can Wait. At the 1967 Primetime Emmy Awards, he took home the trophy for writing the Mel Brooks-led spy series Get Smart.

Henry was a well-known figure during the beginning years of SNL, having hosted the late-night sketch comedy show 10 times within the show’s first five years. One of his most memorable sketches on the series was “Samurai Stockbroker” alongside John Belushi, who infamously cut Henry in the face during the skit, later writing of the incident in his book, Live From New York, “You wouldn’t believe how much blood from a forehead was on that floor.”

Among the score of big-screen writing credits Henry leaves behind in his passing included What’s Up, Doc?, Catch-22, The Owl and the Pussycat, The Day of the Dolphin, Town & Country and more.

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