R.I.P. Jonathan Winters!

Welcome to My Cyndi's Secrets™

Embrace a joy of life -.Joie de vivre
Be the Personal Best YOU Can Be! Ooo la la!

Shhhh! My Cyndi's Secrets!

My Dear Friends,

Last week Friday morning I got a call that my friend and fellow talent Jonathan Winters had passed away on Thursday night April 11th. He was 87 years old and by all accounts had lived a full life. Yet I was deeply saddened by the loss. In fact, I wanted to write to you immediately but somehow just couldn’t do it. Then after the news of yesterday’s horrific incident at the Boston Marathon, I felt compelled to share some JOY about a man who could make us laugh no matter what was going on in our lives and in spite of anything that might have been troubling in his own world. I learned a lot from Jonathan but then many people were touched by him. He is after all credited with helping the careers of Robin Williams, Bonnie Hunt and numerous other comedians.

I could go on telling you about Jonathans amazing career including all the movies, TV shows and the multitude of characters that he played. He is best remembered for his role in It’s A Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World, and as the voice of Papa Smurf in The Smurfs. We loved the characters he created from the prissy schoolmarm and the redneck ballplayer to my favorite that he named, Maude Frickert. She was the wild granny he performed who was a cross between Norman Bates mother and Whistler’s mother. We loved his rubbery face and quick spontaneous wit. Now if you need more information about Jonathan’s bio you can get plenty in the mainstream coverage of his passing.  In fact, here is a link from the LA Times about Jonathan. He deserves all the accolades the media is giving him. He was awesome!

However, I wanted to share my own personal memory of Jonathan Winters with you. We met when he saw me performing at an awards show at the famous Friars Club in Beverly Hills California. I was on the stage doing an act with Gary Owens (Laugh-In) that required me to do my Betty Boop and Marilyn Monroe impersonations. Yes – I do a fun “boop – boop a doop!” along with a breathy “Happy Birthday Mr. President”! LOL! It meant a lot to know that Jonathan took notice and believed in me. Needless to say I was flattered when I was asked to be a guest voice for a commercial for a comedy CD starring Jonathan Winters and Gary Owens. I played Jonathan’s presidential running mate.

Below is a photo from the recording studio with from left to right: Jonathan Winters, Me, Rich Little and Gary Owens.  Needless to say, I had a blast!

Below is a classic scene and one of my favorites from It’s A Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World. It occurs at the gas station and features along with Jonathan Winters; Phil Silvers, Arnold Stang and Marvin Kaplan. This will leave you in stitches. Click the link:

As a side note, I recently also met and interviewed Marvin Kaplan who also played a role In It’s A Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World  and is in the gas station scene with Jonathan in the above video clip. Marvin’s voice also starred in the animated cartoon Top Cat. Click my interview below and discover Marvin’s secret to longevity. Shhhh!

One of Jonathan’s closest friends is the beautiful Bonnie Hunt. She is a brilliant comedienne. In early November I interviewed Bonnie.  Click the video link for her reflections at that time on Jonathan.

In my experience, when Jonathan was off the camera he could be very serious and you couldn’t help but wonder, “What was going on in his mind”? I can vividly remember standing in the green room at the Tonight Show with Jay Leno just moments “before” Jonathan walked onto the set for one of his last Tonight Show appearances. Jonathan was still and quiet. However, once the camera was on – he lit up the screen and was “ON”! Wow! EVERYBODY loved him. Nobody has ever been as great at spontaneous, quick and off the cuff humor as Jonathan Winters. His characters came alive in an instant and you never knew what was going to happen. That was part of his brilliance. That night after the show, a group of us including Gary Owens, Jonathan’s son Jay and a few other friends went out for a quick bite at the Marie Calendar’s restaurant in Burbank, California. Jonathan sat at the head of the table and hardly talked. I’m sure he was coming down from the high of his appearance and basically was comfortable enough to just be himself – a kind loving human being. He noticed me looking at him and suddenly lifted his big bushy eye brows up and down as he rolled his eyes in the most comedic, playful and fun way that I can’t help but giggle now as I think of it. Nobody noticed but Jonathan and me. It was “my” moment with Jonathan Winters! He sure made me laugh and smile. Well dear Jonathan Winters you made a lot of us smile and laugh till it hurt. You may be gone from this world but the JOY you have given all of us lives on forever. R.I.P. Jonathan Winters!

 And until next time – Strut your stuff on the red carpet of life! Shhhh!

Life is too short so I say – InJOY!

Love ya,

Cyndi Targosz 

Subscribe to FREE My Cyndi’s Secrets!™

Click here to follow me on Facebook

Follow me on Twitter

Subscribe to Cyndi Targosz Youtube channel

You can also Cyndi Chat: If you need private phone consultation to work on more specific and individualized goals I am now offering some of the same services that I give to my celebrity clients. 

Copyright  2013 STARGLOW Productions, Inc.