Howard Jerome Morris, also known as Howie, was born on September 4, 1919, in The Bronx, New York, to a Jewish family. He was a short and quick-witted comedian who made a name for himself in the "Golden Age" of television.
Classically trained on the Shakespearean stage, Morris's career took a different turn after he met Carl Reiner in a radio workshop. He served in World War II, where he and Reiner entertained troops together, and after the war, they appeared in a road company of the stage musical "Call Me Mister" in 1946.
Morris went on to have a successful career in television, appearing in the classic sketch show "Your Show of Shows" and its successor "Caesar's Hour," starring Sid Caesar and Imogene Coca. He also appeared on Broadway in productions such as "Hamlet" and "Gentlemen Prefer Blondes."
In the 1960s, Morris began to focus on his work in animation, providing hundreds of voices for cartoons such as "The Flintstones," "The Jetsons," and "Sabrina the Teenage Witch." He also appeared in various films, including "Boys' Night Out," "The Nutty Professor," and "High Anxiety."
In addition to his work in front of the camera, Morris also directed several films, including "Who's Minding the Mint?" and "Don't Drink the Water." He continued to work in television and film throughout his career, and was also a prolific commercial director.
Morris was married five times and had four children. He suffered from poor health in his later years and died of congestive heart failure on May 21, 2005, at the age of 84. He was buried at Hillside Memorial Park in Los Angeles.
