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Harry Laverne Anderson (October 14, 1952 – April 16, 2018) was an American actor, comedian and magician. He is best known for his role as Judge Harry Stone on the NBC sitcom Night Court (1984–1992). He later played Dave Barry on the CBS sitcom Dave's World (1993–1997).
In addition to eight appearances on Saturday Night Live between 1981 and 1985, Anderson had a recurring guest role as con man Harry "The Hat" Gittes on Cheers (1982–1993). He toured extensively as a magician, and did several magic/comedy shows for broadcast, including Harry Anderson's Sideshow (1987). He played Richie Tozier in the 1990 miniseries It, based on the Stephen King novel of the same name.
As a magician, Anderson toured extensively and performed in comedy/magic shows for clubs and broadcast, including Harry Anderson's Sideshow in 1987. In 1990, he starred in the television adaptation of Stephen King's It as the adult Richie Tozier. From 1993 to 1997, he starred in the television sitcom Dave's World, based loosely on the life and columns of humorist Dave Barry.
Together with longtime friend Turk Pipkin, Anderson wrote a book called Games You Can't Lose: A Guide for Suckers, a collection of gags, Confidence trick, tricks and scams. First published in 1989 (, 2001 reprint), it also contains a survey of "Games You Can't Win" told from an insider's perspective. He appeared with Criss Angel in a TV special called The Science of Magic, later released on DVD. The Science of Magic. Amazon.com
On July 15, 2000, Anderson hosted the pilot for a potential revival of the classic panel game show What's My Line? You Make The Pilot Call: This... What's My Line? - 2000 Pilot with BRYAN CRANSTON and BETTY WHITE What's My Line? 2000|Pilot 2 Line Cutfeaturing Catherine Bell, Bryan Cranston, Betty White and Al Franken as the four panelists for CBS primetime, but was later turned down in favor of Survivor.
He moved from Pasadena, California, to New Orleans in 2002. In 2002, he and his second wife, Elizabeth, whom he met in New Orleans while she was bartending, opened a small shop in the French Quarter named "Spade & Archer Curiosities by Appointment" (later named "Sideshow"), selling various "magic, curiosities, and apocrypha".
In 2005, Anderson opened a nightclub in the French Quarter, Oswald's Speakeasy, at 1331 Decatur Street at the corner of Esplanade Avenue. He performed a one-man show there called Wise Guy.
Anderson appeared in Hexing a Hurricane, a documentary about the first six months in New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina. He and his wife sold Oswald's Speakeasy in October 2006. He continued to present his evening show Wise Guy, originally developed for his theater in New Orleans.
In November 2008, Anderson played himself on an episode of 30 Rock, along with fellow former Night Court cast members Markie Post and Charles Robinson.
In his final years, Anderson appeared in television comedy series such as Comedy Bang! Bang! (2013) and Gotham Comedy Live (2014). His final film portrayal was as Professor Kaman in the 2014 Christian drama film A Matter of Faith.
Anderson was married twice. In 1977, he married Leslie Pollack (b. 1953); they had two children, a daughter, Eva Fay Anderson, and a son, Dashiell Anderson, before divorcing in 1999. In 2000, he married Elizabeth Morgan (b. 1973). In 2006, Anderson and his wife moved from New Orleans to Asheville, North Carolina.
His body was cremated.
| Uncredited |
| 8 episodes |
| 6 episodes |
| 193 episodes; also occasional director and writer Nominated – Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series (1984–86) |
| Episode: "All a Clone by the Telephone" |
| Short television film |
| 2 episodes |
| TV movie |
| Episode: "Nixon Hawks the Watergate Tapes for $29.99" |
| TV movie (remake) |
| TV movie |
| Miniseries |
| Episode: "Korman's Kalamity" |
| Episode: "Glory Daze" |
| 98 episodes |
| Episode: "Sleepless in a Small Town" |
| Episode: "UFO Mother Show" |
| Episode: "Cosmetic Perjury" |
| TV movie (remake) |
| Episode: "The Family Hour" |
| Episode: "The Magic Show" |
| Episode: "The Long Hot Johnson" |
| Episode: "The One with the Cast of Night Court" |
| Episode: "Rainn Wilson Wears a Short Sleeved Plaid Shirt & Colorful Sneakers" |
| Episode: "Harry Anderson" |
| Voice |
| +Books, magazines, and publications !Year !Title !Info !ISBN !Source | ||||
| 1982 | Wenii: The Intentional Confusers' Magazine | A spoof on the magic magazine Genii: The Conjurers' Magazine | ||
| 1989 | Harry Anderson's Games You Can't Lose: A Guide for Suckers | |||
| 1993 | Harry Anderson: Wise Guy from the Street to the Screen | |||
| 2001 | Games You Can't Lose: A Guide for Suckers |
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