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Victor Buono

Victor Buono caught the acting bug early in high school, appearing in school-play productions of "Hamlet" and "The Barretts of Wimpole Street" to much acclaim. By the time he was 18 he was studying at the Globe Theater in San Diego. Because of his imposing girth, Buono could easily depict larger-than-life villains, but his quick wit and easygoing manner allowed him to play comedic roles as well. In television, his most notable work was as the nefarious Count Manzeppi on the rollicking Western show "The Wild Wild West" and as the wicked King Tut on the campy "Batman" television series of the 1960s. Buono also became a mainstay on late night television talk shows, particularly "The Tonight Show" with Johnny Carson. His film work was varied, including twisted thrillers such as "What Ever Happened to Baby Jane?" and "Hush... Hush, Sweet Charlotte" (both directed by Robert Aldrich), "The Strangler" (loosely based on the Boston Strangler case), the Rat Pack-infested "Robin and the 7 Hoods," and "Beneath the Planet of the Apes." Victor Buono died of a heart attack in 1982.