Ron Carey
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Ron Carey
Biography
The son of a singing waiter, Ron Carey attended Seton Hall University, then embarked on the catch-as-catch-can life of a standup comedian. A huge hit on his first Jack Paar Show appearance, Carey was an enormous flop on his second Paar gig -- the victim, he'd later insist, of overpreparation. After two years away from show business, Carey rebuilt his confidence with nightly appearances at the Improvisation, a New York nightspot which showcased up-and-coming comics. Traveling westward to Hollywood, Carey appeared in dozens of commercials and secured supporting roles on the 1970s TV sitcoms The Corner Bar and The Montefuscos, then played a one-shot role on the last 1975 episode of Barney Miller. Executive producer Danny Arnold decided to use Carey as a Barney Miller regular, and at the beginning of the series' second season, he settled into the role of Levitt, a street cop who aspired to become a plainclothes detective. During his Barney Miller run (which lasted until 1982), Carey became a member of Mel Brooks's movie stock company, appearing in such Brooks yuckfests as Silent Movie (1976), High Anxiety (1977), and History of the World Pt. I (1981). In 1989, Ron Carey starred in the short-lived sitcom Have Faith, playing Father Vincent Paglia -- an ironic turn of events, inasmuch as Carey had once intended to become a priest. ~ Hal Erickson, RoviFilmography:
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Ron Carey
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Ron Carey (actor)
| Ron Carey | |
|---|---|
| Born | Ronald Joseph Cicenia December 11, 1935 Newark, New Jersey |
| Died | January 16, 2007 (aged 71) Los Angeles, California |
Ron Carey (December 11, 1935 – January 16, 2007) was an American film and television actor. The 5-foot 4-inch actor was best known for playing cocky Officer Carl Levitt on TV's Barney Miller, in which he was almost always surrounded by male actors (and sometimes female guest stars) who stood at least 4" taller. The series' stars (Hal Linden, Max Gail, Abe Vigoda, Ron Glass) all stood six feet or more. Carey appeared in the recurring role through almost the entire series.
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Contents
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Life and career
Carey was born Ronald Joseph Cicenia in Newark, New Jersey, the son of Fanny and John Cicenia, and was raised in an Italian American Catholic family. Carey did stand-up comedy in the 1960s, after earning a bachelor's degree in communications from Seton Hall University in 1956. His comedy centered mostly around Catholicism and his childhood of being the undersized but quick-witted kid on the block. His break came in 1966 when he appeared on The Merv Griffin Show and in 1967 he released a comedy album entitled The Slightly Irreverent Comedy of Ron Carey.[1]
From the mid-1970s on, Carey was a member of Mel Brooks' comedy troupe, appearing in featured roles in films such as High Anxiety, Silent Movie, and History of the World, Part I. He also appeared in supporting roles in other films and on television, and was seen in scores of commercials, including some T-shirt ads for Hanes, and an ad for Nabisco's snack cracker Better Cheddars where he sang. He is most remembered for his role as the diligent but somewhat obsequious and passive-aggressive Officer Carl Levitt, which he played from 1976 to 1982 on the TV series Barney Miller.
Carey died of a stroke at a Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles, California in January, 2007. He is survived by his wife of 38 years, Sharon, and his brother, James Cicenia.
Movie and TV quotes
- "I got it, I got it, I got it ... I ain't got it." (from High Anxiety)
- "Only the best gig in town that every stand-up philospher, including Socrates, would die for! ... Believe it or not, you are going to play Caesar's Palace. [Brooks]: "The main room?" [Carey] The main room! [Both]: Groovus!" (from Brooks' History of the World, Part I)
- "I bust my anus to get you a job and you're angry with me? Boy, you are nuts. N-V-T-S nuts!" (from History of the World, Part I)
- "[Barney Miller] What happened, Levitt? [Levitt] I talked it over with a couple of doctors and they said 'forget it'. [Miller] Incurable, huh? [Levitt] Yes sir. Five six and a half, that's it." (from Barney Miller)
Filmography
- The Out-of-Towners (1970)
- The Montefuscos (1975) TV Series
- Silent Movie (1976)
- Barney Miller (1976–1982) TV Series
- High Anxiety (1977)
- Fatso (1980)
- History of the World: Part I (1981)
- Johnny Dangerously (1984)
- Have Faith (1989) TV Series
- Lucky Luke (1991)
- Food for Thought (1999)
References
External links
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Mentioned in
The Hex: Alice (TV Episode)
(1977 Comedy TV Episode)
The Out-of-Towners
(1970 Comedy Film)
The Dicktator
(1974 Adult Film)
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