Art Carney dies

Nov 12, 2003 by Ian Evans

Art Carney, an Oscar® and Emmy winner best loved- for his role of Ed Norton on The Honeymooners, has died just five days past his 85th birthday. Carney found out just last month that he was to be inducted into the Television Academy’s Hall of Fame.

His career dated back to the 1930s and took him through Broadway, radio and television. He won most of his seven Emmys for playing opposite Jackie Gleason as sewer worker Ed Norton. Another Emmy came in 1984 for the TV movie Terrible Joe Moran. In 1974, Carney took home the Best Actor Oscar® for Harry and Tonto, beating out the likes of Jack Nicholson, Al Pacino and Dustin Hoffman. He also originated the role of Felix Unger in Broadway’s The Odd Couple, but was battling alcoholism and left the show. The role and its later film version went to Jack Lemmon. He returned to Broadway in 1969 with the play Lovers, a role that won him a Tony.