Phil Silvers (born Philip Silver/Silversmith; May 11, 1911 – November 1, 1985) was an American comedian, actor and entertainer, mostly known for his 1950s sitcom The Phil Silvers Show, which was his Star-Making Role on television. In the meantime, he continued to perform on stage and in films, getting nominations for Tony Awards three times and winning two of them, as well as guest appearances on sketch comedies throughout his career.
He also made notable appearances in such films as It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World and Carry On in the Legion, and on TV shows like The Beverly Hillbillies and Happy Days. He was the comic star of the Broadway musicals High Button Shoes (1947), Top Banana (1951), Do Re Mi (1960) and A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum (the 1972 revival); he also had a supporting role in the 1966 film version of the latter.
Silvers married model Jo-Carroll Dennison in 1945 and divorced her five years later. Then he married Evelyn Patrick in 1956, fathering her five children before they divorced in 1966.
In spite of his fame, Silvers dealt with numerous health problems. He became a gambling addict and suffered from depression, which held him back with casting roles; had a stroke, which left him with a speech impediment; and developed cataracts requiring eye surgery. His health condition continued to deteriorate in his later years, and he died in his sleep in 1985 at age 74, leaving behind a legacy of comedy and laughing audiences.
Works he appeared in with TV Tropes pages:
- All Through the Night (1942) — Waiter
- Cover Girl (1944) — Genius
- It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World (1963) — Otto Meyer
- A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum (1966) — Marcus Lycus
- Follow That Camel (1967) — Sergeant Ernie Nocker
- The Strongest Man in the World (1975) — Kirwood Krinkle
- The Cheap Detective (1978) — Hoppy
- The Phil Silvers Show (1955-59) — Master Sergeant Ernest G. Bilko/Major Joshua Bilko/Herbert Penfield III/Felix Bilko
- Gilligan's Island (1966) — Harold Hecuba
- The Lucy Show (1966) — Oliver Kasten
- The Beverly Hillbillies (1969-70) — Honest John
- Rowan and Martin's Laugh-In (1970) — Guest Performer
- Julia (1971) — Captain Biestoff
- Kolchak: The Night Stalker (1974) — Harry Starman
- SWAT (1975) — Russ Baker
- Charlie's Angels (1977) — Max Brown
- The Love Boat (1977) — Morris Beckman/Merrill Stubing Sr.
- Fantasy Island (1978) — Charlie Parks
- Happy Days (1981) — Roscoe Piccalo
- CHiPs (1983) — Herman Hinton
Tropes in his work:
- Alter-Ego Acting: Silvers' only identity as a comedian was Sgt. Bilko from The Phil Silvers Show, which was the only time that he ever made jokes. In the rest of his career, he wasn't as comedic.
- All Jews Are Ashkenazi: His family were of Russian-Jewish descent.
- And Starring: He gained this credit a few times in his career. It was much notable in his appearance in Carry On in the Legion in the British Carry On film series because the production company hoped to get more profit because of his status.
- Purely Aesthetic Glasses: Even after he got eye surgery and his vision improved, he wore his glasses with the lenses removed because they were his trademark.
- Sad Clown
