Trivia

Much of the dialogue between he and close friend Robin Williams on Mork & Mindy (1978) was ad-libbed.

Considered by many to be one of the finest improvisational comics ever.

Suffered from bipolar disorder.

Was voluntarily institutionalized twice in his life (and even made light of it in his stand-up comic act).

Served in the Marines during World War II as gunner on the aircraft carrier Bon Homme Richard in the Pacific.

Spent eight months in hospital in 1959 and 1961 undergoing treatment for bipolar disorder and nervous breakdowns.

When Stanley Kramer offered him a part in It's a Mad Mad Mad Mad World (1963), he almost didn't take it because he had just recovered from a nervous breakdown. His wife talked him into it.

Dropped out of high school to join the Marines.

Winters' career started as a result of a lost wristwatch, about six or seven months after his marriage to Eileen in 1948. The newlyweds couldn't afford to buy another one. Then Eileen read about a talent contest in which the first prize was a wristwatch, and encouraged Jonathan to "go down and win it". She was certain he could, and he did.

An accomplished abstract painter, he created a series of work which was collected into a book titled "Hang Ups".

He was said to have worshiped the work of Stan Laurel, and was very close, in his final years, with an admirer of his own, Richard Lewis.

He made his semi-annual visit to the "Hollywood Collectors & Celebrities Show" for an autograph session and to meet his fans.

Has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame at 6290 Hollywood Blvd.

Wrote a collection of short stories entitled "Winters Tales".

Finished recording his dialogue for The Smurfs 2 (2013) only nine days before his death.

In 2000 he won the Mark Twain Prize for American Humor, presented annually by the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C.

Father, with Eileen Winters, of son Jay Winters and daughter Lucinda Winters.

As of November 2002, he was doing impromptu, free comedy routines the first Sunday of each month during the Ventura County Antique Fair Grounds and in November/December 2002 in San Francisco on the set of Swing (2003), directed by Martin Guigui where he plays the character of Uncle Bill.

He only did one serious role and that was A Game of Pool (1961), a two-character show in which he played "James Howard (Fats) Brown", co-starring with Jack Klugman.

He was of German and British Isles/English ancestry.

In a 1985 television special, named King Kong (1933) as the film that made the biggest impression on him in his youth.

His popular drag character Maude Frickert was inspired both by one of his aunts as well as by character actress Maudie Prickett, who also was billed occasionally as Maude Prickett.

According to the book "Tomorrow I Die", Winters appeared in the short film "Screen Test of Mike Hammer" as a wino. This film also featured Jack Stang and Bettye Ackerman. Stills are found in the aforementioned book.

Made his first appearance on I've Got a Secret (1952) with his mother, Alice Bahman, who was a radio personality in her own right on WIZE in Springfield, OH. The episode, Jonathan Winters (1960), aired on September 28, 1960.

Despite a popular misconception, he was not related to Shelley Winters. Though they both bore a heavy build and even appeared in Alice in Wonderland (1985). Shelley's real surname is Schrift.

The May 2, 1990, issue of Variety announced Jonathan Winters was a cast member of "The Teddy Bear Habit" which began filming Jun 5, 1989, in New York City under the direction of Jon Small. The film was based on the book by James Lincoln Collier. No evidence the film was ever completed or released.

In 1953, he was working at WBNS-TV (channel 10) in Columbus, Ohio.

He was cremated by Neptune Society in Santa Barbara, California.