Famous New York comedian, actor and children's TV show host Chuck McCann dies at 83
New York comedian and actor Chuck McCann, who is famous for coining the popular phrase "I'm cuckoo for Cocoa Puffs!" has died at the age of 83, according to reports. As per the reports provided by his publicist Edward Lozzi, McCann died Sunday of congestive heart failure in a Los Angeles hospital, says the Hollywood Reporter.
The Brooklyn-born comedian began his showbiz career with “The Puppet Hotel,” which was a Saturday morning show in Newark, in 1959 before moving to WPIX in 1963 to host the daily “Chuck McCann Show.” McCann moved to Los Angeles in the 1970s and made guest appearances on shows including "Little House on the Prairie," "Bonanza" and "Columbo." He then donned the hats for an animation acting career, in which he voiced Mayor Grafton on "The Garfield Show" and reprised Duckworth in "DuckTales: Remastered."
"I did everything," McCann told TVParty in a 2007 interview. "I never closed doors. If you look at my career — if I had one — I never think of it as a career, I just look at it as things I love to do. I have just as much fun doing a 30-second commercial as I do making a movie."
His television career also included recurring roles on Santa Barbara, Knots Landing, and Boston Legal. He also had guest-starring roles on iconic shows such as The Bob Newhart Show, Kojak, Starsky & Hutch, The Rockford Files, One Day at a Time, St. Elsewhere, Different Strokes, Sabrina the Teenage Witch and Mad About You.
The beloved children’s TV show host, comedian, puppeteer, actor, and voiceover artist is survived by his wife Elizabeth Fanning, and two daughters. He also has three children from a previous marriage.