Gailard Sartain, the beloved character actor who spent two decades entertaining audiences on the country variety show “Hee Haw” and appeared in numerous films, including “Mississippi Burning” and “The Outsiders,” died Thursday, June 19, at his home in Tulsa, Oklahoma. He was 81.
Sartain’s wife of 36 years, Mary Jo Sartain, confirmed to The Hollywood Reporter that the actor died of natural causes at his home in his native Tulsa. In a nod to her husband’s comedic spirit, she noted that “actually, he died of silliness.”
Born Gailard Sartain Jr. on September 18, 1943, in Tulsa, the son of a fire chief began his entertainment career as a cameraman at local television station KOTV. He created and hosted the late-night show “The Uncanny Film Festival and Camp Meeting,” where he portrayed the wacky wizard Dr. Mazeppa Pompazoidi. The program featured comedy skits interspersed with old B-movies and ran for three years.
In 1972, Sartain joined the cast of the syndicated country variety show “Hee Haw” and remained with the program for approximately two decades. He portrayed memorable characters including Orville the cook at Lulu’s Truck Stop and the inept clerk Maynard at Gordie’s General Store. He also appeared on the 1978-79 spinoff “Hee Haw Honeys” alongside Kathie Lee Gifford, Misty Rowe and Lulu Roman, playing Willie Billy Honey.
Sartain’s film career began with a scene at a lunch counter with Keenan Wynn in Robert Altman’s “Nashville” in 1975. His first significant film role came in 1978 when he portrayed musician-DJ Jerry “The Big Bopper” Richardson in “The Buddy Holly Story,” starring Gary Busey. This role marked his transition from television comedy to more substantial film work.
The actor developed a particularly strong working relationship with director Alan Rudolph, appearing in nine of his films between 1980 and 1992. These collaborations included “Roadie,” “Endangered Species,” “Choose Me,” “Songwriter,” “Trouble in Mind,” “Made in Heaven,” “The Moderns,” “Love at Large” and “Equinox.” Sartain appreciated working with Rudolph because the director would allow him creative freedom to develop character accents and mannerisms.
Sartain also worked with several renowned directors throughout his career. He appeared in Carl Reiner’s “The Jerk” in 1979 and “All of Me” in 1984, Francis Ford Coppola’s “The Outsiders” in 1983, Stephen Frears’ “The Grifters” in 1990, Jon Avnet’s “Fried Green Tomatoes” in 1991, and Michael Mann’s “Ali” in 2001.
One of his most memorable dramatic roles came in Alan Parker’s “Mississippi Burning” in 1988, where he portrayed a menacing racist sheriff. Sartain considered this role pivotal in his career, as it helped him break away from being typecast as a comedic character. He told the Tulsa World newspaper in 2017 that nobody likes to be typecast as a barefooted hillbilly, and when he had the opportunity to take on other roles, he embraced them.
The actor became well-known to family audiences through his appearances in three “Ernest” films alongside Jim Varney. He played a chef in “Ernest Goes to Camp” in 1987, then teamed with Bill Byrge to portray airport workers in “Ernest Saves Christmas” in 1988 and clueless bank security guards in “Ernest Goes to Jail” in 1990. He also appeared on the 1988 Saturday morning CBS children’s show “Hey, Vern, It’s Ernest!” portraying Chuck opposite Byrge’s Bobby in a brother comedy act.
Sartain’s extensive filmography included roles in “The Hollywood Knights,” “The Big Easy,” “Guilty by Suspicion,” “Stop! Or My Mom Will Shoot,” “Getting Even With Dad,” “The Replacements,” “The Patriot,” and “Elizabethtown” in 2005, after which he retired from acting.
Beyond acting, Sartain was also a talented illustrator. After graduating from Will Rogers High School and the University of Tulsa, he moved to New York in 1968 and worked as an assistant to illustrator Paul Davis, whose work appeared in The New Yorker, The New York Times and Playboy. He also created the album cover for musician Leon Russell’s 1975 album “Will O’ the Wisp.”
During the early 1980s, Sartain starred alongside Bill Byrge in commercials for the Nashville advertising agency Carden and Cherry, which also produced spots featuring Jim Varney as Ernest. In these commercials, they played twin brothers who looked nothing alike, with the burly Chuck being a loudmouth while the slim Bobby never spoke.
Sartain is survived by his wife Mary Jo, whom he married on New Year’s Eve in 1988, their children Sarah, Esther and Ben, granddaughter Chloe, and great-grandson Teddy. The actor reflected in his 2017 interview that he came away from his career with wonderful memories of working with special people, noting that he was always a fan first and part of the fascination for him was not only the material and work, but who was going to be there.
