Tony Randall: A Life Of Love, Laughter, And Legacy

A Heartfelt Tribute to Tony Randall

Let me tell you a story about Tony Randall, a man who truly lived life to its fullest. Recently, his widow, Heather Randall, had some home movies digitized, capturing precious moments with her late husband. In one unforgettable clip from 1997, Tony serenades his daughter, Julia, backstage at the Broadway revival of The Sunshine Boys. He was starring alongside his long-time friend and co-star from The Odd Couple, Jack Klugman. As Tony sang, the music paused, and the audience applauded. Tony turned to Julia and said, “Hear that, honey? That’s for Jack! Jack just entered the stage.” Heather shares this tender moment with Closer, saying, “It was just so sweet.”

Tony Randall wasn’t just an actor; he was a man who embraced every role life threw his way. In his later years, he returned to his passions—performing on stage, attending the opera, and giving back to charity. But perhaps the most significant role he ever took on was that of a father. At the age of 70, Tony became a dad for the first time, welcoming Julia and later her brother, Jefferson. “He was such a loving, excited father,” Heather recalls. “He knew he wouldn’t be around for a long time, so he made me take lots and lots of videos. He wanted to ensure his children would have memories of him forever.”

A Life of Passion and Purpose

Heather first met Tony when she was an actress with the National Actors Theatre, a company he founded in 1991. Before they married, Tony had been happily married to his high school sweetheart, Florence Gibbs, for over 50 years. Heather remembers him as a kind, funny, and generous man. “He had a way of making me feel safe,” she says. “He even taught me how to tell a joke. He believed in sharing laughter and joy with everyone around him.”

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Tony also believed in using his celebrity status for good. “He understood that his fame could help charities raise more money or gain more attention,” Heather explains. “He would do things like read to the blind, believing that if you were in a position to help, you must. But he didn’t do it for recognition. He just quietly went about making the world a better place.”

A Life of Glamour and Giggles

Life with Tony wasn’t just about charity and the arts; it was also filled with glamour and laughter. Before finding fame as Felix Unger on The Odd Couple, Tony spent over a decade in Hollywood. His love for the opera was well-known, and he attended almost weekly performances. Even his appearances on David Letterman’s talk show turned into date nights with Heather. “The day player rate was around $800, and they’d let him keep the car for the night,” Heather recalls fondly. “He’d say, ‘Come with me, I’ll do my bit, and then we’ll take the car to Le Cirque’—the hottest restaurant at the time. My fee pays for the dinner, so it’s a night on the town.”

After Tony’s passing in 2004 at the age of 84 from pneumonia following a triple bypass, Heather worked hard to keep the house a happy place for her children. “I didn’t want to make the house a shrine and keep the pain so present,” she says. But she made sure to share stories about their father with Julia and Jefferson. “Jack Klugman and [Odd Couple creator] Garry Marshall were very much a part of our lives,” she adds. “They would tell the kids the nicest stories about their dad, keeping his memory alive in the most loving way.”

Today, Heather is working on a documentary about her life with Tony. “Nobody could hold a candle to him,” she confides. “He was such a wonderful human being.”

Sometimes, Heather sees glimpses of Tony in their son. “He does stand-up comedy,” she says with pride. “Sometimes, he’ll get the same intense comic look in his eyes—like the way Felix would look when he thought it was a matter of life and death. Sometimes he is just so much like his dad.”

Reporting by Fortune Benatar

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