Victor Buono’s movies are remembered for one thing above all: a young actor who played men twice his age with a rich voice, a big frame and a sly sense of humor. His essential films are What Ever Happened to Baby Jane? (1962), which earned him an Academy Award nomination at 24, Hush…Hush, Sweet Charlotte (1964), Robin and the 7 Hoods (1964), The Strangler (1964) and Beneath the Planet of the Apes (1970), while TV fans know him best as King Tut on the 1960s Batman series.
Below is a guide to his most notable film and TV roles, what made each memorable, and a brief, factual look at his life, from his start in San Diego theater to his early death in 1982.
Victor Buono at a glance
| Full name | Charles Victor Buono |
| Born | February 3, 1938, San Diego, California |
| Died | January 1, 1982, Apple Valley, California (age 43) |
| Breakthrough | Edwin Flagg in What Ever Happened to Baby Jane? (1962) |
| Major honor | Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actor |
| Famous TV role | King Tut on Batman (1966 to 1968) |
| Other talents | Comic poetry, recorded on the album Heavy! |
Victor Buono’s movies: the key films
| Year | Film | Role | Why it matters |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1962 | What Ever Happened to Baby Jane? | Edwin Flagg | Oscar-nominated breakthrough opposite Bette Davis and Joan Crawford |
| 1963 | 4 for Texas | Harvey Burden | Comic villain in a Frank Sinatra and Dean Martin Western |
| 1964 | Robin and the 7 Hoods | Deputy Potts | Rat Pack musical comedy |
| 1964 | The Strangler | Leo Kroll | A rare leading role, as a disturbed killer |
| 1964 | Hush…Hush, Sweet Charlotte | Big Sam Hollis | Reunited him with Bette Davis and director Robert Aldrich |
| 1965 | The Greatest Story Ever Told | Sorak | Supporting part in the star-packed biblical epic |
| 1966 | The Silencers | Tung-Tze | Villain in the first Dean Martin Matt Helm spy spoof |
| 1967 | Who’s Minding the Mint? | The Captain | Heist comedy with a large comic ensemble |
| 1970 | Beneath the Planet of the Apes | Adiposo (Fat Man) | Memorable as a leader of the telepathic mutants |
What Ever Happened to Baby Jane? (1962)
Director Robert Aldrich cast Buono as Edwin Flagg, an unemployed pianist who answers a newspaper ad placed by the unstable former child star Jane Hudson (Bette Davis). Edwin lives with his domineering mother and sees Jane’s plans for a comeback as a meal ticket. Buono plays him as greedy, needy and oddly sympathetic, and he holds his own against two screen legends. The role earned him an Oscar nomination for Best Supporting Actor and a Golden Globe nomination, remarkable for an actor in his mid-20s with only a few TV credits behind him.
Hush…Hush, Sweet Charlotte (1964)
Aldrich brought Buono back for this Southern Gothic thriller, again with Bette Davis. He plays Big Sam Hollis, Charlotte’s powerful father, in the film’s 1920s prologue. It is a short but pivotal performance that sets up the mystery driving the rest of the story, and it shows how convincingly he could play authority figures decades older than himself.
The Strangler (1964)
Buono rarely got top billing, which makes this low-budget crime thriller worth seeking out. He plays Leo Kroll, a lab technician dominated by his mother who becomes a serial killer. Released while the Boston Strangler case was in the news, the film is dated in places but gives Buono room to carry a whole story.
Robin and the 7 Hoods and 4 for Texas
These two Rat Pack pictures show his comic side. In 4 for Texas he is a scheming banker, and in Robin and the 7 Hoods, a Prohibition-era musical retelling of Robin Hood, he plays a corrupt deputy. In both, his deadpan delivery lands laughs against stars like Frank Sinatra and Dean Martin.
The Greatest Story Ever Told (1965)
George Stevens’s epic life of Christ is famous for its crowded cast of stars in small parts. Buono appears as Sorak, one of the priestly figures, adding to the film’s gallery of recognizable faces.
The Silencers and Who’s Minding the Mint?
In the mid-1960s Buono became a go-to comic heavy. The Silencers, the first Matt Helm film, parodied the James Bond craze with Buono as a scheming villain. In Who’s Minding the Mint?, a caper comedy about printing money at the US Mint, he plays a blustering boat captain recruited into the scheme.
Beneath the Planet of the Apes (1970)
In the first Planet of the Apes sequel, Buono plays one of the leaders of a hidden society of telepathic human mutants who worship an atomic bomb. It is a strange, memorable film, and he brings a sinister calm to it.
His television legacy
Television gave Buono steady work for two decades, and several of his TV roles are better known today than most of his films.
- Batman (1966 to 1968): As King Tut, a mild-mannered Egyptology professor who becomes a pharaoh-obsessed villain after a blow to the head, Buono gave one of the show’s most gleefully theatrical performances. Fans often rank him among the best of the series’ guest villains.
- The Wild Wild West: He appeared as the magician-villain Count Manzeppi and in other guest roles on the Western spy series.
- Perry Mason and other early 1960s dramas: Guest spots on crime and detective shows helped launch his career.
- Man from Atlantis (1977 to 1978): He played the recurring villain Mr. Schubert.
- Talk and variety shows: He was a popular guest who performed humorous poetry, a talent he also recorded on comedy albums.
Early life and start in theater
Buono was born and raised in San Diego in an Italian-American family. He performed as a young man and became involved with San Diego’s Old Globe Theatre, where he played classical roles, including Shakespeare. A Hollywood talent scout spotted him there, and by the early 1960s he was working in television, which quickly led to the Baby Jane audition. Accounts of his schooling vary, so we have not repeated specific claims we could not confirm.
Screen persona and acting style
Buono’s size and deep, precise voice meant casting directors often saw him as a villain, a bureaucrat or a pompous authority figure, usually much older than he was. What set him apart was wit. He could make a heavy menacing and funny in the same scene, and he rarely played a character without some trace of vulnerability. That combination explains why he worked steadily in both prestige drama and broad comedy.
Death and legacy
Victor Buono died of a heart attack on January 1, 1982, at his home in Apple Valley, California, at age 43. He had worked right up until his final years. His legacy rests on a handful of standout performances, the Oscar-nominated turn in Baby Jane most of all, and on a TV villain that new audiences keep discovering through reruns and streaming. There is no reliable public figure for his personal wealth, and net worth numbers found online for him should be treated as guesses. You might also like Why a Motivational Speaker Adelaide Can Transform Your Personal and Professional Life.
For more looks back at actors and their careers, read our guide to John Stamos movies, or our piece on Paul Walker’s life and legacy.
Where to start with his work
- Must-see: What Ever Happened to Baby Jane?
- For more Bette Davis: Hush…Hush, Sweet Charlotte
- For laughs: Robin and the 7 Hoods and his King Tut episodes of Batman
- For sci-fi fans: Beneath the Planet of the Apes
- For a rare lead: The Strangler
How to watch Victor Buono’s movies today
Availability changes often, so it pays to check a streaming search tool before you buy anything. His biggest studio pictures, such as Baby Jane, Hush…Hush, Sweet Charlotte and Beneath the Planet of the Apes, tend to rotate through subscription services and digital rental stores, and they turn up regularly on classic-movie cable channels. Smaller titles like The Strangler are easier to find on DVD or Blu-ray from boutique labels than on streaming. The 1960s Batman series has been released in full on home video, which is the simplest way to watch all of his King Tut episodes in order. Public libraries are another good source, since many carry classic Hollywood discs and offer free streaming apps with older films.
Frequently asked questions
What is Victor Buono best known for?
He is best known for playing Edwin Flagg in What Ever Happened to Baby Jane? (1962) and the villain King Tut on the 1960s Batman TV series.
Was Victor Buono nominated for an Oscar?
Yes. He received an Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actor for What Ever Happened to Baby Jane?
How did Victor Buono die?
He died of a heart attack on January 1, 1982, in Apple Valley, California, at age 43.
Who did Victor Buono play in Beneath the Planet of the Apes?
He played Adiposo, often credited as Fat Man, one of the leaders of the underground telepathic mutants.
How old was Victor Buono in Baby Jane?
He was about 24 when the film was released in 1962, even though Edwin Flagg is written as an older man.
