Jonathan Winters

Jonathan's father was Jonathan Harshman Winters II, who was at first an insurance agent and then became an investment banker. Of Scottish-English ancestry, bankers were in the family blood (although his grandfather was described as a "frustrated comedian). His parents separated when he was just 7 years old and Jonathan moved with his mother to Springfield Ohio to live with her mother. Feeling alone and isolated, this is when he began to make up characters to entertain himself. The deep loneliness and sadness of this time followed him into adulthood. After serving in WW2 (Marine Corps), Jonathan picked up his education and met his wife, Eileen Schauder. They married on Sept 11, 1948 and remained married until 2009 when she died. They had 2 children. After winning a talent contest early in their marriage (he had lost his watch and the prize was a new watch - he won), his comedy career began. From disc jockey to standup comedian to television to movies, his 6 decade career brought a lot of joy to many people and inspired generations of new comedians. And yet he, himself, said that he suffered from "nervous breakdowns" and bipolar disorder. "These voices are always screaming to get out," Winters told the Fort Worth Star-Telegram. "They follow me around pretty much all day and night."