Mort Sahl Height, Weight, Age, Wife, Biography

Mort Sahl Height, Weight, Age, Wife, Biography

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Mort Sahl Quick Info
Height 5 ft 8 in
Weight 67 kg
Date of Birth May 11, 1927
Zodiac Sign Taurus
Date of Death October 26, 2021

Mort Sahl was a Canadian-born American comedian, actor, and social satirist who is regarded as the first modern comedian. According to Steve Allen, Sahl was “the only real political philosopher we have in modern comedy”. Mort Sahl was also a part of various films such as In Love and War, All the Young Men, Johnny Cool, Doctor, You’ve Got to Be Kidding!, Don’t Make Waves, Nothing Lasts Forever, Inside the Third Reich, and Max Rose.

Born Name

Morton Lyon Sahl

Nick Name

Mort

Mort Sahl as seen in a publicity photo in 1960Mort Sahl as seen in a publicity photo in 1960 (NBC Television / eBay / Public Domain)

Age

He was born on May 11, 1927.

Died

On October 26, 2021, he died of natural causes at the age of 94 at his home in Mill Valley, Marin County, California, United States.

Sun Sign

Taurus

Born Place

Montreal, Quebec, Canada

Residence

He resided in Mill Valley, Marin County, California, United States.

Nationality

Canadian

 

Education

Mort Sahl studied at Belmont High School, a public high school located in Los Angeles, California. During his time there, he wrote for the school’s newspaper.

Afterward, he got enrolled at Compton College. He then attended the University of Southern California and earned a B.S. degree with majors in traffic engineering and city management in 1950. Later on, he continued to pursue a master’s degree but eventually dropped out.

Occupation

Comedian, Actor, Social Satirist

Family

  • Father – Harry Sahl (Owned a tobacco store in Montreal, Worked as a clerk and court reporter for the FBI)
  • Mother – Dorothy (Schwartz)
  • Siblings – He was an only child.

Medium

Stand-up, Television

Genre

Political Satire, Improvisational Comedy

Subjects

American Politics, American Culture

Build

Slim

Mort Sahl (Left) and Ed Sullivan from an Ed Sullivan television special 'See America With Ed Sullivan' in 1960Mort Sahl (Left) and Ed Sullivan from an Ed Sullivan television special ‘See America With Ed Sullivan’ in 1960 (CBS Television / eBay / Public Domain)

Height

5 ft 8 in or 173 cm

Weight

67 kg or 147.5 lbs

Girlfriend / Spouse

Mort Sahl dated –

  • Tippi Hedren – He was romantically involved with American actor and fashion model Tippi Hedren in the early 1960s.
  • Phyllis Kirk – He once dated American actor Phyllis Kirk.
  • Gloria Steinem – Mort Sahl also dated American journalist and social-political activist Gloria Steinem.
  • Dyan Cannon – He was in a romantic relationship with American actor, filmmaker, and editor Dyan Cannon.
  • Sue Babior (1955-1958)​ – Mort Sahl got married to his first wife Sue Babior in the year 1955 but the marriage soon ended in divorce in 1958.
  • Yvonne Craig (1962-1967) – In September 1962, he started going out with American actor Yvonne Craig. After dating for several years, the couple decided to part ways in November 1967.
  • China Lee (1967-1991)​ – He tied the knot with American actor and model China Lee in 1967 and they were blessed with a son named Mort Sahl Jr. The couple divorced in 1991. Their son died at the age of 19 from an unknown drug-related reaction in 1996.
  • Kenslea Ann Motter (1997-2009) – Mort Sahl’s 3rd wife was Kenslea Ann Motter whom he married in 1997. They divorced in 2009. He reportedly regretted the end of their marriage and said, “I’m sorry I divorced Kenslea; I’m still in love with my wife. If you love a woman it’ll make her a better woman.”

    • Race / Ethnicity

    White

    Hair Color

    Salt and Pepper

    Eye Color

    Blue

    Sexual Orientation

    Straight

    Distinctive Features

    Deep-set eyes

    Religion

    He was raised in a Jewish household.

    Mort Sahl as seen while performing at the Throckmorton Theater in Mill Valley, CA on April 28, 2016Mort Sahl as seen while performing at the Throckmorton Theater in Mill Valley, CA on April 28, 2016 (Mattsjc / Wikimedia / CC BY-SA 4.0 DEED)

    Mort Sahl Facts

  • His father aspired to become a playwright and a Hollywood writer but was unable to achieve his dreams. Sahl later noted, “My dad was disappointed in his dreams and he distrusted that world for me.”
  • One of Sahl’s classmates at Belmont High School was actor Richard Crenna.
  • In 1958, he made his theatrical film debut as Danny Krieger in In Love and War.
  • He achieved the feat of becoming the first comedian to be featured in a Time cover story in 1960.
  • Mort Sahl’s autobiography titled Heartland was published in 1976.
  • One of his friends was the late comedian and actor Robin Williams.
  • He has inspired several artists including Lenny Bruce, Jonathan Winters, George Carlin, Richard Pryor, Lewis Black, and Woody Allen.

    • Featured Image by NBC Television / eBay / Public Domain

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