Free Paul Lynde - A Biography by Cathy Rudolph Page A

Nothing more came his way, and the actor worried again. He wished he had someone special in his life that he could talk to about it. He began to eat less and lost almost thirty pounds, hoping this would help his career and his non-existent love life.
    Paul had been sure New Faces would have his name up in lights by now. He was sick of waiting by the phone for offers that never came. He met up with some of his actor friends from summer stock for drinks one night. One of the guys told him he had found an agent and was being set up for an audition. Paul listened, swallowing the last of his drink, and began showcasing his wit. His friends were laughing, having a good time, when another friend joined them announcing his new gig. Paul could not figure out how these guys, some of whom did not even go to school for acting, were landing roles before he was. As the night went on and more drinks were poured, his sarcasm became mean and personal. His friends were taken aback; they couldn’t figure out what came over him.
    The next afternoon, when Paul woke up in his apartment, he thought about how he had originally given himself five years to become rich and famous, and now nearly ten years had gone by. He was frustrated, and, just like the two-year-old boy who was taken away from his mother and had to compete for attention, he couldn’t cope anymore. He missed his mom and Cordy, his brother, and was almost glad that his father was not around to see his failure. He thought about Marilyn. His torment escalated from an internalized tantrum to a dark, descending doom. Even Carl Canker couldn’t laugh this one off.
    Though he felt terribly down, Paul pushed himself to show up at a party that week. His friends were talking to him, but he couldn’t concentrate. During dinner, he excused himself to leave. His friend, Alice Pearce, pulled him aside and asked him what was troubling him. He told her he was thinking of ending his life. She understood his pain; she had felt lost and alone after her husband died. She told him how she had benefitted from therapy and urged Paul to get into counseling. He was so desperate; he agreed to make an appointment. When his therapist introduced herself, Paul recoiled; her name was Sylvia, the same as his mother’s. She spoke gently and persuaded him to let her help.
    At a time when seeing a shrink was not very in, Paul was open about it — even to the press. He talked about his therapist Sylvia, by name, and said, “She saved my life.” His phone was ringing a lot. His friends were calling to make sure he was okay. For once, he didn’t seem too disappointed that these calls could be tying up his line for the call that he never gave up on. The one that would lead him to that big role that would make him famous. He had just hung up from talking to Alice, when the phone rang again. He picked up the phone and this time, on the other end, was a little birdie… one that would fly him right to the top.

Paul with his two basset hounds, Orville and Wilbur. Courtesy of Connie Rice and Nancy Noce

Chapter 5
Bye Bye Birdie, Hello Paul Lynde

    “An actor should never undergo psychoanalysis.”
    Paul Lynde

    “I just need to be working.” Paul said to his therapist. Sylvia nodded, she was relieved the distressed man who entered her office just weeks before was no longer thinking about suicide. Paul lit a cigarette, as he told her how he tried to be a serious actor at Northwestern, but when he recited Cyrano de Bergerac “the class laughed so hard that I was typecast into comedic roles.” He was sure he just needed the right part and he’d be successful.
    Sylvia asked him about his childhood and teen years. He admitted he was made fun of by the kids at school, even his brothers. He explained he weighed 260 pounds when he entered high school. They talked about how his mother over indulged him with food and how food played a role in his life. As their sessions continued, Paul talked about his stage fright and