Gailard Sartain (born September 18, 1946) is an American former actor,
often playing characters with roots in the South. He was a regular on
the country music variety series Hee Haw. He is also known for his
roles in three of the Ernest movies and the TV series Hey Vern, It's
Ernest!, which ran for one season on CBS in 1988. He is also an
accomplished and successful painter and illustrator.Sartain was born
in Tulsa, Oklahoma, the son of a Tulsa fire chief. He attended Cascia
Hall Preparatory School, is a 1963 graduate of Will Rogers High School
in Tulsa and was a member of the Epsilon Mu chapter of the Kappa Sigma
Fraternity at the University of Tulsa, from which he graduated with a
Bachelor of Fine Arts degree. In 1968, Gailard moved to New York City,
where he worked as an assistant to illustrator Paul Davis.Sartain's
entry into entertainment was launched in Tulsa. Working originally as
a cameraman at a local television station, he gained notoriety through
the creation of a late night off-the-wall comedy program entitled The
Uncanny Film Festival and Camp Meeting. Dressed as a wizard, wearing a
dark blue robe and pointed wizard's cap, Sartain hosted the program as
"Dr. Mazeppa Pompazoidi". Other cast members included Texan Gary Busey
and Jim Millaway. The program was broadcast on the Tulsa CBS affiliate
KOTV and later the ABC affiliate KTUL. It featured B-movies, with
skits written and performed by Sartain, Busey and company between the
movie segments.Discovered by a talent scout during his stint as
Mazeppa, Sartain was hired in 1972 as a regular on the television
program Hee Haw. Sartain remained as a regular cast member of the
popular show for nearly 20 seasons. He also served as a regular on
other series including Cher (1975â€"76) and Shields and Yarnell
(1978). Sartain played C.D. Parker for one episode during the pilot
season of Walker, Texas Ranger. He supplied the voice of a social
worker in the pilot episode of the animated series King of the Hill.
Sartain also portrayed an advisor to Louisiana Governor Earl Long
(played by Paul Newman) in the movie Blaze.
often playing characters with roots in the South. He was a regular on
the country music variety series Hee Haw. He is also known for his
roles in three of the Ernest movies and the TV series Hey Vern, It's
Ernest!, which ran for one season on CBS in 1988. He is also an
accomplished and successful painter and illustrator.Sartain was born
in Tulsa, Oklahoma, the son of a Tulsa fire chief. He attended Cascia
Hall Preparatory School, is a 1963 graduate of Will Rogers High School
in Tulsa and was a member of the Epsilon Mu chapter of the Kappa Sigma
Fraternity at the University of Tulsa, from which he graduated with a
Bachelor of Fine Arts degree. In 1968, Gailard moved to New York City,
where he worked as an assistant to illustrator Paul Davis.Sartain's
entry into entertainment was launched in Tulsa. Working originally as
a cameraman at a local television station, he gained notoriety through
the creation of a late night off-the-wall comedy program entitled The
Uncanny Film Festival and Camp Meeting. Dressed as a wizard, wearing a
dark blue robe and pointed wizard's cap, Sartain hosted the program as
"Dr. Mazeppa Pompazoidi". Other cast members included Texan Gary Busey
and Jim Millaway. The program was broadcast on the Tulsa CBS affiliate
KOTV and later the ABC affiliate KTUL. It featured B-movies, with
skits written and performed by Sartain, Busey and company between the
movie segments.Discovered by a talent scout during his stint as
Mazeppa, Sartain was hired in 1972 as a regular on the television
program Hee Haw. Sartain remained as a regular cast member of the
popular show for nearly 20 seasons. He also served as a regular on
other series including Cher (1975â€"76) and Shields and Yarnell
(1978). Sartain played C.D. Parker for one episode during the pilot
season of Walker, Texas Ranger. He supplied the voice of a social
worker in the pilot episode of the animated series King of the Hill.
Sartain also portrayed an advisor to Louisiana Governor Earl Long
(played by Paul Newman) in the movie Blaze.
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