David Langston Smyrl dead; former 'Sesame Street' actor was 80
Actor David Smyrl, known for his role on "Sesame Street" as Mr. Handford, the retired firefighter who ran Hooper's Store, died Tuesday, March 22, 2016, at age 80. Credit: Western Reserve PBS
David Langston Smyrl, 80, a writer, singer, voice-over artist and actor best known for playing Mr. Langston Handford, owner of Hooper’s Store on TV’s “Sesame Street,” died Tuesday, March 22, of lung cancer at Lankenau Medical Center in Wynnewood, Pennsylvania.
“He was a funny man, a good man, and he always had jokes for you,” said his wife, Cheryl Pajil Smyrl. “He was loved by everyone, and very creative.”
Smyrl grew up in North Philadelphia. He began his career as a coffeehouse poet in the 1960s in Greenwich Village.
Smyrl found his first job in television in New York in the 1970s in a show called “Express Yourself.”
In 1978, he appeared in the Broadway musical “Working,” and then left for California, where he became a writer for the TV sitcom “Benson.” His work on the show earned him a People’s Choice Award.
He then landed a job as a gag writer, audience warm-up man and actor on “The Cosby Show,” for which he played the role of contractor Sam Lucas in five episodes.
Perhaps his best-known role was the genial, singing store owner, Mr. Handford, on “Sesame Street” from 1990 to 1998. He was an eight-time Emmy Award winner for his contributions to children’s TV programming.
Smyrl and his wife lived in Connecticut before returning to the Philadelphia area in 2004. Smyrl volunteered his time to perform in shows at schools, colleges and penal institutions. Besides his wife, he is survived by a stepson, Pancho Scott.
© 2016, The Philadelphia Inquirer. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency.
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