While the 'Batman Returns' star credits Charlie Hauck for kicking start his career, 'Maude' co-creator Norman Lear calls the late TV writer 'a glorious man and friend.'

• Nov 21, 2020

AceShowbiz - Actor Michael Keaton has honored his late pal, TV writer Charlie Hauck, following his death at the age of 79.

The "Valerie" creator passed away on November 14 following complications from pancreatic cancer, and Keaton was among the first to pay tribute to his old friend, who he first met in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.

Crediting Hauck with kickstarting his career by helping him land early roles on his 1970s sitcom "Maude" and 1981 show "The Two of Us", the star states, "Charlie was one of the first people who opened the door for me. I was about a month away from moving to New York, and Charlie said, 'I think you ought to think about Los Angeles.' "

He continues, "And I'll never forget the expression he used. He said, 'It's wide open out here.' I thought, 'Yeah, I'll come out,’ and I never thought I’d stay, and I just never leftIf it wasn't for Charlie, I am not sure I would have had the opportunities or career that I have had."

"People inside and outside the comedy world are really going to miss Charlie. He was gracious, obviously generous, charming, and funny as hell. He was a legitimate, honest-to-goodness wit, and really well-liked and admired in the comedy world."

"Maude" co-creator Norman Lear has also shared his sadness at the loss.

"Nobody made me laugh harder, or more often, than Charlie Hauck," the TV icon said. "He defined 'funny' and was a glorious man and friend."

Hauck, a two-time Emmy nominee, was also a writer on shows like "Frasier", "Home Improvement", "One Day at a Time", and "M*A*S*H", and was known for creating "Valerie", a sitcom starring Valerie Harper.

He also worked with comedienne Carol Burnett on the 1974 TV special "Drink, Drank, Drunk", and co-created "The Associates", starring a young Martin Short.