UPDATE | Veteran comedian Tim Conway dies at 85

NEW YORK (AP) — Tim Conway, the impish second banana to Carol Burnett who won four Emmy Awards on her TV variety show, starred aboard "McHale's Navy" and later voiced the role of Barnacle Boy for "Spongebob Squarepants," has died. He was 85.

Conway died this morning in a Los Angeles care facility after a long illness, according to Howard Bragman, who heads LaBrea Media. Conway's wife, Charlene Fusco, and a daughter, Jackie, were at his side.

Born in Willoughby, Ohio, a Cleveland suburb, Conway credited his Midwestern roots for putting him on the right path to laughs, with his deadpan expression and innocent, simple-minded demeanor.

"I think the Midwest is the heart of comedy in this country, and a little bit of the South, too," he told the Wisconsin State Journal in 2005. "For some reason, we're just more laid-back, more understanding. ... And Midwesterners have a kinder sense of humor."

Those qualities probably contributed to his wide popularity on "The Carol Burnett Show," which he joined in 1975 after years as a frequent guest. The show aired on CBS from 1967 to 1978 and had a short summer stint on ABC in 1979.

"We really didn't attack people or politics or religion or whatever. We just made fun of, basically, ourselves," he said.

The show operated with just five writers, one producer, one director and without network interference. The ensemble cast surrounding the redheaded star included Vicki Lawrence and Lyle Waggoner.

"I don't think the network would allow a show like 'The Carol Burnett Show' now because we had such freedom," Conway said in his interview with the State Journal.

While America was laughing at Conway, so were his co-stars: Burnett and Harvey Korman were often caught by the camera trying not to crack up during his performances.

The short, nondescript Conway and the tall, imposing Korman were a physical mismatch made in comedy heaven. They toured the country for years with a sketch show called "Together Again," which drew on characters from Burnett's show.

Besides the four Emmys he won with Burnett (three as a performer, one as a writer), he won Emmys for guest appearances in 1996 for "Coach" and in 2008 for "30 Rock."

12:44 p.m.

CNN and USA Today are reporting that Tim Conway, who once made viewers and castmates on the "Carol Burnett Show" variety show weep with laughter over his deadpan comic delivery, has died at the age of 85, his publicist Howard Bragman confirms.

He died at 8:45 a.m. PDT today after a long illness, Bragman said.

Conway's celebrated comedy career included acclaimed performances on programs such as "Burnett Show" and "McHale's Navy." Conway won four Emmys for his work on "Burnett" and two more for guest appearances on "Coach" and "30 Rock."

He was born in Willoughby, Ohio, a Cleveland suburb.