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Gailard Sartain, ‘Hee Haw’ and ‘Ernest’ Actor, Dead at 81

Gailard Sartain’s career ran from Tulsa’s late-night movie television to recurring ‘Hee Haw’ roles, three ‘Ernest’ movies and a long list of film credits.
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Gailard Sartain, the Tulsa-born actor and comedian known for recurring roles on Hee Haw and appearances in three Ernest films, has died at 81. His career began in Tulsa television, where he played the wizard Dr. Mazeppa Pompazoidi on a late-night movie show, and went on to span variety television, film and illustration.

Who was Gailard Sartain?

Sartain was an actor, comedian and illustrator whose Oklahoma roots remained central to his early career. After college and a range of jobs, including illustration, he returned to Tulsa and became part of the city’s local television scene. The Oklahoma Historical Society’s biography notes that the University of Tulsa named him a Distinguished Alumni honoree in 1989.

He also kept working as an illustrator alongside his acting. KOSU reports that his projects included Mayfest posters and album art for Leon Russell, The Tractors and Daddy A Go Go.

How Dr. Mazeppa Pompazoidi led to ‘Hee Haw’

From 1970 to 1973, Sartain hosted Tulsa’s The Uncanny Film Festival and Camp Meeting on KOTV and KTUL as Dr. Mazeppa Pompazoidi, a wizard who introduced comedy bits between B-movies and horror films. KOSU identifies Jim Millaway as a co-writer and Gary Busey—then using the name Teddy Jack Eddy—as an early collaborator. The Oklahoma Historical Society says the local program helped lead to Sartain’s multi-year run on Hee Haw, which began in 1972.

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On Hee Haw, Sartain played recurring characters including Maynard, the inept clerk at Gordie’s General Store, and Orville, the cook at Lulu’s Truck Stop. KOSU describes his tenure as two decades; Forbes counts 19 seasons. Those accounts use different measures of the run, so neither figure should be treated as an exact year count.

Which ‘Ernest’ movies was Gailard Sartain in?

Sartain appeared in three films starring Ernest P. Worrell:

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  • Ernest Goes to Camp (1987), in which he played chef Jake, reprising a chef character from Hee Haw.
  • Ernest Saves Christmas (1988).
  • Ernest Goes to Jail (1990).

The three appearances are listed by both the Oklahoma Historical Society and KOSU.

Other film and television credits

Sartain’s screen work was not limited to comedy. Selected credits include playing the Big Bopper in The Buddy Holly Story (1978), The Outsiders (1983), Mississippi Burning (1988), Fried Green Tomatoes (1991), Forrest Gump (1994), The Patriot (1998) and The Replacements. This is a selection of credits, not a complete filmography.

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When did Gailard Sartain die?

Sartain died in Tulsa in June 2025 at 81. Published sources disagree on the exact date: the Oklahoma Historical Society records June 19, while the Television Academy lists June 17. Their biographies also differ on his birth year—1943 in the state history entry and 1946 in the Academy listing—so the age of 81 is the clearest way to state his age without silently choosing between conflicting dates.

KOSU reported that Sartain died of natural causes. His wife, Mary Jo Sartain, joked about his death, telling The Hollywood Reporter, “Actually, he died of silliness.” The quip is not a medical cause of death.

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