Murray Langston (born June 27, 1944), who frequently performed using the stage name "The Unknown Comic", is a Canadian actor and stand-up comedian best known for his performances on The Gong Show, during which he usually appeared with a paper bag over his head. Early life Murray Langston was born in Dartmouth, Nova Scotia, Canada and left home at the age of 15 because his parents—disabled and financially strapped—could not afford to raise him and his younger siblings. He lived in Montreal (Park Ex) before he emigrated to the United States by joining the United States Navy. He served during the Vietnam War but never saw combat. Career In 1970, Langston began his show business career on Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In doing impressions of a fork, a tube of toothpaste and a grandfather clock. Later—at the suggestion of Redd Foxx—he teamed with comedian Freeman King and they became regular performers on The Sonny & Cher Comedy Hour. After more than 100 appearances with Sonny & Cher, Langston began to make appearances on other prime time television shows, including The Hudson Brothers Razzle Dazzle Show, The Wolfman Jack Show, and The Bobby Vinton Show. He also worked with Foxx, Joan Rivers, Jim Carrey, Ruth Buzzi, and many other comedians, as well as creating comedic situations—appearing in several segments—for Candid Camera. Early in his career, Langston had invested in a nightclub restaurant called "SHOW-BIZ." Several now-famous people worked there as servers, including Debra Winger, Michael Keaton (then known as Michael Douglas), David Letterman, Gallagher, Tim Reid and Freddie Prinze; however, the club closed within two years, exhausting Langston's savings. Strapped for cash, he accepted an offer to appear on The Gong Show. He was reportedly embarrassed about appearing on the show, so—with the director's permission—he put a paper bag over his head with holes for his eyes and mouth, memorized a few old jokes and burst onto the show as "The Unknown Comic." The character, a frenetic speed-jokester in smarmy attire, was a hit, and developed a cult following. "The Unknown Comic" appeared on more than 150 episodes of the Gong Show and also entertained as a celebrity judge on several other television shows. He also wrote for The Gong Show for a short time as well as appearing regularly in Las Vegas and making the rounds of many popular talk and variety shows. In the early 1980s, Langston revealed himself as