Dorf is a

fictional character In fiction, a character is a person or being in a narrative (such as a novel, play, radio or television series, music, film, or video game). The character may be entirely fictional or based on a real-life person, in which case the distinction o ...

created by comedy writer and performer

Tim Conway Thomas Daniel "Tim" Conway (December 15, 1933 – May 14, 2019) was an American actor, comedian, writer, and director. Conway is perhaps best known as a regular cast member (1975–1978) on the TV comedy ''The Carol Burnett Show'' where he port ...

. He was the main character in a series of

direct-to-video Direct-to-video or straight-to-video refers to the release of a film, television series, short or special to the public immediately on home video formats rather than an initial theatrical release or television premiere. This distribution strat ...

films during the 1980s and 1990s. Dorf was characterized by his diminutive height (he was performed by Conway standing in a hole with fake shoes attached to his knees),

toupée A toupée ( ) is a Fake hair, hairpiece or partial wig of natural or synthetic fiber, synthetic hair worn to cover partial baldness or for theatrical purposes. While toupées and hairpieces are typically associated with male wearers, some women a ...

, toothbrush

mustache A moustache (; mustache, ) is a growth of facial hair grown above the upper lip and under the nose. Moustaches have been worn in various styles throughout history. Etymology The word "moustache" is French, and is derived from the Itali ...

, pot belly, unusual accent (modeled by Conway on a Swedish accent, similar to that used by his Mr. Tudball character on ''

The Carol Burnett Show ''The Carol Burnett Show'' is an American variety/sketch comedy television show that originally ran on CBS from September 11, 1967, to March 29, 1978, for 279 episodes, and again with nine episodes in fall 1991. It starred Carol Burnett, Harv ...

''), and frequent pratfalls. Each film focused on a particular sport, with Dorf humorously giving instructions on the history and play of the sport.

History

The character was created by Conway for a sketch on ''

The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson ''The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson'' is an American television talk show broadcast by NBC. The show was the third installment of ''The Tonight Show''. Hosted by Johnny Carson, it aired from October 1, 1962 to May 22, 1992, replacing ''T ...

'' as a horse jockey. Based on the popularity of the sketch, he produced a set of direct-to-video

comedy film The comedy film is a film genre that emphasizes humor. These films are designed to amuse audiences and make them laugh. Films in this genre typically have a happy ending, with dark comedy being an exception to this rule. Comedy is one of the o ...

s, each focusing on a different sport, most of which were released through

J2 Communications J2 Communications was a media production and distribution company that operated from 1986 to 2002. The company is best known for its unsteady stewardship of '' National Lampoon'' magazine and all its related properties through the 1990s. Histor ...

, which later became known for its purchase of the '' National Lampoon'' franchise. These included: *'' Dorf on Golf'' (1987) *'' Dorf and the First Games of Mount Olympus'' (1988) *'' Dorf's Golf Bible'' (1988) *'' Dorf Goes Auto Racing'' (1990) *'' Dorf Goes Fishing'' (1993) *'' Dorf on the Diamond'' (1996) *''Dorf's Christmas Specials'' (2009–2015) *''Chip & Bernie Save Christmas with Dorf'' (2016) In the first four entries, Dorf is "assisted" by Boom-Boom LaRue ( Michele Smith), a mute

dumb blonde Blonde stereotypes are stereotypes of blonde-haired people. Sub-types of this stereotype include the " blonde bombshell" and the "dumb blonde". Blondes have historically been portrayed as physically attractive, though often perceived as less ...

, and by either the perpetually spaced-out Leonard (

Vincent Schiavelli Vincent Andrew Schiavelli (; November 11, 1948 – December 26, 2005) was an American character actor noted for his work on stage, screen, and television. Described as an "instantly recognizable sad-faced actor", he was diagnosed with Marfan sy ...

) or nerdy Waldo (

Eddie Deezen Edward Deezen (born March 6, 1957) is an American actor and comedian, best known for his roles as " nerd" characters in films including '' Grease'', ''Grease 2'', '' Midnight Madness'', ''I Wanna Hold Your Hand'', ''1941'', '' Million Dollar Myst ...

), who each serve as

comic foil A double act (also known as a comedy duo) is a form of comedy originating in the British music hall tradition, and American vaudeville, in which two comedians perform together as a single act, often highlighting differences in their characters' ...

. Other characters replace them in later entries. Dorf serves mainly as a stooge in the dialogue, with much of the humor on his part coming from his pratfalls. Other than the main series of films, Dorf has made numerous guest appearances on talk shows, award shows and television commercials. "Dorf on Stalking" was humorously referred to by Norm MacDonald on "Saturday Night Live" "Weekend Update" as a satirical title. {{Dorf Dorf series Fictional characters with dwarfism Fictional male sportspeople