So a lot happened last weekend.

In a 1979 TV Guide article headlined “Small Wonder,” Coleman was described as having “the comic delivery” of Jack Benny, Groucho Marx and Richard Pryor.

“When he walks onto a stage, something has happened, and you feel it,” Lear told TV Guide. “That’s called presence, and it’s rare. Many important actors, even stars, don’t have it. Gary does.”

The scene-stealing Coleman quickly became a pop-culture icon, whose recurring line “Whatchoo talkin’ ’bout, Willis?” became a national catchphrase.

Praised by comedy legends Bob Hope and Lucille Ball, Coleman was in big demand for TV talk shows.

He more than held his own during his first appearance on “The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson” in 1978, which led Carson to jokingly ask his young guest, “What night are you available for guest host?”

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