Comic actor Harvey Korman, who co-starred on the U.S. television classic "The Carol Burnett Show" in the 1960s and 1970s and in "Blazing Saddles" and other Mel Brooks movies, died on Thursday at age 81.

Korman died of complications from a ruptured abdominal aortic aneurysm he suffered four months ago, according to a statement issued by the University of California, Los Angeles Medical Center.

Starting off in small roles on Broadway, the tall, lanky actor first gained notice as a featured performer on "The Danny Kaye Show," a CBS musical variety series where he perfected his talents as a sketch comedy artist.

In 1967, he joined the cast of another popular CBS variety hour, "The Carol Burnett Show," and spent the next decade as Burnett's leading sidekick in an ensemble of comedy regulars whose chemistry turned the show into a prime-time classic.