Frank Potenza | Jimmy Kimmel foil, 77

Frank Potenza, 77, a onetime New York City policeman who became Uncle Frank, a comic foil for his nephew Jimmy Kimmel, the ABC late-night host, died Tuesday of cancer in Los Angeles.

When he started his show in 2003, Kimmel decided that his Uncle Frank had a matchless comic appeal - simply by being himself. Most of the show's comedy pieces for Uncle Frank called for him to be joyfully addled by the assignment, a task that Mr. Potenza completed effortlessly.

He dispensed romantic advice and analyzed news developments, all with the same befuddled insouciance. In one of his funniest moments, Uncle Frank had a long conversation backstage with Kermit the Frog, discussing romances gone bad (Uncle Frank's ex-wife vs. Miss Piggy) and even local restaurants, with Uncle Frank accepting Kermit's experiences as just as real as his own.

Mr. Potenza wore a security uniform, and Kimmel always identified him as the show's security guard. That was a job Mr. Potenza was well-qualified for. Born in Brooklyn on Nov. 11, 1933, he was a Korean War veteran and served as a police officer for 20 years. He later worked as a security guard for Caesars Palace in Las Vegas. He also provided security at St. Patrick's Cathedral for a time.

He is survived by three daughters and one granddaughter.

Mr. Kimmel said in an e-mail message: "Uncle Frank dedicated every minute of every day to talking to, listening to, and complimenting others, whether he knew them or not. In 20 years on the NYPD, he made six arrests. He believed a good pep talk did more good than time in jail."

- N.Y. Times News Service