Mister Ed star Alan Young, who played the straight man to a talking horse, has died aged 96

Actor-comedian Alan Young, who played the amiable straight man to a talking horse in the 1960s sitcom Mister Ed, has died.

He was 96.

The English-born, Canadian-educated Young died Thursday, according to Jaime Larkin, spokeswoman for the retirement community where Young had lived for four years. 

Famous supporting role: Alan Young starred alongside a talking horse in the hugely popular sixties TV series Mister Ed. He passed away Thursday at the age of 96

Young was already a well-known radio and TV comedian, having starred in his own Emmy-winning variety show, when Mister Ed was being readied at comedian George Burns' production company. 

Burns is said to have told his staff: 'Get Alan Young. He looks like the kind of guy a horse would talk to.'

Mr. Ed was a golden Palomino who spoke only to his owner, Wilbur Post, played by Young. Fans enjoyed the horse's deep, droll voice and the goofy theme song lyrics: 'A horse is a horse, of course, of course'. 

Cowboy star Allan 'Rocky' Lane supplied Mr. Ed's voice.

Memorable: Mr. Ed was a golden Palomino who spoke only to his owner, Wilbur Post, played by Young. Fans enjoyed the horse's deep, droll voice and the goofy theme song lyrics: 'A horse is a horse, of course, of course'

An eclectic group of celebrities including Clint Eastwood, Mae West and baseball great Sandy Koufax made guest appearances on the show. 

A loose variation on the Francis the Talking Mule movies of the 1950s, Mister Ed was one of the few network series to begin in syndication. After six months, it moved to ABC in October 1961 and lasted four seasons.

When the cameras weren't rolling, the human and four-legged co-stars were friends, according to Young. 

If Ed was reprimanded by his trainer, Young said, 'He would come over to me, like, 'Look what he said to me.''

Real pals: When the cameras weren't rolling, the human and four-legged co-stars were friends, according to Young

Young also appeared in a number of films, including Gentlemen Marry Brunettes, Tom Thumb, The Cat from Outer Space and The Time Machine, the latter the 1960 classic in which, speaking in a Scottish brogue, he played time traveler Rod Taylor's friend.

In later years, Young found a new career writing for and voicing cartoons, portraying Scrooge McDuck in 65 episodes for Disney's TV series Duck Tales. 

His gentle comedy on The Alan Young Show caused TV Guide to hail him as 'the Charlie Chaplin of television,' and the fledgling Academy of Television Arts and Sciences awarded Emmys to Young as best actor and to the show as best variety series.   

More kids programming: In later years, Young found a new career writing for and voicing cartoons, portraying Scrooge McDuck in 65 episodes for Disney's TV series Duck Tales

Winner: His gentle comedy on The Alan Young Show caused TV Guide to hail him as 'the Charlie Chaplin of television,' and the fledgling Academy of Television Arts and Sciences awarded Emmys to Young as best actor and to the show as best variety series

In 1940, Young married Mary Anne Grimes and they had a daughter, Alana, and a son, Alan Jr. The marriage ended in 1947.

In 1948 he married singer Virginia McCurdy, and they had a son, Cameron Angus, and a daughter, Wendy.  

His children were with him when he died peacefully of natural causes.

Always involved: Alan stayed involved in Hollywood for decades (seen here in 2007)