HARTFORD, Conn. -- Art Carney, who played Jackie Gleason's sewer worker pal Ed Norton in the television classic "The Honeymooners" and went on to win an Oscar in 1975, has died at 85.

Carney died in Chester, Conn., on Sunday and was buried on Tuesday after a small, private funeral. He had been ill for some time.

The entertainer, who was born Nov. 4, 1918, in Mount Vernon, N.Y., became a television icon for his portrayal of Ed Norton, the neighbor and not-so-bright friend of Gleason's Ralph Kramden, which earned Carney a Best Supporting Actor Emmy in 1956.

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Tribute: Art Carney

He also won a Best Actor Oscar in 1975 for the 1974 drama "Harry and Tonto."

"The first time I saw the guy act," Gleason once remarked, "I knew I would have to work twice as hard for my laughs. He was funny as hell."

Carney got his start in television in 1947 on "The Morey Amsterdam Show." He co-starred with Gleason on "Cavalcade of Stars" from 1949-1952, on "The Jackie Gleason Show" from 1952-1957 and on "The Honeymooners" from 1956-57 .

Carney played various roles on the "Gleason Show," which earned him five additional Emmys.

"Honeymooners" co-star Audrey Meadows wrote in her 1994 memoir "Love, Alice," that Carney was one of the most endearing men she ever met.

In a 1994 interview with AP Network News -- a couple of years before she died -- Meadows said Carney was "just naturally funny."

Meadows called him "a brilliant performer and a wonderful actor." She said he could play the piano and could dance and "could do anything you asked him to do."

Reacting in Los Angeles Tuesday to the entertainer's death, Billy Bob Thornton says he loved Carney's work. He said he "was a huge fan of 'The Honeymooners"' and he loved Jackie Gleason, whom he said was "a genius."

But, Thornton added, "I was probably more struck by Art Carney than Gleason. You just couldn't wait for him to come through the door again."

Actor Don Johnson said that Carney was unique and extraordinary talent that stood the test of time. Johnson said he met Carney a couple of times, many years after his "Honeymooners" days.

Just two weeks ago, Carney was named into the Television Hall of Fame. The same people who give out the Emmys also honor "those who have made significant contributions that will leave an indelible mark on the television business."

On film, Carney's credits included "W.W. and the Dixie Dance Kings," "Roadie" and "The Muppets Take Manhattan." His last big screen appearance came in the 1994 Arnold Schwarzenegger action comedy "The Last Action Hero."