A nephew of actor Fatty Arbuckle, he used his family connection to enter films in 1913, supporting Arbuckle and other comedians in Mack Sennett's Keystone productions; he was usually outfitted as a country rube, wearing plaid shirts, baggy pants, suspenders, and a skull cap. In the early '20s he starred in his own comedy shorts, many of which he also wrote and directed; his films featured his pop-eyed stare, acrobatic skills, and bicycle stunts. He also played supporting roles in feature films after 1924. In the early sound era he briefly reunited with Arbuckle in Vitaphone shorts. In the '30s he began a new phase of his career as the antic, unshaven, grizzled sidekick of cowboy stars in Western films; in this capacity he was best known as the character Fuzzy Q. Jones. Occasionally he appeared in non-westerns. He retired in 1950.