[Ends singing] George Burns: Trust me, it'll be funny when I'm an old man.” ―George Burns George Burns (born Nathan Birnbaum on January 20, 1896 - March 9, 1996) was an American stand-up comedian, actor, writer, voice artist, and comedian. His parents were Clifford Burns and Daphne Burns, and his siblings were Charles, Cornelia, Zeph, and Cornelius.