The following is attributed to フジテレビHP/経済新聞. I wonder if someone could explain the grammar around the と? (I think it might be an "abbreviation" of として but it is very difficult to find an explanation of this.)
総合司会タモリ(森田一良、68歳)は..地元で「変人」と面白がられていたのを、ジャズピアニスト山下洋輔らに見い出されて1976年に芸能界[に]デビュー[した]。
The MC Tamori (Kazuyoshi Morita, 68)'s act as an amusing eccentric was discovered in his home town by the Jazz pianist Yousuke Yamashita and his entourage. He broke into the entertainment world in 1976.
(Items in [] were added to expand this extract beyond its newspaper style. The translation is mine so please feel free to offer improvements.)
Revised translation based on feedback (further comment welcome):
MC Tamori (Kazuyoshi Morita, 68)'s act was discovered in his home town by the Jazz pianist Yousuke Yamashita and his entourage where the locals who got a kick out his performances had named him "henjin" ("the eccentric"). He broke into the entertainment world in 1976.