Another loss for the comedy world. Louie Anderson died in Las Vegas on Friday, January 21, his manager confirmed to Us Weekly. He was 68.
Earlier this week, news broke that Anderson had been diagnosed with Diffuse large B-cell lymphoma, a version of non-Hodgkin lymphoma. Pauly Shore revealed on Thursday, January 20, the actor was in the hospital for treatment.
“Attention comedians and @TheComedyStore alumni’s I say this with a heavy heart just left the hospital in Las Vegas where Louie Anderson his sisters and close friend were kind enough to let me say my goodbyes he’s still with us but keep him in your prayers,” Shore tweeted.
After a social media user replied to Shore’s tweet, “Please let him know that we love him Pauly,” he responded, “I did.”
Anderson was known for his stand-up, cartoon series Life with Louie and his performance as Christine Baskets in Baskets. He won an Emmy in 2016 for his role in the FX series and was nominated at the 2017 and 2018 ceremonies.
“At 62, I got the role of a lifetime,” he told Variety in 2016. “This is like a job I already knew I was going to get somehow. I thought I was a much better serious than funny actor, but I always thought I was both at once.”
He added that the Baskets set, led by Zach Galifianakis, was full of the “most welcoming and warm and loving group of people” he’s ever met.
“This is a set where everybody knows each other,” Anderson said. “Nobody gets yelled at because they made a mistake. There’s no tension. [Showrunner Jonathan Krisel] really has a family environment. And it’s perfect because we’re shooting a family that has never been on TV before.”
Anderson also hosted Family Feud for several seasons. The Hey Mom: Stories for My Mother, But You Can Read Them Too author recently reprised his role as Maurice in Coming 2 America alongside Eddie Murphy.
“I loved it and it was the most fun thing in the world,” he told CBS in April 2021 about the sequel. “It was so great to get on the set and then run right into John Amos. I grew up watching John and then I got to work with him. People say that to me and I feel so old when they say that to me. Everybody looks good. I am the token white guy, that’s what Eddie Murphy called me in the first movie. It was great getting back together with everybody and it was a great experience.”
He is survived by his sisters, Lisa Anderson and Shanna Anderson.
