Actor, comedian, game show host, and author Louie Anderson has died at 68.
His longtime publicist reported the news to Deadline. Anderson died Friday morning in Las Vegas. He had entered treatment this week for diffuse large B cell lymphoma, a form of cancer.
Anderson had been a fixture on screen since the mid-80s, when he appeared on Johnny Carson’s Tonight Show to perform standup comedy. He later appeared in iconic comedy films like Eddie Murphy’s Coming to America and Ferris Bueller’s Day Off.
Later, Anderson landed Emmy Award nominations for three consecutive years for his role as Christine Baskets in the FX series Baskets. Anderson won the Emmy for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series in 2016.
In more recent years, Anderson also guest starred in The Big Bang Theory prequel Young Sheldon and had a recurring role on Search Party. He had recently joined the cast of the BET series Twenties.
In addition to his screen and stage presence, Anderson wrote several best-selling books. His works include Dear Dad – Letters from an Adult Child, a collection of letters directed to his late father; Goodbye Jumbo…Hello Cruel World, a self-help book for people struggling with self-esteem issues; and his most recent book, Hey Mom, which shared insights gained from his late mother.
Anderson is survived by two sisters, Lisa and Shanna.
