The Tragic Death Of Comedian Louie Anderson
When it comes to the deaths of the Hollywood greats that have shaped the way we understand comedy and tragedy, it's perhaps even more heartbreaking when we lose those who taught us, most of all, to laugh. This is certainly the case when we think of comedy writer and Emmy Award-winning actor Louie Anderson, who died in a Las Vegas hospital on January 21 at the age of 68. Anderson's publicist confirmed the comedian's death to Deadline, much to the devastation and shock of fans worldwide.
Most recently known for the role of Christine in the surreal Hulu comedy-drama "Baskets," in which he co-starred alongside Zach Galifianakis from 2016 to 2019, Anderson's career spanned not only decades, but mediums — earning him praise for his impressive work behind the camera, in front of it, on the stage, and in animated form.
Recently, however, Anderson been in the hospital to receive cancer treatment.
Louie Anderson died days after being admitted to a hospital
On January 18, Louie Anderson's publicist told TMZ that the "Life With Louie" creator had been admitted to a hospital in Las Vegas for treatment of a type of cancer known as large B-cell lymphoma, a type of non-Hodgkin's lymphoma. While the cancer itself has a generally high survival rate, the treatment for it can be aggressive — though at the time, Anderson's publicist assured TMZ that Anderson was comfortable during his hospital stay. This, therefore, made the news of the actor's death on January 21 all the more shocking.
The actor and great comedy mind had already left a tremendous legacy within the entertainment world. Per Deadline, Anderson did not originally come from a comedy background, first working as a youth counselor before nabbing a writing gig after winning a comedy writing competition. After that, Anderson debuted his standup on Johnny Carson's late night show in 1984, and went on to appear in movies like "Coming to America," starring Eddie Murphy. In 1997 and 1998, Anderson won two respective Emmys for his autobiographical animated show "Life with Louie," and hosted the game show "Family Feud" from 1999 to 2002.