The Tragic Death Of Salute Your Shorts Star Kirk Baily
Actor Kirk Baily has died at age 59, according to TMZ. The actor was most famously known for being one of the stars in Nickelodeon's '90s hit sitcom "Salute Your Shorts" where he played Kevin "Ug" Lee, a lovable summer camp counselor, per IMDb.
The fan-favorite series first went on the air in 1991 and ran for two seasons until its in 1993. With the combination of talented actors like Michael Bowers and Danny Cooksey, who portrayed characters Eddie "Donkeylips" Gelfen and Buddy Budnick, respectively, it has been tagged as one of Nickelodeon's most beloved series of all time. In August 2021, for example, The Ringer opined that the series "was funnier, warmer, and smarter than most programming aimed at preteens back then."
In 2015, at Portland's Everything Is Festival, the cast came together to talk about what would have been the series' 25th anniversary at the time. MTV notes all the "Salute Your Shorts'" stars agreed during the festival that they'd be "totally down" for a comeback series. Tragically, we now know that Baily will not be joining them.
Kirk Baily's death was met with tributes on social media
Kirk Baily died on February 28, with Baily's family revealing he died from lung cancer, as the actor had been getting ongoing treatment after being diagnosed six months ago, TMZ reported.
Of course, fans of the 26-episode Nickelodeon sitcom quickly reacted online to the news of Baily's death. Sharing photos of Baily on the summer camp-themed set, one wrote on Twitter, "Ug was the best. A performance with extreme weirdo energy and a bastion from childhood RIP." Another fan said that the news "really hurts," as the series was "one of the few live action shows" they "enjoyed as a kid," adding that "Ug was always one of the funniest characters." It's clear Baily's memory will live on through the lives he's influenced from his work.
Speaking of Baily's work, he didn't stop acting after the iconic kids show, nabbing roles in "Felicity" and "NYPD Blue," as TMZ noted. But now his career is cut short, just like the many Nickelodeon stars who've tragically died before him.