On Friday (January 21st) the iconic comedian Louie Anderson passed away at age 68. Anderson was battling blood cancer at a hospital in Las Vegas at the time of his death. He was diagnosed with diffuse large B-cell lymphoma, the most common type of non-Hodgkin lymphoma.
His longtime publicist Glenn Schwartz said, “He is survived by his two sisters, Lisa and Shanna Anderson. Cause of death was complications from cancer.”
Anderson won an Emmy for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series in 2016 for his role as Christine Baskets, mother to Zach Galifianakis‘s Chip and Dale, on the FX comedy Baskets. He also won two Daytime Emmys for his animated series Life with Louie in 1997 and 1998.
Making his national television debut on The Tonight Show with Johnny Carson in 1984, Anderson went on to have an extensive career in stand-up comedy and acting. On top of this, he wrote four books, including Hey Mom: Stories for My Mother, But You Can Read Them Too, which was published in 2018.
Many celebrities took to Twitter to honor Anderson. Bryan Cranston, who starred on The Louie Show with Anderson, wrote, “I was saddened to hear the news today of Louie Anderson's passing. Twenty six years ago I played his best friend in a series and this morning I've been wistfully remembering that experience with him. Louie was known for being big, but that wasn't just in his presence. He was also big-hearted. An expert in the craft of comedy, and a very kind man.”
