ComedianLouie Andersonhas died after a battle with blood cancer. He was 68.
Anderson’s longtime publicist Glenn Schwartz confirmed the news of his death to PEOPLE Friday. The actor died in a Las Vegas hospital, where he was undergoing treatments after he was diagnosed with diffuse large B-cell lymphoma, the most common type of non-Hodgkin lymphoma.
Last week, Anderson’s rep said he was “resting comfortably” while undergoing treatments.
“Iconic comedian Louie Anderson is currently in a Las Vegas hospital being treated for diffuse large B cell lymphoma, a form of cancer,” Schwartz toldRolling Stonein an article published Jan. 18.
A native of Saint Paul, Minnesota, Anderson won the outstanding supporting actor Emmy Award for his role inBasketsin 2016, after having been nominated for three consecutive years. He also won two Daytime Emmys for his animated seriesLife with Louiein 1997 and 1998.
Louie Anderson.Getty Images
In March 2021, Anderson opened up about his weight loss journey, revealing he had lost 40 pounds from intermittent fasting.
“I started the pandemic at about 370 or 380 pounds depending on what I was leaning on,” theBasketsstar joked during anappearanceonConanlast year.
During that interview, Anderson revealed he got down to 340 pounds and was hoping to reach his goal weight of 275.
“Yes, I’m going to retire my fat jokes,” he said at the time. “I think I’ll always be funny.”
Rich Fury/Getty
In addition to mastering the art of stand-up comedy and his acting roles, Anderson was a published author. He wrote a total of four books includingHey Mom: Stories for My Mother, But You Can Read Them Toothat was published in 2018.
In 2016, Andersondedicatedhis Critics' Choice Award to his mother and 10 siblings.
“I’m very grateful for this award. To my mom, who raised 11 children, and my dad was mean to her,” he said. “And no matter how tough it got for Laura Stella Anderson, she never lost her humanity. She had so much of it that it dribbled onto me — I didn’t want it, but I found it, and this part has helped me find it.”
source: people.com
