By Race Opell
Only three days after announcing he had been hospitalized in Las Vegas for large B-cell lymphoma super funnyman Louie Anderson has died at 68.
Anderson known for his bits about the ups and downs of his childhood experiences as one of eleven children in Minnesota was quick witted, beloved by millions, and as funny as they come.
Born in St. Paul, Minnesota the 10th of 11 children, Anderson, was an American stand-up comedian, actor, author, and game show host. Anderson created the cartoon series Life with Louie and wrote four books, including Hey Mom: Stories for My Mother, But You Can Read Them Too, which was published in 2018. He was the initial host of the third revival of the game show Family Feud from 1999 to 2002.
According to his website, Johnny Carson, the comedy icon for generations of rising stars, invited Anderson to make his national television debut on the The Tonight Show in 1984 and the rest is history. Appearances with Jay Leno, David Letterman and on The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson, Comic Relief, Showtime and HBO specials followed. He hosted the legendary game show Family Feud making Anderson a household name and opening doors for him as an actor.
Anderson has guest starred in sitcoms like Grace Under Fire and dramas like Touched by an Angel and Chicago Hope. He has had memorable featured roles in film comedies like Coming to America opposite Eddie Murphy, and the classic Ferris Bueller’s Day Off. In 2013 he took a dive on the ABC reality series Splash where he conquered his own fears while becoming an inspiration of hope. His standup special Big Baby Boomer premiered on CMT in 2013.
In 1995 Anderson put his creative energies to work on the Saturday morning animated series Life with Louie. The long-running series based on Anderson’s own childhood and his life with his father won three Humanitas Prizes for writing on a children’s’ animated series, making him the only three-time recipient of this award. The series was nominated for Outstanding Special Class Animated Program and Anderson won two Emmys for Outstanding Performer in an Animated Program.
His best-selling books include Dear Dad – Letters From An Adult Child, a collection of alternately touching and outrageous letters from Anderson to his late father, Goodbye Jumbo…Hello Cruel World, self-help for those who struggle with self-esteem issues and The F Word, How To Survive Your Family.
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