Caffeinated Clint
)
What sad news to wake up to, today.
Legendary comedian and actor Garry Shandling, best known to most as TV’s ‘Larry Sanders’ (and to younger viewers for his Senator role in the Marvel movies), has moved on. He was 66. Though authorities have yet to release the official cause of death, some outlets are reporting it was a sudden heart attack. Whatever the cause, a great talent – and judging by those heartfelt tributes from friends and co-workers, a great man – has left us.
Born November 29, 1949 in Chicago, Shandling was raised in Arizona, packing his bags for Los Angeles as a young adult to work initially in advertising before crossing over into comedy writing and standup.
In the ’80s, Shandling fronted his first sitcom “It’s Garry Shandling’s Show” – a rather innovative and unique offering for it’s time.
In August, 1992, Shandling hit the big time with “The Larry Sanders Show” on HBO. In it, he played a self-absorbed late-night TV host that led quite the eventful life off-the-screen. The show was a major turning point for television, breaking new ground and smartening up the comedy scene on screens big and small. One of the writers on the project was a then-unknown Judd Apatow. “Larry Sanders” was named one of TIME’s 10 best Television shows of all time.
On the big screen, Shandling appeared in such films as “Iron Man 2”, “Captain America : The Winter Soldier”, “Town and Country”, “Over the Hedge” (well, his voice appeared in it anyway), “Zoolander”, “What Planet Are You From?” (which he also wrote), “Trust the Man” and “The Dictator”. Fans of TV’s “The X-Files”, will also remember Shandling from one of it’s more popular episodes, in which he played celluloid’s take on Fox Mulder.
Shandling, thanks for the laughs sir. You will indeed be greatly missed.
