Actor and comedian Anthony Clark died on November 10 at age 62 from complications related to pneumonia, according to Deadline.
Clark Grew up in Virginia and Studied at Emerson College
Born in Lynchburg, Virginia, on April 4, 1964, Clark moved with his family to a tobacco farm in Gladys, Virginia, at age 12, as reported by That Eric Alper. He attended Emerson College, where he won a national college comedy award and earned a mass communication degree before graduating in 1986, according to Fox News.
He launched his stand-up career in Boston, where he regularly sold out shows at The Comedy Connection. His early stand-up work also included appearing in country star Alan Jackson’s music video for “The Talkin’ Song Repair Blues” alongside his future sitcom co-star.
In 1995, Clark appeared on HBO’s Young Comedians special hosted by Garry Shandling alongside Dave Chappelle, Dave Attell, and Louis C.K., as detailed by The Daily Beast. His early film roles included the 1991 drama Dogfight and Peter Bogdanovich’s 1993 film The Thing Called Love, alongside River Phoenix, Samantha Mathis, and Dermot Mulroney, according to Cinemablend and That Eric Alper.
He also played a flamboyant hotel barber in Michael Bay’s 1996 feature The Rock, as reported by Deadline. Later in his career, his film work included roles in Killing Cinderella, Paid in Full, Say Uncle, Grad Night, and the 2011 comedy My Uncle Rafael starring John Michael Higgins and Missi Pyle, as well as appearances in television projects such as West of Liberty.
On television, Clark starred in NBC’s Boston Common from 1996 to 1997 as Boyd Pritchett across 32 episodes, followed by a role as Reverend Todd Tucker opposite Dan Aykroyd in 25 episodes of Soul Man, according to Fox News and That Eric Alper.
He also held a recurring role on Dr. Katz, Professional Therapist, made a memorable appearance as a letter carrier on Sesame Street, and had a four-episode guest arc on Ellen DeGeneres’ groundbreaking sitcom Ellen, which ultimately paved the way for his later starring roles.
Clark Starred in Yes, Dear and Hosted Last Comic Standing
Clark starred as Greg Warner on the CBS sitcom Yes, Dear for six seasons and 122 episodes from 2000 to 2006, acting alongside Mike O’Malley, Jean Louisa Kelly, and Liza Snyder, as noted by Us Weekly and That Eric Alper. The show was created and executive produced by Greg Garcia and Alan Kirschenbaum. His performance earned him a Young Artist Award nomination, shared with Kelly as television’s most popular mom and dad, as well as a Prism Award nomination.
In 2006, he hosted the fourth season of NBC’s Last Comic Standing, according to Fox News, championing the next generation of stand-up comedians. Following the conclusion of Yes, Dear, Clark largely stepped away from Hollywood to work in real estate, according to Deadline and Rolling Stone. Because he kept his personal life out of the spotlight, it remains unclear whether he was survived by a partner or children.
Colleagues and friends shared tributes following the news of his death.
Anthony Clark died yesterday. He was a hilarious guy. When my wife Lisa and I were dating back in the mid-nineties, Anthony was already famous in Boston, regularly selling out comedy shows. The first time we saw him at The Comedy Connection we laughed and laughed and laughed.
Mike O’Malley, Co-star
O’Malley added that they had spoken on the phone three weeks prior to Clark’s death, during which the late actor left them “laughing loudly once again,” as reported by Fox News. O’Malley also noted in his tributes that Clark invested his money well and essentially retired after the show wrapped, adding that he was always bragging about fellow comic Nick Swardson from the beginning.
Anthony Clark died yesterday. He was a hilarious guy. When my wife Lisa and I were dating back in the mid-nineties, Anthony was already famous in Boston, regularly selling out comedy shows. The first time we saw him at The Comedy Connection we laughed and laughed and laughed. He… pic.twitter.com/4IDPabBk8U
[Clark was] one of the funniest and most talented comedian/actors I have ever had the pleasure of watching. It was an honor to represent him and he will be missed for the joy, happiness, and love he brought to everyone he worked with and the audiences that were blessed to see his undeniable performances.
Barry Katz, Longtime Manager
Actor and comedian Nick Swardson also shared a tribute on social media, writing, “I had so many great times with this dude. Non stop laughs. I hope he is at peace now. RIP Tony.” according to ABC News. Swardson added that he had opened for Clark for years after discovering him as a massive stand-up act out of Boston.
Yes, Dear executive producer Greg Garcia recalled his phone calls with Clark in a statement to Deadline, lightheartedly crediting him with having the most insane sense of humor of any comedian he had ever worked with, noting that the things that came out of his mouth were always unexpected and hilarious.
Greg Garcia said that he had been lucky to be friends with some of the funniest people in the world and that Anthony Clark had the most insane sense of humor of all of them.