stand up comics final bow.
Reportedly, around 10:30 a.m. Thursday, March 25th while home alone, Shandling suffered a massive heart attack and was already going into cardiac arrest when paramedics arrived. Although he was able to call for help, he collapsed mid-call. Paramedics had to break down Shandling’s door to gain entry. He was then transported to St. John’s Health Center in Santa Monica where it was there, the pun-intended comedian with the pronounced smile was pronounced dead.
Sources reported that this all came as quite the surprise as Garry [quote] “seemed pretty healthy and took care of himself” [end quote] and in fact, on doctors orders, was actually headed to ER after a 10 a.m. phone conversation that very same day in addition to one the previous day (Wednesday, March 24).
Sad today. My friend @GarryShandling passed. He encouraged me from the very start. A few weeks ago he told me life was short and enjoy it.
— Kristin Chenoweth (@KChenoweth) March 24, 2016
Gary Shandling was a comedy hero of mine. He once sent me a thank you note that read, "Thanks for nothing." RIP https://t.co/DmCy2JZcGj
— Zach Braff (@zachbraff) March 24, 2016
A moment to celebrate an true, original & tv pioneer and yes 1 of the funniest. Was an honor to know him. Condolences to his family. R.I.P
— Whoopi Goldberg (@WhoopiGoldberg) March 24, 2016
Goodbye Gary Shandling thank you for your kindness and your generosity and for making me laugh so damn much
— Amy Schumer (@amyschumer) March 24, 2016
Garry Shandling was one of the most brilliant people I have ever known. A shocking huge loss.
— Billy Crystal (@BillyCrystal) March 24, 2016
Fellow comedians and friends of Garry’s are deeply saddened and in a state of shock over this news-just one day after another Hollywood actor and labor rep Ken Howard (the coach on the 80s television show White Shadow) just died, too.
Garry Sanders was born in Chicago and got his start writing for television. A bad car accident in 1977 got him reevaluating things about making decisions about what he was going to do with himself next.
“The accident gave me some actual insight into life and its impermanence and there is something more to it than what meets the eye and I realized I best try to figure out who I authentically was and I could do that through standup.”
That’s where he took comedic writing artistry to standup and the rest is history where be became a regular fixture of Johnny Carson’s Tonight Show, The Larry Sanders show and too, It’s The Garry Shandling Show.
He will be missed.
