Gary Shandling. Comedian, actor, director and producer has died of a massive heart attack in Los Angeles this week at the age of 66.
Gary Emmanuel Shandling was born in Chicago, but moved to Tucson Arizona with his family in the early 70s. Gary attended the University of Arizona, moving to Los Angeles after graduation in 1973 to take a job at an advertising agency. He got his big break while working his 9 to 5, by selling a script for ‘Sanford and Son’ to NBC.
He quit his day job and began writing for ‘Welcome Back, Kotter,’ and ‘Sanford and Son,’ learning stand-up, eventually earning the coveted guest host role for the wildly popular ‘Johnny Carson’ show in the mid-80s.
Gary was no stranger to the bright lights, hosting the Grammy and Emmy broadcasts during his career. His HBO program ‘The Larry Sanders’ show earned nearly 60 Emmy nominations and became the best ‘inside joke’ of Hollywood as it satired the industry and television talk shows in particular. His writing was groundbreaking, his moment in the spotlight all too brief. Gary influenced every comedian of his generation.
Gary Shandling was a prolific writer who had the knack of making fun of Hollywood while being accepted on its ‘A’ list. Gary Shandling will be dearly missed.
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