Garry Shandling Dead: 5 Fast Facts You Need to Know

garry shandling dead, garry shandling death

Garry Shandling. (Getty)

Actor and comedian Garry Shandling died Thursday at the age of 66, TMZ reports.

Los Angeles Police have confirmed that Shandling died, according to Reuters. Representatives for the entertainer have not commented. TMZ reports that he died of a massive heart attack.

This is a developing story. Here is what you need to know about death and life:


1. He Was Alive When Taken to a Los Angeles Hospital Thursday Morning, Authorities Say

Garry Shandling speaks onstage at the First Annual Comedy Awards at Hammerstein Ballroom on March 26, 2011 in New York City.  (Getty)

Garry Shandling speaks onstage at the First Annual Comedy Awards at Hammerstein Ballroom on March 26, 2011 in New York City. (Getty)

According to TMZ, Shandling was hospitalized Thursday and later died. He was alive when taken to the hospital.

The gossip site reports that he was healthy and had not been suffering from an illness. He spoke to people Thursday morning, according to TMZ.

According to E! Online, the Los Angeles Fire Department responded to a medical emergency Thursday morning at 10:40 a.m. at Shandling’s home. He was taken by ambulance to St. John’s Hospital.

Funeral or other memorial details have not yet been announced.


2. He Is Best Known for ‘The Larry Sanders Show’

Shandling is best known for the TV series The Larry Sanders Show, which aired on HBO from 1992 to 1998, and Its Garry Shandling’s Show, which aired from 1986 to 1990.

He played the title character in the highly acclaimed The Larry Sanders Show , which won three Emmy Awards and was nominated 56 times. He was also the writer and creator of the comedy, which many critics consider to be one of the best shows of all-time.

Shandling most recently appeared in the movie Captain America: The Winter Soldier in 2014 as Senator Stern. He was also in Iron Man 2, as Senator Stern, in 2010.

He will appear in The Jungle Book movie, which comes to theaters on April 15.

He is also well known for his work as a stand-up comedian, including appearances on The Tonight Show.


3. He Talked With Jerry Seinfeld on ‘Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee’ in January

Shandling was a guest on Jerry Seinfield’s “Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee” this January, in an episode titled, “It’s Great That Garry Shandling Is Still Alive.”

He and Seinfeld talked about death during the car ride, including about the stunning death of Robin Williams. He said he was watching CNN and was shocked by the news.

“Then Wolf Blitzer says ’63 is so young’, and I looked up with a little hope because I’m about the same age as Robin,” Shandling told Seinfeld. “And then I realized ’63 is so young’ is a phrase you never hear relative to anything but death. ’63 is so young to be playing in the NFL,’ nothing,” he said with a shrug.

“You have to die in your 60s, for them to say, boy he was young,” Seinfeld said.

Comedian Kathy Griffin posted a photo with Shandling on March 20, which you can see above.


4. He Was Never Married & Does Not Have Kids

(Getty)

(Getty)

Shandling was never married and does not have kids. He shared few details about his personal life.

He dated, and was once engaged to, Linda Doucett, a Playboy model and actress from 1987 to 1994. She had a role on The Larry Sanders Show.


5. He Was Born in Chicago and Grew up in Arizona

(Getty)

(Getty)

Shandling was born November 24, 1949, in Chicago and grew up in Tucson, Arizona, according to his biography on IMDB.com.

His mother, Muriel, owned a pet store, and his father, Irving, owned a print shop. His older brother, Barry, died of cystic fibrosis when Shandling was 10.

He graduated from the University of Arizona with a degree and marketing and a master’s degree in creative writing. He then moved to Los Angeles to work in advertising, before getting his start as a stand-up comedian in 1978 and as a TV writer, first on Sanford and Son.

He told Esquire he nearly died in a car crash when he was 27.

“I had a vivid near-death experience that involved a voice asking, ‘Do you want to continue leading Garry Shandling’s life?’ Without thinking, I said, ‘Yes.’ Since then, I’ve been stuck living in the physical world while knowing, without a doubt, that there’s something much more meaningful within it all. That realization is what drives my life and work,” he said.