Comedian And Actor Shelley Berman Dead At 92
The famous comic has passed away.
USA Today reports that Shelley Berman died in his home in Bell Canyon, Calif. on Friday, Sept. 1, 2017. According to a spokesperson for his family, Berman's death was the result of complications from Alzheimer's disease. He was 92 years old.
A message posted on his official Facebook fan page noted that Berman had "slipped away peacefully, in his sleep, with no pain, as far as his hospice care workers could tell."
The post added, "There will be a private service for family and close friends, followed by a public memorial. I will provide details as they are finalized."
A stand-up comic, Berman made his first TV appearance on The Ed Sullivan Show back in 1959. Over the course of his career, he'd amass over 80 TV and film credits, starring in comedies like Meet the Fockers (2004) and You Don't Mess with the Zohan (2008), as well as the rom-com The Holiday (2006). He'd also acted in shows like L.A. Law and Boston Legal.
Most recently, he'd played the father of Larry David's character in Curb Your Enthusiasm. In 2008, he was nominated for an Emmy for the role.
Variety notes that, as a stand-up comedian, Berman had also released a number of successful comedy records. His 1959 record Inside Shelley Berman made history as the first comedy album to be certified gold and the first non-musical record to snag a Grammy Award.
Berman is survived by his wife, Sarah, whom he'd been married to for 70 years, as well as by his daughter, Rachel, and his two grandsons.