Louie Anderson, the stand-up legend and Emmy-winning actor for his role in Baskets, has died at the age of 68. The beloved comic was battling cancer.
Born on March 24, 1953, in St. Paul, Minnesota, Anderson’s decades-long stand-up career broke through with his 1984 appearance on The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson. Following an appearance in Ferris Bueller’s Day Off in 1986, Anderson had a comedy special that aired on Showtime in 1987 and would appear in Coming to America a year later.
In 1995, Anderson would star in the animated series Life with Louie, which was based on his childhood. He would win two Daytime Emmys for his work on the show. The series aired for three seasons from 1995 through 1998. He also created and starred in The Louie Show that aired on CBS in 1996. It was canceled after six episodes
Anderson would go on to win an outstanding supporting actor Emmy for his portrayal of Christine Baskets, Zach Galfianakis’ character’s mother in Baskets in 2016. He would be nominated again in 2017 and 2018.
Recently, he appeared in the Coming to America sequel Coming 2 America and the Showtime series Twenties.
Additionally, Anderson would also appear on several game shows, including hosting Family Feud and as a panelist on Funny You Should Ask.
