Dom DeLuise: 1933-2009

Dom DeLuise, the portly actor-comedian whose affable nature made him a popular character actor in movies, TV shows and plays, died in his sleep on May 4, 2009. He was 75.

Actor Dom DeLuise, a graduate of New York City's famed School of Performing Arts, points to his star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame on Hollywood Boulevard at a nighttime ceremony on Monday, May 7, 1985. As an actor, he was incredibly prolific, appearing in scores of movies and TV shows, in Broadway plays and voicing characters for numerous cartoon shows.

Dom DeLuise, star and director of the action-comedy movie "Hot Stuff," is shown during filming in Miami, Fla., in Oct. 1978.

Actor Burt Reynolds, right, pinches the cheeks of comedian Dom DeLuise in Atlanta, Dec. 2, 1977, during a "roast" of Reynolds by various celebrities. The two were friends and frequently appeared in films together, among them, "The End," "The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas," "Smokey and the Bandit II," "The Cannonball Run" and "Cannonball Run II."

Burt Reynolds, left, and Dom DeLuise are shown in a scene from, "Cannonball Run."

Dom DeLuise poses at the Sahara Hotel in Las Vegas,July 26, 1978. DeLuise was appearing on Broadway in "Here's Love" in the early 1960s when Garry Moore saw him and hired him to play the magician "0000Dominick the Great" on "0000The Garry Moore Show." His appearances on the hit comedy-variety program brought offers from Hollywood.

Comedian Dom DeLuise sits in his director's chair while working on the film, "Hot Stuff." He and his wife, actress Carol Arthur, had three sons, all of whom became actors.

Dom DeLuise is shown in a scene from Mel Brooks' "History of the World Part I." Writer-director-actor Brooks particularly admired DeLuise's talent for offbeat comedy and cast him in several of his films, including "Blazing Saddles."

Dom DeLuise is shown at Disneyland in Anaheim, Calif., in this 1988 file photo. DeLuise died in Southern California on Monday, May 4, according to his son, Michael DeLuise. He was 75.

Actor and comedian Dom DeLuise is shown in November of 1987. The actor, who loved to cook and eat almost as much as he enjoyed acting, also carved out a formidable second career later in life as a chef of fine cuisine. He authored two cookbooks and would appear often on morning TV shows to whip up his favorite recipes