Comedian Louie Anderson Dies At 68 After Battle With Cancer

LOS ANGELES (AP/CBSLA) — Louie Anderson, whose more than four-decade career as a comedian and actor included his unlikely, Emmy-winning performance as mom to twin adult sons in the TV series "Baskets," died Friday. He was 68.

Anderson died at a hospital in Las Vegas of complications from cancer, said Glenn Schwartz, his longtime publicist. Anderson had a type of non-Hodgkin lymphoma, Schwartz said previously.

Fellow comedian and friend Pauly Shore tweeted Thursday, prior to Anderson's death, that he visited him in the hospital.

"I say this with a heavy heart just left the hospital in Las Vegas where Louie Anderson his sisters and close friend were kind enough to let me say my goodbyes he's still with us but keep him in your prayers," Shore wrote.

On Friday morning, the marquee at The Comedy Store on Sunset Boulevard in West Hollywood was changed from "RIP Bob Saget," to "RIP Louie Anderson."

Fellow comedian Gilbert Gottfried shared a photo on Twitter of Saget, Anderson and himself.

"Both good friends that will be missed," Gottfried wrote.

Anderson won a 2016 Emmy for best supporting actor for his portrayal of Christine Baskets, mother to twins played by Zach Galifianakis. Anderson received three consecutive Emmy nods for his performance.

He was a familiar face elsewhere on TV, including as host of a revival of the game show "Family Feud" from 1999 to 2002, and on comedy specials and in frequent late-night talk show appearances.

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Anderson voiced an animated version of himself as a kid in "Life With Louie." He created the cartoon series, which first aired in prime time in late 1994 before moving to Saturday morning for its 1995-98 run. Anderson won two Daytime Emmy Awards for the role.

He made guest appearances in several TV series, including "Scrubs" and "Touched by an Angel," and was on the big screen in 1988′s "Coming to America" and in last year's sequel to the Eddie Murphy comedy.

Anderson also toured regularly with his stand-up act and as a stand-up comedian.

He was born Louie Perry Anderson on March 24, 1953, in St. Paul, Minnesota and was the second-youngest of 11 children. He had five brothers and five sisters and grew up in the Roosevelt Homes housing project.

He made his film debut as a taxi driver in "Clock & Dagger" in 1984 and had roles in "Quicksilver," "Ferris Bueller's Day Off" and "Ratboy." He was in "The Wrong Guys" with Richard Lewis and Richard Belzer in 1988 and had a memorable cameo in "Coming To America" starring Eddie Murphy.

(© Copyright 2022 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. The Associated Press and City News Service contributed to this report.)