Kevin Bleyer, an Emmy and Peabody Award-winning television writer whose credits included The daily show And Politically Incorrect with Bill Maher and who gave speeches for President Barack Obama, including all of his addresses at the annual White House Correspondents’ Dinner, died October 25 in a car accident on a rural road in Millrift, Pennsylvania, where he owned a country home. He was 54 years old.
His death was announced by his family.
In a statement, Bleyer’s wife, Nella Vera, said: “Kevin spent his life finding the perfect words to make people laugh, think and see the world a little differently. I was lucky to know the humor, curiosity, mischief and tenderness behind those words, and to be loved by a man who made my own world more joyful, more adventurous and infinitely more beautiful.”
“Kevin Bleyer was a writer-writer,” said his friend, actor and screenwriter Danny Strong. “For his many years The daily show From writing Obama’s WHCD speeches to his many books and his work on numerous scripted dramas, Kevin could literally do it all. His immense talent was only surpassed by his good soul. I am completely in shock at his passing and my sadness is overwhelming. I already miss him a lot.
Born in Bethesda, Maryland, and raised in Seattle, Bleyer was a child actor, appearing in a well-known commercial for Aim toothpaste and in the 1985 Academy Award-nominated film. Twice in a lifetimewhere he played Gene Hackman’s grandson and Amy Madigan’s son. A theater enthusiast, he appeared as Jack in Sondheim’s film. In the woods when he was at university and sang a cappella with the Fleet Street Singers, where he was named Best Male Collegiate Soloist by the Contemporary A Cappella Society.
A graduate of Stanford University, Bleyer began his career as a playwright and assistant to actress and playwright Anna Deavere Smith at the New York Public Theater and the Cort Theater on Broadway.
A 20-year resident of New York, Bleyer launched his television career in 2000 as a writer for Maher’s ABC late-night talk show. Politically incorrect, remaining with this show for 30 episodes until its cancellation in 2002.
In 2004, Bleyer turned to Dennis Millerthe late-night talk and interview show that aired for two seasons on CNBC in 2004-05. Bleyer wrote on 66 episodes of Miller’s show and served as producer.
In 2005, Bleyer wrote for the Comedy Central series Sports center, and the following year, he began the work that would be the highlight of his career: he joined the editorial team of The Daily Show with Jon Stewart, remaining with the Comedy Central program until Stewart’s departure in 2012. In total, he is credited with contributing to 1,041 episodes.
Other credits include writing and producing for NBC News Today, and as a supervising producer for MSNBC Ronan Farrow every day.
“I don’t remember meeting Kevin because I immediately felt like I’d known him forever,” MS NOW anchor Lawrence O’Donnell said. “Kevin was a generous friend who always brought the gift of laughter.”
Off-screen, Bleyer is the author of I, the People: One Man’s Selfless Quest to Rewrite the Constitution of the United States of America and co-author of the best-seller Earth: the book. Most recently, he co-authored, with former U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Bill Richardson, the book How to Talk Kindly to a Shark — recounting, among other adventures, their humanitarian mission to North Korea to negotiate the release of hostage Kenneth Bae.
As a speechwriter, Bleyer contributed to many of Obama’s speeches, including all of the president’s speeches at the White House Correspondents’ Dinner, and has also written speeches for NASA astronauts, sitting senators, foreign diplomats, U.S. ambassadors and even pop star Shakira.
He also served for a time as deputy speechwriter for New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio. In 2014, Bleyer was a resident scholar at the Institute of Politics at the University of Chicago, at the invitation of former Obama senior advisor and IOP director David Axelrod. In 2018, Bleyer was an assistant professor in the Department of Playwriting at NYU’s Tisch School of the Arts.
In scripted episodic television, Bleyer was a writer for Disney+. The good things — an adaptation of the book by Tom Wolfe — Fox’s Sleepy Hollow and well done Other important ones.
In 2013, Bleyer lived for a while in Kyrgyzstan, where he produced Workshop 7, the first political satirical news program in all of Central Asia. Upon his return, he co-founded Pilot Media Initiatives, which launches civic-focused media programs in democratically challenged countries near and far. Over the past decade, he has produced and helped launch scripted and unscripted political satire television shows in Macedonia, Nigeria, Moldova, Kenya, Jordan and Estonia.
He also spent a year in London, where he worked for journalist David Brancaccio on the business affairs program at the London Bureau of Public Radio International. Walk.
Bleyer was the recurring voice of Onion Radio News. He also had a weekly column in The daily beast and wrote articles for Foreign policy during and about the FIFA World Cup.
Before his death, he had developed a pilot about New York politics for Appian Way Productions and HBO.
“I have had the privilege of counting Kevin Bleyer as both a friend and working partner,” said producer Llewellyn Wells. “Whether he was crafting a series pitch or sharing stories, Kevin brought the wit, the funny, the satire. But beneath that rare talent lived a man with depth, love and a sincere desire to leave the world better than he found it. Whether it was working with the U.S. State Department in Central Asia to bring political satire programs to that part of the world or delivering biting and poignant versions of The daily show and many other programs, that’s exactly what Kevin did. He left the world a better place than he found it. The heavens shine brighter today, the earth has lost an angel.
Bleyer is survived by his wife Nella Vera; father Dr. Archie Bleyer; his brother Keith Bleyer and his sister-in-law Kelly Schulz-Bleyer; his nephew Evan Bleyer and his niece Lauren Bleyer.
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