Anthony Clark, comedian and actor known for the television shows “Yes, Dear” and “Boston Common,” has died. He was 62 years old.
“Glee” star Mike O’Malley announced the news on social media Wednesday.
“Anthony Clark died yesterday,” he wrote. “He was a hilarious guy. When my wife Lisa and I were dating in the mid-’90s, Anthony was already famous in Boston, where he regularly sold out houses.
“The first time we saw him at The Comedy Connection, we laughed and laughed and laughed. He was so unique, one of those comedians who laughs with you at the absurdity of his stories and observations. I was a fan before I was a friend. We spoke on the phone three weeks ago. He made us laugh out loud again.”
Clark’s cause of death was not immediately released.
The comedian and actor was born April 4, 1964, in Lynchburg, Virginia, and grew up in Gladys, where he joked that he should become a truck driver. The son of a factory worker and general store owner, Clark launched a showbiz career as a comedian while attending Emerson College in Boston. After earning a degree in mass communications, he moved to Los Angeles, where he became a fixture on the comedy scene in the ’90s. In 1995, he was featured in an HBO young comedian special alongside Dave Chappelle and Louis CK, hosted by Garry Shandling.
He took his first steps into acting in the early 1990s. According to IMDb, Clark made his film debut in the 1991 drama “Dogfight,” in which he played a marine named Oakie, alongside River Phoenix’s Eddie. In 1993, he teamed up with Phoenix again and starred in “The Thing Called Love”, a country music drama also starring Sandra Bullock.
He is perhaps best known for starring as Gregory “Greg” Warner on the hit CBS sitcom “Yes, Dear” alongside O’Malley for six seasons and an early 122 episodes.
Clark also had starring roles on television shows, including NBC’s “Boston Common” and CBS’ “Soul Man,” and starred in the films “The Rock” and “My Uncle Rafael.” He also hosted the fourth season of NBC’s “Last Comic Standing.” He has also starred in shows like “Ellen” and more recently, “West of Liberty.”
Comedian Anthony Clark during an interview with host Jay Leno on May 4, 1994.
(CNB)
Barry Katz, Clark’s longtime manager, told the Times in an emailed statement that Clark was “one of the funniest and most talented comedians and actors I’ve ever had the pleasure of watching.”
“It was an honor to represent him and he will be missed for the joy, happiness and love he brought to everyone he worked with and to the audiences who had the chance to see his undeniable performances,” Katz said.
Comedian and actor Nick Swardson also shared the news on Instagram with a photo of him and Clark, writing, “This is my friend Anthony Clark. One of my best friends for a long time… He was a huge Boston stand-up and I opened for him for years. Had so many good times with this guy. Non-stop laughs. Hope he’s at peace now. RIP Tony.”
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