Filmmagic/Taylor Hill(LOS ANGELES) — Stand-up comic and character actor Jay Thomas, best known for playing Rhea Perlman’s husband Eddie on Cheers, has lost a battle with cancer, ABC News has confirmed. He was 69.
Thomas, who also had a career in radio, earned a pair of Emmys for his work on Murphy Brown. More recently, he acted in the Showtime series Ray Donovan. He was also seen on the big screen in movies like The Santa Clause 2 and 3, and Mr. Holland’s Opus, and was a frequent guest on Late Night with David Letterman.
His longtime agent Don Buchwald confirmed his passing in a statement, saying, “Jay was one of a kind, never at a loss for words and filled with so much fun and wonderfully wacky thoughts and behavior.”
Thomas is survived by his wife and two sons.
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