Stand-up comic and actor Patrice O'Neal, 41, died Tuesday from complications of a stroke he had in October, the LA Times reports. O'Neal, a veteran comic who helped roast Charlie Sheen on Comedy Central in September, passed away at a New York-area hospital, according this manager, Jonathan Brandstein.

There has been an outpouring of grief from O'Neal's fellow comedians, including Sarah Silverman, Ricky Gervais Dane Cook and many others. "RIP Patrice O'Neal. You made us laugh til we cried," Silverman wrote on Twitter. "One of my favourite stand up comedians. So sad. RIP," wrote Gervais.

Cook appended a photo of himself and O'Neal on Twitter, saying the two went way back. "I started my career w/ Patrice O'Neal," he wrote. "He was 1 of the best ever. Fond memories of road gigs, late night eats & laughs."

O'Neal, who was 6 feet 5, weighed about 300 pounds and had diabetes, grew up in Boston and go his stand-up career started there. He appeared on both Conan O'Brien and David Letterman's late night shows, and was a frequent guest on the "Opie & Anthony" radio show on Sirius XM.

Leave a comment

Read more about: