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Comedian Kevin Meaney, TV's 'Uncle Buck,' Dies At 60

LOS ANGELES (CBSLA.com)  —  The comedy world is in mourning Friday upon learning of the death of comic Kevin Meaney.

Meaney was 60. A cause of death was not given.  An autopsy is pending.

Word of Meaney's death spread on social media where friends and colleagues like Patton Oswalt said that Meaney wasn't just a great comic but a great human being as well. Judd Apatow tweeted, "He could make you lose your mind laughing."

Meaney was most known to audiences for his family humor often poking fun at his Irish-American roots.

He would say his mother would complain that his pants were too tight when he appeared on TV. "Kevin, we're big pants people." He was also known for the catch phrase, "That's not right!"

If the audience didn't laugh at his jokes, he would usually end with a song, "I Don't Care."

Meaney -- usually in a signature bow-tie -- was a successful stand-up for nearly three decades. He appeared on "The Tonight Show" with Johnny Carson several times and was often a guest on Letterman and Conan.

He starred as the title character in the 1990-91 CBS sitcom "Uncle Buck," based on the hit movie. The sitcom was mired in controversy almost before it began. The first line in the show, a young child saying "You suck" made the critics howl -- and not in laughter.

Many HBO comedy specials followed.

When he was 39-year-old, he met a woman and married her in Las Vegas. The marriage was annulled but it was also material for his stand-up act. He later married a TV executive and they had a daughter.

In 2008, Meaney acknowledged he was gay and said it was his time on Broadway (he starred in "Hairspray" for nearly seven years), that made him come to terms with his real sexuality.

His other credits included "Big," "Ned and Stacey," 2 Broke Girls" and  "30 Rock." Meaney also provided voices in several animated series including "Mad Jack the Pirate" and "Garfield and Friends,"

For more on Meaney, go to his official website.

 

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