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Comedian and actor Tony Slattery, 65, has died from a heart attack. The British star was made famous by the improvisation show Whose Line Is It Anyway?, which originally ran on ABC from 1998 to 2007 and made its regulars household names.
"It is with great sadness we must announce actor and comedian Tony Slattery, aged 65, has passed away today, Tuesday morning [January 14], following a heart attack on Sunday evening," read an official statement linked to tonyslattery.com. He was survived by his partner of more than 35 years, Mark Michael Hutchinson, and their "ferocious" cat, Molly. "I will miss my mischievous partner in crime," added Erica Lear, Slattery's current producer. "They say you should never meet your heroes, but I met mine and he became my best friend."
Whose Line Is It Anyway? featured quick-witted performers who competed in games in front of a live studio audience. The show, hosted by Drew Carey, was so popular that it has since created two spinoffs, including one hosted by Aisha Tyler that is still on the air. Comedians such as Wayne Brady, Stephen Colbert and Keegan Michael-Key have all made appearances.
Slattery went on to star in movies such as How to Get Ahead in Advertising, The Crying Game and Peter's Friends. He also made use of his sharp improv skills on Just a Minute, a BBC World Service radio show, and the British TV panel show Have I Got News For You. In the UK, Slattery was also acclaimed for his stage roles, appearing over the years on West End and even receiving an Olivier Award in 1995.
He had recently been on a comedy tour and launched his podcast, Tony Slattery's Rambling Club, last October. Both projects were part of a comeback centered around speaking out about his bipolar disorder and substance abuse issues. He explored his mental health issues in the moving 2020 BBC Two Horizon documentary What's The Matter With Tony Slattery?, and he had named his comedy show Resuscitated.
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