David A. Arnold, a headlining comedian who also wrote and produced a number of well-known series including the "Fuller House" reboot, has died at 54.
His family confirmed the death in a statement Wednesday to Deadline.
"It is with great sadness that we confirm the untimely passing of our husband, father, brother and friend, David A. Arnold," the statement said. "David passed away peacefully today in his home and doctors have ruled the cause of death due to natural causes. Please keep our family in prayer and respect our privacy at this time, as we are all shocked and devastated by this loss."
Born on March 15, 1968, in Cleveland, Arnold started out as a stand-up comic working the local circuit at age 18, according to The Hollywood Reporter. He took a break to be in the U.S. Navy, returning to comedy and working his way up the ladder as a club comedian for much of the '90s. He moved on to become a touring comedian and in the 2000s started work as a television writer.
Shows he was involved with included "Meet The Browns" (TBS), "The Rickey Smiley Show" (TV One), "Raising Whitley" (OWN) and "Tyler Perry's House of Payne" (TBS), according to Deadline. Arnold also became one of the few Black showrunners in Hollywood when he took on the role of executive producer and showrunner on the hit Nickelodeon series "That Girl Lay Lay."
"We are shocked and incredibly saddened by the sudden passing of our dear friend and creative partner, David A. Arnold," Nickelodeon said in a statement to Deadline. "David was an immense talent and a gifted storyteller with a wide range of fans, from adults through his stand-up, to kids and families through the Nickelodeon show he created and executive produced for us, 'That Girl Lay Lay.' On behalf of everyone at Nickelodeon, we send our thoughts and condolences to his family, his friends and his fans."
In addition to writing and producing, Arnold continued to perform as a comedian. As his fanbase grew, so did attention from Netflix. For the streamer, he starred in two comedy specials, 2020's "Fat Ballerina" and "It Ain't for the Weak," which premiered July 19. He also performed at the Montreal Comedy Festival and on Jamie Foxx's Laffapalooza on Comedy Central and was three stops into a four-month national comedy when he died.
"Our closely knit comedy community mourns the loss of one of the greatest to ever do it," said Arnold's close friend and fellow comedian Chris Spencer. "He was admired by his peers, respected by other veterans and revered by the burgeoning comedians that he mentored. He will me deeply missed, especially by his comedy fraternity."
Zoe Papadakis ✉
Zoe Papadakis is a Newsmax writer based in South Africa with two decades of experience specializing in media and entertainment. She has been in the news industry as a reporter, writer and editor for newspapers, magazine and websites.
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