Jay Thomas, known for roles on “Cheers” and “Murphy Brown,” died Thursday at age 69.
His longtime agent and friend, Don Buchwald, confirmed that Thomas passed away after a battle with cancer.
“His wacky sense of humor led the way, and we who love him will never forget the Jay Thomas fun and games,” Buchwald said.
Thomas’ key characters include Remo DaVinci on ABC’s “Mork & Mindy,” Eddie LeBec on NBC’s hit sitcom “Cheers” and Jerry Gold on NBC’s “Murphy Brown.” The latter role earned him two Emmys.
More recently, he appeared on a 2013 episode of Showtime’s “Ray Donovan.” He had film roles in “Mr. Holland’s Opus” and two of the “Santa Clause” movies.
Thomas got his start in entertainment as a radio DJ before moving into stand-up comedy and acting. But he stayed true to his roots, launching the daily “Jay Thomas Show” on Sirius XM in 2005, and he was a frequent substitute on Howard Stern’s show.
Thomas was a staple on “The Late Show With David Letterman,” appearing annually during the holiday season to help Letterman knock items off the Christmas tree with a football.
He is survived by wife Sally and sons Sam, Jake and J.T.