Anthony Clark, best known for his work on the CBS sitcom Yes, Dear, has passed away at the age of 62.
His death was announced by his former castmate Mike O’Malley who penned an emotional tribute to the ‘hilarious’ actor.
‘Anthony Clark died yesterday,’ he wrote in a post shared to Instagram and X on Wednesday. ‘He was a hilarious guy.
‘When my wife Lisa and I were dating back in the mid-nineties, Anthony was already famous in Boston, regularly selling out comedy shows.’
O’Malley recalled seeing Clark for the first time at The Comedy Connection, and said ‘we laughed and laughed and laughed.’
He added that the comedian was ‘unique’ and a comic ‘who is laughing along with you at the absurdity of his stories and observations and it just made you laugh harder because he was laughing.’
Anthony Clark, best known for his work on the CBS sitcom Yes, Dear, has passed away at the age of 62. Above, in 1996
The comedian’s death was announced by his former castmate Mike O’Malley who penned an emotional tribute to the ‘hilarious’ actor. Above, O’Malley in 2012 in Hollywood
O’Malley expressed that he had been a big fan of Clark before the pair developed a friendship.
He then revealed that he had spoken to the late star shortly before his passing.
‘We spoke on the phone three weeks ago,’ O’Malley wrote. ‘He had us laughing loudly as he always did.’
He concluded the tribute by adding, ‘Attached are some snapshots from our last episode of “Yes Dear” which ended twenty years ago after 122 episodes.
‘He invested his money well and essentially retired after we wrapped. Rest in peace, Tony.’
One black and white photo showed Clark and O’Malley flashing small smiles towards the camera while on set of the sitcom. Another slide had captured the comedian taking a seat on set while holding a script in his hand.
Clark’s longtime manager told the Daily Mail in a statement: ‘I’ve known Anthony since his first performances and acting jobs and I was honored to represent him.
‘He brought joy, happiness, and unconditional love to everyone he worked with. The world will miss him.’
O’Malley recalled seeing Clark for the first time at The Comedy Connection, and said ‘we laughed and laughed and laughed.’ (Source: Mike O’Malley/Instagram)
Clark was born in April 1964 in Lynchburg, Virginia and later attended Emerson College in Boston where he received a degree in mass communications.
Shortly after graduation, Clark kicked off his entertainment career with stand-up comedy.
The star opened up about what drew him to stand-up during a past interview published in The Comic’s Comic in 2006.
‘I think I love stand-up because the reaction is immediate. There’s no director. There’s no writer. No producer,’ he explained at the time.
‘There’s just you. You just get out there and vent. I don’t know why people think I’m funny. But I’m glad they do. I don’t want to have a real job. I just want to hang out.’
Clark made his official screen debut in 1991 in the series American Playhouse, per his official IMDB page.
That same year, he appeared in the coming-of-age drama Dogfight, which had also starred River Phoenix and Lili Taylor.
The comedian once again worked alongside Phoenix in the film The Thing Called Love (1993).
Another slide had captured the comedian taking a seat on set of Yes, Dear while holding a script in his hand. (Source: Mike O’Malley/Instagram)
‘I think I love stand-up because the reaction is immediate. There’s no director. There’s no writer. No producer,’ Clark previously explained. Above, on The Tonight Show With Jay Leno in 1996
Other movies he took on roles in were Teresa’s Tattoo (1994) and The Rock (1996), which had also cast Sean Connery, Nicolas Cage and Ed Harris.
Clark also took on a minor role in the sitcom Ellen from 1995 to 1996 with Ellen DeGeneres.
The late actor was then cast in the NBC sitcom Boston Common, which aired for two seasons on the network.
He also portrayed the character of Rev Todd Tucker on the ABC sitcom Soul Man, which also starred Dan Aykroyd.
In 2000, Clark was cast to play Greg Warner on the CBS sitcom Yes, Dear alongside O’Malley, Jean Louisa Kelly and Lisa Snyder.
The premise followed, ‘two young couples and their outrageously contrasting views on parenting,’ per an IMDB synopsis.
The series became a sleeper hit for CBS and aired on the network for six seasons, coming to an end in 2006.
In 2000, Clark was cast to play Greg Warner on the CBS sitcom Yes, Dear alongside O’Malley, Jean Louisa Kelly and Lisa Snyder. Above, with Kelly in 2004
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That year, Clark additionally hosted the reality talent competition series Last Man Standing.
His last acting credit was the television series West Of Liberty in 2019.
Fans took to X to mourn the loss upon hearing the news of Clark’s passing.
One penned, ‘The nicest dude, RIP,’ and another typed, ‘Oh no! We loved Yes Dear and he was hilarious. RIP…’
‘RIP. loved that show and he will be missed,’ an X user said, and one added, ‘Man, I remember him on Boston Common and then Yes Dear. RIP.’
Another wrote, ‘Gone way too soon. Anthony Clark made Yes, Dear feel like family at the dinner table. Rest easy.’