Rudy Moreno, 'Godfather of Latino Comedy,' dies at 66

The actor and comic appeared on shows like "Dave," "The Shield," "Arrested Development," "American Vandal," and "George Lopez."

Rudy Moreno, nicknamed the 'Godfather of Latino Comedy," has died at age 66 after a recent hospitalization.

His agent, Mark Scroggs, confirmed his death to Entertainment Weekly. He did not provide a cause of death, but TMZ reports that Moreno was hospitalized in a Los Angeles intensive care unit on April 23 following a bout with pneumonia and that he was receiving dialysis treatment.

Born on July 24, 1957, in Los Angeles, Moreno was an influential stand-up comedian who made appearances on numerous shows over the years, including Everybody Loves Raymond, The Shield, George Lopez, Monk, Arrested Development, American Vandal, Mom, Monk, Kingpin, Criminal Minds, Judging Amy, and Dave.

He also appeared in the 2022 movie Father Stu, starring Mark Wahlberg and Mel Gibson, and wrote for and appeared in Gabriel Iglesias' Comedy Central series Gabriel Iglesias Presents Stand Up Revolution.

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The Ice House Comedy Club in Pasadena, where Moreno performed, paid tribute to the comic with a statement on Instagram on Saturday. "We are deeply saddened by the passing of our dear friend and legendary comedian Rudy Moreno. Rest in peace to the Godfather of Comedy."

Moreno's agent said of him, “He was a great mentor to many comics and a great comedy show host, which is the toughest job in comedy because you have to support and let others shine."

One of Moreno's mentees was Ken Jeong, who expressed his gratitude to the comic, sharing a photo of him with Moreno and writing on Instagram, "My heart is truly broken. Rudy Moreno, the Godfather of Latino Comedy, was the first person to book me at the Ice House. In fact, the first time my wife ever saw me do stand-up was at the Ice House on Rudy’s show. All this ultimately led to me doing my Netflix special at the Ice House, thanks to Rudy Moreno constantly supporting me and letting me get stage time on all of his shows."

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"There are countless comedians who owe their start to this man," Jeong continued. "And he was hilarious, the consummate comedian. I am laughing thinking of his East L.A. Santa bit right now. And he was an incredible actor, guitarist, and singer as well. Just a brilliant artist. I am getting emotional as I type this, and I am sending all my love to his wife Arlene, his son Nathan, and the rest of his beautiful family. Love you so much, Rudy. I know you’re making heaven laugh."

Moreno is survived by his wife Arlene and their children.

Read the original article on Entertainment Weekly.