Hollywood is mourning the loss of a beloved comedian.
Dick Capri died in his sleep at the age of 93 on Thursday, his son Jeff confirmed to TMZ, before adding that the late star celebrated Christmas with his family in Florida prior to his passing.
Before his death, Capri was diagnosed with a bleeding enlarged aorta, but due to his age, doctors were unable to operate.
Despite the diagnosis, the writer continued to live his life, spending the holidays with Jeff, his daughter-in-law and life partner. Capri also FaceTimed loved ones that didn’t make it to Florida.
Touching on the icon’s last moments, Jeff shared Capri had a meal from his favorite restaurant on Christmas Day before he went to bed and died in his sleep. As his family continues to mourn, Jeff told TMZ, “The world is not as funny today as it was yesterday.”
Capri, whose full name is Richard Capri, was born in the city of Reading in Pennsylvania and throughout his decades-long career he worked alongside many stars including Frank Sinatra, Liza Minnelli and Tom Jones.
Capri’s first introduction into the world of comedy happened while working at his father’s grocery store, where he would perform comedy mimes for customers, per his official website.
The actor then quit his job at the market to focus on comedy full-time, rising to fame while touring with singer Engelbert Humperdinck in 1973 as the comedy attraction.
Capri also performed for two U.S. presidents: Gerald Ford and George Bush.
Per the star’s website, he “used his Italian heritage and his unique delivery to mix comedy and mime – setting him distinctly apart from the traditional stand-up comic.”
“His unique style features a measured and deliberate delivery and his material is crisp and topical. This mix of comedy sets him distinctly apart from traditional stand-up comedians,” the description added.
Along with performing at a slew of iconic venues such as Radio City Music Hall and the Minskoff Theater in New York City, as well as MGM’s Grand Hotel in Las Vegas, Capri made his Broadway debut in 1991.
He starred in the show “Catskills On Broadway” which ran for 14 months.
Capri was also featured in hit films during his time in the industry, including “They Still Call Me Bruce” (1987), “Bittersweet Place” (2005) and “One Angry Man” (2010).
His son, Jeff, followed in his father’s footsteps and has a career in comedy, performing at various comedy clubs all over the country, and even traveled to Iraq in 2003 to entertain U.S. troops.
Jeff has also appeared on “Comics Unleashed,” “Last Comic Standing,” and Ed McMahon’s “Next Big Star.” In 2020, he released the Dry Bar Comedy Special “Capricious.”
