Actor-comedian Rick Ducommun passed away on June 12 in a hospice from complications due to diabetes, his wife, Leslie, told The Hollywood Reporter Thursday.
Ducommun was best known for playing the funny sidekick in films like "The 'Burbs" and "Groundhog Day." At the time of casting "The Burbs" Ducommun was a relatively unknown stand-up comic. He beat out SCTV stars Dave Thomas and Rick Moranis to land the supporting role of Art, Tom Hanks' character's annoying neighbor who thinks there has been a murder in the neighborhood.
Director Joe Dante. who worked with Ducommun on multiple movies including "The 'Burbs." broke the sad news Wednesday night on his Twitter account. "Lots of the funniest stuff he says was totally ad libbed," the director tweeted. "Too young to go."
RIP Rick Ducommun. pic.twitter.com/52J5wKXToU
— Joe Dante (@joe_dante) June 18, 2015
Ducommun was born on July 3, 1956 on a small farm in Prince Albert, Saskatchewan, Canada. He tried stand-up for the first time on a dare in Vancover, according to his IMDb page. He stared in two HBO stand-up specials in 1989 and 1992. Ducommun was 58 years old.
