Comedian John Pinette was found dead in a hotel room in Pennsylvania, according to the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.
Pinette, 50, was found in his room at Sheraton Station Square hotel on Saturday. The Pittsburgh Public Safety spokeswoman Sonya Toler confirmed to the Gazette a relative contacted the hotel concerned for Pinette's safety after not hearing from him for an "extended period."
Pinette was reportedly staying in Pittsburgh to attend a family function. According to the Gazette, Pinette was recovering addict and sought treatment at rehabilitation facility for prescription drug addiction. The comedian's long-time personal manager Larry Schapiro told the Gazette he was sober and lost more than 200 pounds to help him lead a healthier lifestyle.
"John had become a sober person," Schapiro said. "The sadness of this entire event is that for he first time in his life he was healthy, he was alive. He'd just turned 50 and John was on top of his game."
A spokesperson for the medical examiner's office in Allegheny County, Pa. confirmed to The Hollywood Reporter Pinette died of natural causes.
"Pinette's film credits include roles in Junior (1994), The Punisher (2004) and The Last Godfather (2010)," according to THR. "He starred in several specials, including Still Hungry (2011) and I'm Starvin' (2006) and hosted a comedy cooking show on H2 called All You Can Eat that aired in Sept. 2013. He was also a staple at Canada's Just for Laughs festival."
Though Pinette was regularly touring the comedy club across the United States, the funny man was best know for his role in the "Seinfeld" finale, the Gazette reports.
"In the 'Seinfeld' finale Mr. Pinette played the role of Howie, a victim of a carjacking," according to the Gazette. "Characters Jerry, Elaine, George and Kramer videotape the carjacking and mock Howie in the process, and end up being charged with violating the Good Samaritan Law."
