Kevin Meaney

Kevin Gerard Meaney (April 23, 1956 – October 21, 2016) was an American stand-up comedian and actor.

For the Gaelic footballer, see Kevin Meaney (Gaelic footballer).
Kevin Meaney
Birth nameKevin Gerard Meaney
Born(1956-04-23)April 23, 1956
White Plains, New York, United States
DiedOctober 21, 2016(2016-10-21) (aged 60)
Forestburgh, New York, United States
MediumStand-up, television, film
NationalityAmerican
Years active1980–2016
Spouse
  • Leanne S. Fader
    ​
    ​
    (m. 1995; annulled 1995)​
  • Mary Ann Halford
    ​
    ​
    (m. 1997; div. 2008)​
Children1

Career

Meaney began his career in comedy in 1980. His big break into mainstream culture is considered to be his first HBO comedy special in 1986, followed by his debut performance on The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson in 1987.[1]

After that, his act was broadcast several times by HBO, Comedy Central and several network television stations with appearances on The Tonight Show, Late Night with David Letterman, Live! with Regis and Kathie Lee, The Oprah Winfrey Show and Conan.[2][3]

His most famous catchphrase was "That's not right!", delivered while doing an impression of his mother, which was followed by, and usually preceded by, her complaints and remonstrations. Typically, his act consisted of commentary about his family and complaints about hotel service. Often, Meaney closed his show with a rendition of the 1985 song "We Are the World" which included comical impressions of the various singers who originally sang the song.[4]

He often ended his performance with a few jokes that intentionally would not get a good response in order to follow them up with a song reminiscent of "I Don't Care" by Jean Lenox and Harry O. Sutton sung about how he does not care whether the audience laughs at his jokes.

Meaney was involved in a number of television programs, including Ned & Stacey, Dr. Katz, Space Ghost Coast to Coast, Garfield and Friends, Rocko's Modern Life, London Underground, and Duckman. He starred as the title character on the short-lived sitcom version of Uncle Buck.

He was also a singer and musician, writing and producing songs for HBO and Comedy Central with his co-writer Martin Olson, with whom he wrote several television series. He intermittently appeared on The Jay Thomas Show as a co-host. In 1996, he wrote and performed a one-man play titled Vegas Vows based loosely on his brief marriage to a woman he had just met.[5]

For seven years in the 2000s, Meaney performed in various roles in the Broadway musical Hairspray.

Personal life

Meaney was born the third child of five in White Plains, New York. When he was 39 years old, he married a woman he had just met in Las Vegas. The marriage was annulled shortly afterward.[2] He later married television executive Mary Ann Halford and they had one daughter.[1]

In 2002, Meaney was arrested at the San Francisco International Airport. After his wife set off a metal detector and lifted her shirt high enough to expose her bra, he reportedly got belligerent and was asked twice not to film the security operations of the terminal. A scuffle with police ensued.[6]

On XM Radio's "Stand Up Sit Down" on May 5, 2008, Meaney stated publicly that he was gay.[7] He explained that his time on Broadway was where he gained the courage to accept his homosexuality.[8] Soon after, he and his wife divorced.[1]

Death

Meaney died on October 21, 2016 at age 60, after being found unresponsive in his home in Forestburgh, New York.[9] According to Eastern Daily News he died from a heart attack.[10]

Discography
  • That's Not Right (2004)

Filmography

Features

Television

References
  1. "Comic Kevin Meaney Shuts Door On His Closet Life". The Miami Herald. 2012-01-30. Retrieved 2013-12-05.
  2. Rusnak, Jeff (1996-03-22). "Kevin Meaney Turns Life's Mishaps Into His Shtick". Sun Sentinel. Retrieved 2013-12-05.
  3. "Official Website Of Kevin Meaney". Kevinmeaney.com. Archived from the original on 1999-11-28. Retrieved 2013-12-05.
  4. "Happy And He Knows It". NewportRI.com. 2012-02-22. Retrieved 2013-12-05.
  5. Deffaa, Chip (1996-07-12). "A Veiled Threat". Ew.com. Retrieved 2013-12-05.
  6. Henry K. Lee (2002-03-05). "Security No Joke For Comic Arrested At SFO". Sfgate.com. Retrieved 2013-12-05.
  7. "Kevin Meany biography". Kevinmeaney.com. 2008-05-28. Archived from the original on 2016-10-25. Retrieved 2013-12-05.
  8. "Joy Behar Show Aired November 24, 2009". Transcripts.cnn.com. Retrieved 2013-12-05.
  9. Rosenberg, Eli (22 October 2016). "Kevin Meaney, Veteran Stand-Up Comedian, Dies at 60". The New York Times. New York City. Retrieved 24 October 2016.
  10. Johnson, Victor (October 25, 2016). "Kevin Meaney From 'Uncle Buck' Dies, Cause Of Death Revealed". Eastern News Daily.
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