The entertainment industry is mourning the death of funnyman, Dom DeLuise. The actor’s son Michael told KNX 1070 newsradio that his father died in Santa Monica last night after a long illness. He was 75. During his long career, DeLuise was best known for his comic genius on television and in the movies. However, the entertainer was a published author as well. DeLuise wrote several cookbooks of Italian recipes with wit and humor. His popular first cookbook was reissued in October of 2007 as “Eat This Again.”
Also, DeLuise wrote the children’s books, “Charlie the Caterpillar,” “The Pouch Potato,” and “No Place Like Home.”
The entertainer was born in Brooklyn, New York on August 1, 1933. The son of immigrant parents, DeLuise developed an interest in acting at an early age. He performed on stage and in television shows during the 1950s and 1960s. Also, DeLuise had great success on the big screen.
DeLuise starred with Mel Brooks in “The Twelve Chairs” (1970 ), “Blazing Saddles” (1974), “Silent Movie” (1976), “History of the World: Part 1” (1981), and “Robin Hood: Men in Tights” (1993). Some of his other films include, “Smokey and the Bandit II” (1980), “The Cannonball Run” (1981), “Cannonball Run II (1984), and “The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas” (1982) all with actor Burt Reynolds.
DeLuise appeared in several films with actor Gene Wilder; among them, “The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes’ Smarter Brother” (1975) and “Haunted Honeymoon” (1986).
This afternoon, flowers were placed on DeLuise’s star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.