'Hangover' Actor and Comedian Brody Stevens Dies at Age 48 by Suicide
Editor's Note
If you experience suicidal thoughts or have lost someone to suicide, the following post could be potentially triggering. You can contact the Crisis Text Line by texting “START” to 741741.
Comedian Brody Stevens has died by suicide at the age of 48, according to TMZ on Friday. Stevens was known for his stand-up comedy, small roles in films such as “The Hangover” and “Due Date” as well as audience warm-up for shows such as “Chelsea Lately.”
Stevens has spoken openly about his mental health throughout his career, including following a well-publicized manic episode after he stopped taking his mental health medication. He frequently included mental health in his comedy sketches and advocated to reduce the stigma of living with a mental illness. He said during an episode of the podcast, “The Mental Health Happy Hour“:
Many comedians—I mean I’m sure there’s a lot, a lot of them don’t talk about it, but I was open talking about it. … I mean, yeah, meds are a scary thing. You can get freaked out. I mean if you go on the Internet and read up on stuff, you can get freaked out by meds. And then I had a personal experience with it, so I’m a little—it’s a traumatic thing to go through. To go through a manic episode however you got there, is a traumatic thing and it’s something that I do deal with every day, and I am getting better. And I know it sounds weird take it day by day, but that’s kind of how I’m doing it, and I’m lucky that I’m able to work.
Colleagues and fans reacted to his death on Twitter and shared condolences.
If you are depressed or feeling suicidal please please please please please reach out to ANYONE. I never get to see Brody Stevens again I can’t stand this. #RIPBrodyStevens #818ForLife pic.twitter.com/n1jQhXdOIz
— Patton Oswalt (@pattonoswalt) February 22, 2019
Thank you Brody for sharing your Comedy and positive energy with us for so many years. You made late nights so much fun, pushing boundaries, being different, and never doing the same show twice. Joke writing, crowd work, drums, baseball. We love you forever Brody. #brodystevens pic.twitter.com/IYvo0wmWrt
— The Comedy Store (@TheComedyStore) February 22, 2019
RIP Brody Stevens. Nobody else was like him, on or off stage. Seeing him was always a joy. We’ll miss you Brody.
— Kumail Nanjiani (@kumailn) February 22, 2019
Brody Stevens ~ Such a funny man. Such a good man. We need you and your comedy. My heart goes out to his family and friends. Loved Brody. Rest In Peace kind soul. @BrodyismeFriend
— bob saget (@bobsaget) February 22, 2019
Brody Stevens was such a kind, hilarious, fucking weird dude. So, so funny. What a shame. Just awful.
— Adam Scott (@mradamscott) February 22, 2019
I love you so much Brody Stevens. Nobody has been nicer in comedy than you. My heart is shattered. pic.twitter.com/sOl9PLpxsd
— Whitney Cummings (@WhitneyCummings) February 22, 2019
If this news is hard for you, know you are not alone — and there is help for people who feel suicidal. You can call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-8255 or text “START” to 741-741. Head here for a list of crisis centers around the world.
Update: Previous quote was incorrectly attributed to Stevens, and has been updated.
Header image via Brody Stevens’ Facebook page.
Renée Fabian was the features editor at The Mighty. She has also written for The Washington Post, VICE, Healthline, Talkspace, The Fix, The Establishment, The Culture Trip, and GRAMMY.com, among others. Renée was named a 2019 AHCJ Comparative Effectiveness Research fellow, a 2020 USC Center for Health Journalism California fellow, and holds a master's degree in journalism from the University of Southern California and a master's degree in psychology from Antioch University Los Angeles. You can follow her on Twitter @ryfabian.
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