Comedians make us laugh. Actors make us laugh, and cry. Escapism is not only found within drugs and alcohol, it is found a comic that forces us to forget our troubles, a relatable human experience from a movie. The authors of our escapism are looking for an escape of their own, through their work and drug addiction that all too often goes untreated by a recovery facility, drug rehabilitation center, or treatment plan. Sadly, many of these comedians don’t get to have the last laugh, and leave their work unfinished.
John Belushi
Obtuse comedian and star of countless classics like The Blues Brothers and Animal House, John Belushi had a long fight with cocaine, booze, and other drugs. Dan Akroyd, his co-star in The Blues Brothers, even told Vanity Fair that the film had a cocaine budget for night shoots. A product of a debaucherous era, Belushi did not make it out alive, and left the hilarity of his comedy and acting unfulfilled. Attempting to get sober a number of times, Belushi was found dead in his home in 1982 after a long night of partying with a former back-up singer from The Band.
Phillip Seymour Hoffman
The brilliant Academy Award winning theatre and film actor Phillip Seymour Hoffman, who was known for combining comedy and drama fluidly, was found dead in his home in 2014, after his year-spanning battle with heroin addiction and alcohol. After finally getting sober with the help of a drug rehabilitation facility, Hoffman spent two decades clean. Then, in 2013, he admitted that he had begun to drink and shoot up again. This time around, heroin didn’t wait for him to clean up his life.
Robin Williams
The funny-man with a huge heart, Robin Williams undoubtedly broke his fans hearts when he hung himself in 2014. Snorting coke with John Belushi on the night of his death, Williams was a known partier and depressive. At the time of his death, Williams was reported to have no drugs in his system. But upon further inspection it was found that he had been taking an anti-depressant called Mirtazapine and the anti-psychotic named Seroquel was found in his home, prescribed to him. Star of family classics such as Hook and Jumanji, Williams would never make families laugh again.
Chris Farley
Actor and comedian Chris Farley was the star of cult-classics Tommy Boy and Beverly Hills Ninja among others. Farley was found dead in his home in Chicago, where he had made a name for himself as a cast member of Second City Improv. The comedian went into rehabs and recovery centers over ten times, but in it didn’t stop his insatiable appetite for drugs, booze, and food. At nearly 300 pounds at the time of his death, he went on a multi-day binge of all the above and never saw an out when he died grotesquely in his bed.
Mitch Hedberg
After taking a variety of drugs, Mitch Hedberg died in a New Jersey hotel room from the pharmacy pantry level of intoxication. At 37, Hedberg had not reached the critical acclaim of the rest of this list, but since his death he has gained popularity. Only, it’s a shame that the body of work is limited.
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