Comedian John Pinette was found dead in his Pittsburgh hotel on April 5 at around 2:30 in the afternoon, Daily Mail reported. He was 50 years old.
The actor had been suffering from various liver and heart diseases and was being closely monitored by physicians. No autopsy was performed as his personal doctor cited that Pinette died due to natural causes. His manager Larry Schapiro told the Hollywood Reporter that the cause of death was pulmonary embolism.
In August of last year, TMZ reported that Pinette postponed a stand-up comedy gig because he checked himself into a rehabilitation facility due to his addiction to prescription medication. Earlier that year, he underwent surgery and got addicted to the medication prescribed to him.
He tweeted, "Thanks to everyone for your concern and well wishes...Want to apologize for having missed shows last weekend, but I hope you understand."
Pinette became widely known in the world of stand-up comedy for his self-deprecating style of performance, which often involves making jokes about his weight and his health condition.
His most famous television role was his appearance in the last episode of "Seinfeld." Pinette played Howie, an overweight carjacking victim. While the crime was in progress, Seinfeld and the gang just watched and cracked jokes about Pinette's character.
His big screen performances include Trevor Gulf in 1992's "Revenge of the Nerds III: The Next Generation" and 1994's "Revenge of the Nerds IV: Nerds in Love," Micro in 1999's "Simon Sez" opposite NBA star Dennis Rodman, and Bumpo in the 2004 version of "The Punisher."
Pinette's last television project was with History 2 for the television series "All You Can Eat," a program which takes a humorous approach in discussing popular American food items.
Before his death, the actor was preparing for his next stand-up comedy project, "John Pinette: They Call Me Slim."
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