Jay Thomas dies: Emmy-winning Cheers/Murphy Brown actor and Letterman staple was 69

The Hollywood Reporter

Thomas, who died today after a battle with cancer, won two Emmys for his guest appearances on Murphy Brown, but he earned sitcom infamy by getting killed off on Cheers, where he played Carla Tortelli’s hockey-playing husband Eddie LeBec in nine episodes. From 1998 to 2014, Thomas was a Late Show with David Letterman Christmas tradition, telling Dave the same Lone Ranger story and tossing the football every year. Amid his acting gigs, Jay Thomas was a full-time morning DJ on Power 106 in Los Angeles in the ‘80s and ’90s. Most recently, Thomas had a show on SiriusXM and acted on Ray Donovan. PLUS: Celebs pay tribute: Murphy Brown creator Diane English tweeted that Thomas “was gifted. I would have loved to write another role for him. RIP Jay. Heartbroken to hear this news. One of a kind.”