Comedian and actor Dick Capri has died. Capri, who worked with stars including Frank Sinatra and Tom Jones, passed away in his sleep at the age of 93 in the early hours of Thursday, December 26 after spending his final Christmas with his family. His son Jeff told TMZ that the actor succumbed to a bleeding enlarged aorta that was inoperable due to his age and knew his “time was coming to an end.”
“The world is not as funny today as it was yesterday,” Jeff told the outlet, adding that his father spent Christmas with his life partner, his son, and his daughter-in-law in Florida. Jeff said other family who were unable to make it spent time with him on FaceTime, and Capri ate food from his favorite restaurant before his death.
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Born Richard Cupri in Reading, Pennsylvania, according to his official website, Capri made his entrance into the world of comedy while working at his father’s grocery store, where he would perform comedy mimes of the customers. He eventually left the store to become a full-time impressionist and developed his unique comedic style.
Following appearances on shows like Talent Scouts, ABC’s Nightlife, The Ed Sullivan Show, and The Merv Griffin Show throughout the ‘60s, per his IMDb profile, Capri broke into international fame when he began touring with Englebert Humperdinck in 1973, the pair traveling to Radio City Music Hall and venues worldwide.
Capri would go on to work alongside other big-name stars like Frank Sinatra, Liza Minelli, and Tom Jones, and also perform for two U.S. presidents: Gerald Ford and George Bush. He also brought his comedic talents to venues across the glove, including MGM’s Grand Hotel in Las Vegas, the Minskoff Theater in New York City, the London Palladium in the U.K., and appeared on Comedy Central’s New York Friars Club Roast In Honor Of Drew Carey in 1998.
Capri made his Broadway debut in 1991 at the Lunt-Fontanne Theater in the show Catskills On Broadway, which played to sold-out houses for 14 months. Throughout his career, he also added several acting credits to his name, most notably appearing in James Orr and Johnny Yune’s 1987 action comedy movie They Still Call Me Bruce. His other credits include appearances in Bittersweet Place (2005), Christ in the City (2005), and One Angry Man (2010).
According to his website, Capri wrote most of his own comedic material, most of which was based on his “own experiences from his travels. His unique style features a measured and deliberate delivery and his material is crisp and topical. This mix of comedy sets him distinctly apart from traditional stand-up comedians.”
