Emmy-winning comedian Louie Anderson is now in a Las Vegas hospital, receiving treatment for cancer. The 68-year-old was diagnosed with a type of non-Hodgkin lymphoma and is “resting comfortably,” his publicist Glenn Schwartz told TMZ Tuesday. Anderson is being treated for Diffuse large B-cell lymphoma. Schwartz did not say when Anderson was diagnosed and the comedian has not updated his Instagram page since October 2021.
Diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) is the most common type of non-Hodgkin lymphoma in the world, according to the Lymphoma Research Foundation. Over 18,000 people are diagnosed with DLBCL every year. Although it is aggressive, it is considered “potentially curable.”
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“DLBCL is an aggressive (fast-growing) NHL that affects B-lymphocytes. Lymphocytes are one type of white blood cell. B-cells are lymphocytes that make antibodies to fight infections and are an important part of the lymphatic system,” the foundation notes. “Although it can occur in childhood, the occurrence of DLBCL generally increases with age, and most patients are over the age of 60 at diagnosis.”
Anderson, a native of St. Paul, Minnesota, began performing in the early 1980s. One of his biggest early parts came in 1988, when he played Maurice in Coming to America (1988) and reprised the role in the sequel Coming 2 America. He also recently starred opposite Adam Sandler in Netflix’s Sandy Wexler.
Anderson has done more work on television. In 1997, he won a Daytime Emmy for his animated series Life With Louie, a Fox series loosely based on his own life. He also played Zach Galifianakis’ mother Christine Baskets in the acclaimed FX series Baskets. The part won him the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series in 2016. He was nominated for the part in 2017 and 2018 as well.
The comedian’s other TV credits include Grace Under Fire, Love & War, The Louie Show, Ally McBeal, Nash Bridges, Scripsย and Joey. He also hosted Family Feud from 1999 to 2002. More recently, Anderson starred in an episode of Young Sheldon and had a recurring part in the TBS/HBO Max series Search Party.ย
