‘Workaholics’ Star Dead After Heartbreaking ALS Fight: Waymond Lee Was 72

Waymond Lee, best known for his role in the Comedy Central sitcom Workaholics, has died. The actor’s wife, Diane, and sister, Norine Lee, confirmed to TMZ that Lee passed away on Wednesday, Dec. 18 due to following complications from ALS, or Lou Gehrig’s Disease, a progressive neurodegenerative disease that affects nerve cells in the brain and spinal cord. He was 82.

Lee was first diagnosed with a brain disease in October, his family said, but further testing earlier this month revealed he was suffering from amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). After he began experiencing difficulty breathing and swallowing, he was hospitalized, and he was reportedly in the hospital for just over a week before he passed away with his wife by his side. His family described him as a “soft-hearted” and “sentimental person” who loved his work as an actor.

Lee, who was born March 7, 1952, was best known for his role as Waymond, or Old Way Way, on Workaholics. The series aired on Comedy Central for seven seasons from 2011 to 2017, with Lee appearing in more than half of the show’s 86 episodes. The Emmy-nominated series also centered around three friends – portrayed by Adam DeVine, Blake Anderson, and Anders Holm – who work together as telemarketers from 9 to 5, and live together from 5 to 9. Lee was cast in the show after he responded to a Craigslist ad seeking local actors, Holm told The Hollywood Reporter in 2013.

Paying tribute to Lee on Instagram, DeVine remembered the late star as a “true professional” who was “always down to do whatever insane thing we wrote for him on Workaholics. He was always game.”

“Even though I haven’t seen him since the Workaholics days this is hitting me like a brick to the face,” he continued, adding that he was “gutted” by Lee’s passing. “When I think of our show I think of Waymond. The older I get the more I realize what a special time that was. You will be missed Way Way!”

Outside of Workaholics, Lee also appeared in Everything Everywhere All At Once as a film producer in one of the timelines with Michelle Yeoh. His other credits include movies like Bullet Train, Iron Man 2, and My Name Is Khan, per his IMDb profile, as well as shows like Bones, Desperate Housewives, NCIS: Los Angeles, House, CSI: NY, Grey’s Anatomy, Dexter, Castle, How I Met Your Mother, Parks and Recreation, It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia, Shameless, Lucifer, and more.

Lee is survived by his wife, Diane Lee, and his sister, Norine Lee.