Anthony Clark, the comedian and actor best known for playing Greg Warner on the long-running sitcom “Yes, Dear,” has died at age 62. News of his death spread this week through tributes from friends and former castmates who remembered him as a force on the Boston comedy scene long before he became a familiar face on network television.
Clark died at age 62, according to a friend and former co-star, with the date given as Tuesday. The Hollywood Reporter confirmed Clark’s death and noted that the cause was not immediately available at the time of its report, while Rolling Stone reported that Deadline confirmed Clark died Tuesday and that the cause was believed to be complications from pneumonia. The Washington Times also reported that Clark died from complications of pneumonia, though accounts of the exact cause have varied across outlets.
From Lynchburg Roots to the Boston Stage
Clark was born in Lynchburg, Virginia, and raised in nearby Gladys, according to the Los Angeles Times. He began his career as a stand-up comedian before graduating from Emerson College in 1986 with a degree in mass communication, per the Hollywood Reporter’s reporting.
It was in Boston’s comedy clubs that Clark first built a following, and that chapter of his career resurfaced often in the tributes that followed his death. Actor Mike O’Malley announced Clark’s death on social media Wednesday, describing him as a hilarious and distinctive comedian. O’Malley wrote in an Instagram post that he and his wife Lisa were dating in the mid-1990s when “Anthony was already famous in Boston, regularly selling out comedy shows,” adding that the pair had laughed at Clark’s performance at the Comedy Connection and had spoken with him by phone just weeks earlier, when he again made them laugh.
Sitcom Roles That Defined a Career
Clark’s first lead role came in 1996 on NBC’s “Boston Common,” which ran for two seasons through 1997, according to the Hollywood Reporter. Before that, he had appeared in a recurring role on ABC’s “Ellen” from 1995 to 1996, per TV Insider, and he joined the cast of ABC’s “Soul Man” in 1997.
His best-known role came later, as Greg Warner on “Yes, Dear,” which aired on CBS for six seasons from 2000 to 2006. Reports differ on another chapter of his television résumé: the Los Angeles Times reported that Clark hosted the fourth season of NBC’s “Last Comic Standing,” while Rolling Stone reported he hosted the sixth season of the show in 2006.
Comedy World Remembers a Boston Original
Barry Katz, who served as Clark’s manager, shared a tribute to him on Instagram, calling him one of the funniest people he had ever met and noting that Clark was one of his first clients. Comedians Nick Swardson and Greg Fitzsimmons both remembered Clark as a standout from the Boston comedy scene of that era.
Fitzsimmons said he was in awe of Clark’s performances, while Swardson said he felt lucky to have opened for him and recalled many great times together filled with nonstop laughs. The tributes, first detailed by WGN-TV, painted a picture of a comedian whose influence on the Boston club circuit helped set the stage for the sitcom career that followed.
