Comedian and actor Charlie Murphy, older brother of Eddie Murphy and staple of “The Dave Chappelle Show” passed away this morning after a battle with leukemia.
His death was first reported by TMZ.
The celebrity news and gossip site said Charlie’s manager confirmed his passing Wednesday morning in a New York City hospital, where he had been undergoing chemotherapy.
He made a name for himself in his own right as a featured player on Chappelle’s Comedy Central sketch comedy show – which became an instant pop culture phenomenon during its three seasons on the air.
His most popular contributions were the pair of “Charlie Murphy True Hollywood Stories.” The skits featured tales of his encounters with late music icons Rick James andPrince.
Charlie also co-wrote some of Eddie Murphy’ s movies, including “Norbit” and “Vampire in Brooklyn.” He co-starred in “Are We There Yet?,” “The Boondocks” and “Black Jesus.”
He recently toured with Cedric the Entertainer, Eddie Griffin, George Lopez and D.L. Hughley on “The Comedy Get Down.”
Charlie’s wife, Tisha Taylor Murphy, died in 2009 from cervical cancer. They had 2 children, and he had another from a previous relationship.
Information from TMZ.com contributed to this report.
