Waymond Lee, the actor best known for his work in Comedy Central‘s sitcom Workaholics, has died at the age of 72.
The news was first reported by TMZ, which attributed confirmation of the death to sister Norine Lee and wife Diane Lee. The actor died Dec. 18 following complications from ALS, or Lou Gehrig’s Disease, a progressive neurodegenerative disease that affects nerve cells in the brain and spinal cord.
Lee, who was born March 7, 1952, appeared in more than half of the show’s 86 episodes. Starring Adam DeVine, Blake Anderson and Anders Holm, the Southern California-set comedy follows members of an aimless friend group with Peter Pan syndrome, who work at a telemarketing company 9 to 5 and live together 5 to 9. The Emmy-nominated series ran for seven seasons from 2011 to 2017. Lee portrayed Waymond/Old Way Way in over 40 episodes.
Per TMZ, Lee was first diagnosed with a degenerative brain disorder in October, with further testing this month revealing the disease as ALS. The performer returned to the hospital after a week at home, as he had trouble breathing and swallowing. He died with his wife at his side after being hospitalized for less than a week, per the outlet. He was described by his wife and sister as “soft-hearted” and a “sentimental person,” who loved his work as an actor — overtime included.
Watch on Deadline
In addition to Workaholics, Lee also appeared in Everything Everywhere All At Once, including in the seat next to Michelle Yeoh’s character as a movie producer in the timeline during which Evelyn becomes a famed film star. His additional credits include movies like Bullet Train, Iron Man 2 and My Name Is Khan.
Lee’s TV roles were prolific, a mix of uncredited and background appearances dating back to the late 2000s, per IMDb. Among his performances: 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, Veep, How to Get Away With Murder, Station 19 and Lucifer.
He also appeared in music videos for the likes of Enrique Iglesias, Jennifer Lopez, Ne-Yo, Maroon 5 and SZA, Ed Sheeran and Pharell.