Anthony Clark, Star of 'Yes, Dear' and Boston Stand-Up Headliner, Dies at 62

Anthony Clark, the stand-up comedian who starred as Greg Warner on the CBS sitcom "Yes, Dear," died Tuesday, Nov. 10, at age 62. His former co-star Mike O'Malley announced the death on social media Wednesday, Nov. 11.

No cause of death has been disclosed.

"Anthony Clark died yesterday," O'Malley wrote. "He was a hilarious guy. When my wife Lisa and I were dating back in the mid-nineties, Anthony was already famous in Boston, regularly selling out comedy shows."

O'Malley said the first time he and his wife saw Clark perform, at The Comedy Connection, "we laughed and laughed and laughed." He described Clark as "one of those comics who is laughing along with you at the absurdity of his stories and observations."

"I was a fan before I was a friend," O'Malley wrote. He said the two had spoken by phone three weeks earlier and that Clark "had us laughing loudly once again."

O'Malley also posted snapshots from the final episode of "Yes, Dear," which ended 20 years ago.

From Lynchburg to Boston stages

Clark was born April 4, 1964, in Lynchburg, Virginia. He graduated from Emerson College in Boston in 1986 with a degree in mass communication. While there he won the Top College Comedian Award from the American Collegiate Talent Showcase.

In a 2006 interview with The Comics Comic, he explained the appeal of stand-up. "I love stand-up because the reaction is immediate. There's no director. There's no writer. No producer. There's just you," he said. "I don't want to have a real job. I just want to hang out."

He appeared in HBO's 1995 "Young Comedians" special alongside Dave Chappelle, Dave Attell, Garry Shandling and Louis C.K. He also appeared in "Dr. Katz, Professional Therapist."

The sitcom years

Clark's first lead TV role came in 1996 on NBC's "Boston Common." He played Boyd, a Virginia transplant who moves to Boston to keep tabs on his sister at college. The show ran two seasons, 1996 to 1997.

Then came "Yes, Dear." Created by Greg Garcia and Alan Kirschenbaum, it debuted on CBS in 2000 and ran six seasons and 122 episodes, signing off in 2006. Clark and Jean Louisa Kelly played married parents Greg and Kim. Liza Snyder played Kim's sister Christine, and O'Malley played Christine's husband Jimmy. The two couples shared a house and clashed over how to raise their kids.

He later led CBS's "Soul Man." His film credits include "Dogfight," "A Thing Called Love" and Michael Bay's "The Rock," in which he played a flamboyant barber who cuts Sean Connery's hair. He hosted Season 4 of NBC's "Last Comic Standing" in 2006. Bill Bellamy took over the job in Season 5.

O'Malley also said in his tribute that Clark "invested his money well and essentially retired after we wrapped."

Comedians remember him

Fellow comedians who came up with Clark in Boston posted their own tributes.

"I performed with Anthony during our early years in Boston at the Faneuil Hall Comedy Connection," Dane Cook wrote. "He was one of the best live acts I've ever seen."

Jay Mohr wrote: "Never saw anyone destroy like Tony at Stitches in Boston."

Nick Swardson, who said he opened for Clark for years, posted on Instagram: "This is my friend Anthony Clark. One of my best friends for a long time... He was a massive stand up out of Boston... I had so many great times with this dude. Non stop laughs." O'Malley replied that Clark "was always bragging about your comedy from the get-go."

The death was announced through O'Malley's posts. Clark's representatives and family have not publicly commented, and the circumstances of his death remain unexplained.