George Carlin died of heart failure Sunday in Los Angeles. He was 71.
The comedian, oft-praised as a genius, leaves behind a legacy of playing a cloying homosexual in the film "The Prince of Tides" as well as his seminal role of Rufus in both "Bill and Ted's" films. He was also once on an episode of "That Girl."
Despite the one-season sitcom he starred in in the 1990's and his influential commercials for Honda and 1-800-COLLECT, many people may be surprised to discover that Carlin was once a controversial and counter-cultural force in American comedy. In those iconic days of the 1970's, Carlin often railed against commercialism and the forces of marketing gone horribly out of control.
He was preceded in death by his integrity, his wit, and his sense of knowing when a joke wasn't working.
Written by Dignan