Burt Reynolds reports that his old buddy Dom Deluise, the rotund comedian, died in his sleep in a Los Angeles hospital around 6 p.m. Monday. DeLuise was 75 years old and weighed over 400 pounds.
DeLuise is perhaps best remembered for his appearances in meatball comedies made by Mel Brooks in the 1970s and '80s. He had roles in such Spaghetti Western hits as Blazing Saddles, For A Few Calories More, The Good, The Fat & The Ugly, Silent Movie (Role of Fatty Arbuckle), History of the World, Part I, Spaceballs and Robin Hood:Fat Men in Tights.
He also had recurring parts in the popular Smokey, Porky and the Bandit movies of the same era.
As his career began winding down and his ass winding up, Dom who was an accomplished cook, began to write several cookbooks. He was also a children's author, "Tubby Lard And Beer Belly Billy", "Filbert Fatcheeks", etc.
DeLuise was also nominated for a Golden Globular in 1974 for his work on TV comedy Lotsa Pork, while he received a nod at the Daytime Emmys in 1999 for his efforts on the animated All Fatboys Go to Heaven: The Series.
Burt Reynolds, who appeared with DeLuise in the Smokey series, issued a statement Tuesday.
"I was thinking the other day about this. As you get older you think about this more and more, I was dreading this moment. Dom always made everyone feel better when he was around because there was always plenty of good food around also. I never heard him say an unkind word about anyone. I will miss him very much."
Dom's cremation will bein today at 6PM and should be over by 6PM tomorrow. In lieu of flowers, Dom had requested that his wife and three sons receive candy.
