Rick Ducommun : Comedian and “Scary Movie” Actor Dies at 62

Canadian actor and comedian Rick Ducommun has died in Vancouver at the age of 62.

Rick Ducommun had his breakout role in 1989’s “The ‘Burbs” opposite Tom Hanks, and director Joe Dante tweeted out his condolences on Thursday. Dante said that the late actor was a virtually unknown stand-up comic when he auditioned for the dark comedy, but “knocked it out of the park,” beating out more established stars like Rick Moranis for the part.

“Lots of the funniest stuff he says was totally ad libbed,” Dante wrote, adding that Ducommun was “A very funny guy” who was “Too young to go.”

In addition to that cult classic, Rick Ducommun also had small roles in many movies including “Gremlins 2: The New Batch” (another collaboration with Dante), Bill Murray classic “Groundhog Day,” “Die Hard,” “Little Monsters,” “The Hunt for Red October,” “The Last Boy Scout,” “Last Action Hero,” “Blank Check,” and “Scary Movie” (he played Anna Faris’s father). He also worked steadily on television, appearing on “The Wayans Bros.” sitcom, “Murphy Brown,” “Moonlighting,” and “NYPD Blue,” among others.

Rick Ducommun died on June 12 in Vancouver, surrounded by family. His official Twitter account also shared the news, writing that Ducommun was a “beloved comedian, actor, family man, and all around amazing guy.”

Agencies/Canadajournal