Comedian David A. Arnold, an actor/producer who headlined two Netflix comedy specials, and was a writer/producer on the streamer’s ‘Fuller House’ reboot, died on Sept. 7 at age 54.
At the time of his sudden death, Arnold was three stops into a four-month national comedy tour. The Arnold family issued a statement confirming the death. “It is with great sadness that we confirm the untimely passing of our husband, father, brother and friend, David A. Arnold. David passed away peacefully today in his home and doctors have ruled the cause of death due to natural causes. Please keep our family in prayer and respect our privacy at this time, as we are all shocked and devastated by this loss.”
Arnold started his career as a stand-up comic; he also wrote for several comedy series, including Meet The Browns, The Rickey Smiley Show, Raising Whitley, and Tyler Perry’s House of Payne. He also created and was executive producer/showrunner on Nickelodeon’s hit series That Girl Lay Lay. Nickelodeon said in a statement :“We are shocked and incredibly saddened by the sudden passing of our dear friend and creative partner, David A. Arnold. David was an immense talent and a gifted storyteller with a wide range of fans, from adults through his stand-up, to kids and families through the Nickelodeon show he created and executive produced for us, ‘That Girl Lay Lay.’ On behalf of everyone at Nickelodeon, we send our thoughts and condolences to his family, his friends and his fans.”
Arnold’s first stand-up comedy special for Netflix, ‘David A. Arnold: Fat Ballerina,’ debuted in 2019. His recent Netflix comedy special ‘It Ain’t For The Weak’ premiered this past July 19.
Arnold is survived by his wife, Julie L. Harkness, and two children, Anna-Grace and Ashlyn.
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