Comedian-actor Alex Duong dies at 42 after battling rare cancer
What's the story
Alex Duong, a Los Angeles-based comedian, writer, and actor, has passed away at the age of 42. The news was confirmed by his friend Hilarie Steele via a GoFundMe page created for Duong's family. He was diagnosed with alveolar rhabdomyosarcoma last year, which is a rare and aggressive cancer that affects soft tissue. The Blue Bloods actor underwent surgery to remove a malignant growth that blocked blood flow to his optic nerve and caused vision loss.
Health decline
'He was comfortable and thankfully out of pain'
Steele had earlier shared that Duong's health took a turn for the worse last week when he went "into septic shock, a severe and life-threatening infection that has overwhelmed his body." He was hospitalized at St. John's Hospital in Santa Monica, California, where he died on Sunday morning (March 29). "He was comfortable and thankfully out of pain," Steele wrote in her post announcing his death.
Family's gratitude
Wife and daughter could see him before death
Steele also shared that Duong's wife Christina and daughter Everest were able to see him before he died. "We are devastated, but so grateful for the support, prayers, and generosity you have all shown during this unimaginable time," she wrote. The family is planning a celebration of Duong's life in the coming days.
Career highlights
Duong wrote for Netflix's Historical Roasts'
Duong was a member of SAG-AFTRA since 2009 and had appeared in shows like Dexter, Everybody Hates Chris, 90210, The Young and the Restless, and Pretty Little Liars. He also wrote for Netflix's Historical Roasts. Last January, he was scheduled to perform across 41 states with some dates alongside The Daily Show correspondent Ronny Chieng. Donnie Wahlberg, his co-star on Blue Bloods, had asked him to prepare for an upcoming spinoff.