Jak Knight, a stand-up comedian, actor and writer best known for co-creating and starring in Peacock’s “Bust Down” series, has died at 28.
Knight died in his Los Angeles apartment Thursday of unconfirmed causes, a representative for the comedian stated. Knight’s family is choosing not to share additional details at this time, as reported by USA Today.
“Knight’s loved ones ask that their privacy please be respected during this extremely difficult time,” the representative said, per The Hollywood Reporter.
Knight brought laughter to fans of “Bust Down” alongside the comedy series’ co-creators and co-stars Langston Kerman, Sam Jay and Chris Redd. The four real-life friends drew upon their natural chemistry while portraying “four casino employees living dead-end lives with dead-end jobs in middle America, and the massive mess they manage to make out of it.”
Prior to the show’s premiere in March, the multitalented entertainer spent 2017 to 2021 voice acting as Devon on Netflix’s animated comedy series “Big Mouth,” and premiered his 30-minute stand-up special in Netflix’s 2018 “The Comedy Lineup” series, USA Today reported.
Knight said he had goals to continue his steady ascent in the comedy world and release more specials in a 2018 interview with RESPECT, adding that he loved working as a writer and voice actor “in the room with some of the most brilliant people alive.”
“I get to sit across the table with people like Jordan Peele & Maya Rudolph it’s surreal but it’s a lot of work, work,” Knight said, referencing his time on “Big Mouth.”
He additionally co-created and executive produced Netflix’s “PAUSE with Sam Jay,” which premiered in 2021, according to the outlet.
Knight’s fans, friends and collaborators took to social media over the weekend to share condolences and stories of how he impacted them, per TODAY.
“I don’t know what to say. I met Jak Knight when he was a teenager. I’ll never forget the weekend me, him and Mo Welch did a casino show for a bunch of Trump voters. One crowd was especially hateful and he didn’t hold back a single punch,” tweeted comedian and writer Solomon Georgio.
“It was all venom and hilarious,” Georgio added. “He was (a) veteran comic before he turned 21. Rest in power, young icon.”
“Stand up is so f***ed up because we surround ourselves with dope people that we never make an effort to see more often because we always assume we’ll see each other around,” tweeted comedian and writer Ify Nwadiwe. “Jak Knight was such a force. I don’t know what to say. RIP.”
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