Actor Jay Thomas in 2014. Photo / Getty
Jay Thomas, who appeared in shows such as Cheers, Murphy Brown and Ray Donovan has died of cancer aged 69.
Don Buchwald, his agent and friend, reported his death to The New York Daily News.
Thomas played Eddie LeBec, the hockey-playing husband of Rhea Perlman's Carla on Cheers from 1987-1989.
The New York Post reveals that his character was killed off when Perlman heard about him talking about what it is like to work on Cheers.
"It's brutal. I have to kiss Rhea Perlman," he allegedly said.
When Cheers came back for Season Eight, Eddie was nowhere to be seen and it was revealed he died in a freak accident with a zamboni (the machine used to resurface the ice).
It was revealed at his funeral that he'd been a polygamist all along. His other wife, it turned out, looked just like Carla.
He then transitioned to Murphy Brown, where he played the obnoxious TV talk show host Jerry Gold, Candice Bergen's, on-again, off-again love interest in the show from 1989-1998. He won two Emmys for the role.
He also had bit parts on Family Ties and The Golden Girls.
Most recently he had a stint on Liev Schreiber's hit show Ray Donovan.
He was also known for his role in Mr Holland's Opus.
Murphy Brown's creator Diane English gave Thomas his own show in 1992 called Love and War, in which he starred opposite Susan Dey, and then Annie Potts, as egotistical sportswriter, Jack Stein.
He got his big break in 1979 on Mork & Mindy, playing Remo DaVinci opposite Robin Williams and Pam Dawber.
He is survived by his wife Sally and sons Sam, Max and J.T
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