Reggie McFadden, the Brooklyn-born comedian and actor who broke through on HBO’s Def Comedy Jam before joining the final season of Fox’s influential sketch series In Living Color, has died at 57.
McFadden’s sister, author Bernice McFadden, told The Hollywood Reporter that the family was informed by the U.S. State Department that he had died in Tanzania, where he had lived for roughly 18 years. She said the family had not yet been told when he died or the cause of death.
Born Nov. 30, 1968, McFadden grew up in Brooklyn and pursued stand-up comedy before appearing on Def Comedy Jam in 1991. The HBO showcase became a major platform for Black comedians in the 1990s and helped introduce McFadden to a wider television audience.
After moving to Los Angeles, he accumulated guest roles on sitcoms including Martin, Hangin’ With Mr. Cooper, Moesha and Coach. His most substantial television run came on In Living Color, where he appeared during the 1993-94 fifth and final season.
McFadden was featured in 23 episodes of the Fox sketch series, appearing in segments including “Wheel of Dozens,” “All Up in the Family” and the “Dirty Dozens Tournament of Champions.”
His later television credits included the 1998 Fox comedy Getting Personal and an appearance on HBO’s Curb Your Enthusiasm, where he played Officer Burt, a neighbor of Larry David, in a 2001 episode. He also appeared in films including Jacob’s Ladder and Little Nicky.
Beyond television and film, McFadden continued performing stand-up. He had a Comedy Central special and performed regularly in Las Vegas, including at Caesars Palace. Deadline also noted his work as a regular Las Vegas performer.
In later years, McFadden developed business and entertainment ventures in Tanzania. On his Facebook page, he listed himself as the owner of Olduvai Records, an entertainment production company that is engaged in gold mining.
Olduvai had a distribution arrangement with Sony Music’s The Orchard. McFadden released the album ENJOY, Vol. 1 through the label in May 2025.
McFadden is survived by his mother, Vivian; his sisters Bernice and Misty; his brother, Kris; and his sons, Jaron and Myles.
His death closes a career that crossed several distinct eras of American comedy, from the early-1990s stand-up boom and network sketch television to sitcoms, film and later independent entertainment ventures overseas.
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