‘In Living Color’ Veteran Reggie McFadden Dies in Tanzania as the Comedy World Mourns

For a generation of viewers, the early 1990s were a golden age of Black comedy on television, and Reggie McFadden was part of that wave. His path from Brooklyn open mics to HBO and network TV was a classic comedy-circuit success story.

He was born on November 30, 1968, and grew up in Brooklyn. According to a bio posted online, he chose comedy as a way to escape life in the projects, and he started out at open mic nights in Manhattan coffeehouses.

That career has now come to an end. McFadden has died at 57, with the news breaking on October 4, and the comedy community has spent the hours since remembering him.

His sister, best-selling author Bernice McFadden, told The Hollywood Reporter that the U.S. State Department notified the family he had died in Tanzania. McFadden had lived there for roughly 18 years.

The family still does not know when he died or what caused his death. Those questions remain open, and no further details have been confirmed.

His breakthrough came in 1991, when he landed a spot on HBO’s ‘Def Comedy Jam’. The showcase introduced a generation of Black stand-up comics to mainstream audiences, and McFadden became one of its notable alumni.

After moving to Los Angeles, he picked up small roles on ‘Martin,’ ‘Hangin’ With Mr. Cooper,’ ‘Moesha’ and ‘Coach.’ He also led the short-lived 1998 Fox comedy ‘Getting Personal.’

On the big screen, he appeared in ‘Jacob’s Ladder,’ ‘Minor Adjustments’ and ‘Little Nicky.’ His stand-up career kept growing as well, and he performed on late-night and comedy showcases including ‘Late Night with Conan O’Brien,’ ‘Late Show with David Letterman,’ ‘Tough Crowd with Colin Quinn’ and ‘Last Call with Carson Daly.’

McFadden is perhaps best remembered for ‘In Living Color,’ the Fox sketch series created by Keenen Ivory Wayans. He joined for the 1993-94 season and appeared in 23 episodes of the fifth and final season.

His sketches included ‘Wheel of Dozens’ and ‘All Up in the Family,’ which kept him in front of the show’s huge audience during its last run. For many fans, that single season is how they know his face.

He also had his own special on Comedy Central and performed regularly at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas. Those credits show a performer who worked across stand-up, sketch, sitcoms and film rather than in one lane.

Comic Tony Luewellyn paid tribute on Facebook, mourning McFadden as another fallen veteran of the comedy brotherhood. Comedian Guy Torry shared the news publicly and remembered him as a great writer, comedian, actor, father and friend.

Writer, producer, comedian and radio host Art Garfield also reacted on Facebook. Fans have been sharing memories online too, with many recalling his work on ‘In Living Color’ and ‘Def Comedy Jam.’

In his later years, McFadden’s public work shifted to Tanzania. According to The Hollywood Reporter’s report, his Facebook page listed him as the owner of Olduvai Records, a company that combined gold mining with entertainment production.

He is survived by his sons Jaron and Myles, his mother Vivian, his sisters Bernice and Misty, and his brother Kris. For now, the family is waiting on answers about his final days.

McFadden’s death takes another name from a pivotal moment in American comedy. The comedians who came up through ‘Def Comedy Jam’ and ‘In Living Color’ helped reshape what television audiences expected from stand-up and sketch, and he was a part of that.

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