Harry Anderson, R.I.P.

Actor, comedian and magician Harry Anderson, best known as the star of NBC's long running sitcom Night Court, was found dead this morning in his home in Asheville, North Carolina. Foul play is not suspected. Anderson was 65.

I first remember Anderson in the early 1980's with his magic act on Saturday Night Live and his cameo appearances on Cheers as the con man Harry The Hat. In 1984, Night Court became a mid-season replacement on NBC and would become a staple of the network's Thursday night lineup before concluding in 1992. Anderson moved over to CBS where he played syndicated columnist Dave Barry in Dave's World from 1993 to 1997.

Over the past 20 years, Anderson receded from the limelight retreating to New Orleans then to Asheville, NC when his home was destroyed after Hurricane Katrina. Anderson made a notable cameo appearance on the NBC sitcom 30 Rock in what was a mini-Night Court reunion with co-stars Markie Post and Charles Robinson.

Anderson didn't do a lot of interviews. But here he is on the Tonight Show with Johnny Carson in March 1987 in which Anderson and Carson discuss their mutual love of magic. R.I.P.