Kevin Bleyer, Emmy- and Peabody-winning TV writer, dies at 54
Kevin Bleyer, a television writer who won an Emmy and a Peabody Award, died on Sunday, October 25, after a car accident on a rural road in Millrift, Pennsylvania. He was 54. His family announced the death, according to Deadline.
Millrift is where Bleyer had a country home. He was born in Bethesda, Maryland, and grew up in Seattle. He had lived in New York City for the last 20 years.
Much of his work was in comedy. Bleyer joined the writing staff of The Daily Show with Jon Stewart in 2006 and stayed until Stewart left the show in 2012. He is credited with contributing to 1,041 episodes. He also wrote for Politically Incorrect with Bill Maher.
His writing reached well beyond late-night television. He wrote speeches for President Barack Obama, including every address the president gave at the annual White House Correspondents' Dinner. Political speechwriting is usually done out of sight, so audiences rarely learn who wrote the words they hear.
Bleyer also wrote for scripted drama. His television credits include Disney+'s The Right Stuff, Fox's Sleepy Hollow and Bravo's Significant Others. He wrote the book Me the People: One Man's Selfless Quest to Rewrite the Constitution of the United States of America. He was also a co-author of Earth: The Book.
Bleyer leaves behind a body of work that spans news satire, presidential speeches, dramas and books. For the many viewers who watched him work through the years, his death is a loss that is easy to recognise on screen.
Our thoughts are with his family, friends and former colleagues.
