Michael Lehrer Obituary, Death – Michael Lehrer, a former performer with Second City who continued to be active in the comedy world despite being diagnosed with ALS, passed away on Tuesday in Portland, Oregon. He was 44. He made the decision to take his own life with the help of a medical professional. Colette Montague, Michael’s lover as well as his caretaker, reported that he passed away “with dignity on his own terms.” “He did not have the slightest suicidal ideation…. The decision to use medical assistance in dying was the most difficult one he had to make.
In the later years of his life, Lehrer continued to conduct outrageous comedic monologues that centered on his experience living with a neurological condition. He told jokes while seated in a wheelchair with a voice that was slurred but robust. His jokes were characterized by biting insights and copious amounts of profanity. One liner read, “I have amyotrophic lateral sclerosis.” “I have one question: where, exactly, did all that money from the ice bucket go?”
In addition to this, he discussed his tendency to watch an excessive amount of television and made the observation that “Netflix is the best thing that occurred to disabled people since in-call hookers!” Lehrer was a frequent guest on the live, anything-goes-comedy podcast known as “Kill Tony,” which was recorded in Austin, Texas, and was frequently attended by Joe Rogan and Ron White. Between 2019 and 2022, he gave a total of 99 performances there.
According to close friend and frequent castmate Seth Weitberg, “He had no respect for where the line is, in the most beautiful way.” “A complete openness to pushing buttons, pushing boundaries, and following the funny no matter what,” He was an amazing ball of fire who was game for any kind of comedy and willing to do everything for it. During the 20 years that I’ve known him, he’s probably taken his shirt off for a joke somewhere around 10 of those years.
Lehrer was deeply ingrained in the Chicago comedy culture from an early age. After graduating from Columbia College, he went on to co-write and co-star in three revues at the Second City e.t.c. theater. Among his other castmates were future celebrities such as Aidy Bryant (“Saturday Night Live”), Chris Witaske (“Chicago Party Aunt”), and Tawny Newsome (“Space Force”).
Leave a Reply