The Drew Carey Show Actors You May Not Know Passed Away
It's rare for a sitcom that first aired in 1995 to still hold up today, but "The Drew Carey Show" is one of the few exceptions. Looking back, it's easy to see why it endured for 233 episodes in its nine seasons. It starred standup comedian Drew Carey as himself, a lovable loser type whose struggles with work, finding love, and dieting made him relatable and easy to root for. At the end of the day, Drew was always the butt of the joke.
But besides Drew himself, "The Drew Carey Show" had one of the more impressive supporting casts of any sitcom ever, packed with veteran comedians. There were Drew's well-meaning but dim-witted best friends Lewis (Ryan Stiles) and Oswald (Diedrich Bader), his endearingly abrasive other best friend Kate (Christa Miller), his sharp-tongued work nemesis Mimi (Kathy Kinney), and his lecherous boss Mr. Wick (Craig Ferguson), just to name a few. And there's not even space to cover the many memorable supporting characters and guest stars.
But "The Drew Carey" Show has also been off the air since 2004, and some of the series regulars have sadly died. Here are actors from "The Drew Carey Show" you may not know have passed away.
Debbie Lee Carrington (Mini Mimi)
On "The Drew Carey Show," Drew's longtime nemesis was Mimi Bobeck (Kathy Kinney), his wildly made-up and sarcastic coworker at Winfred-Louder who always got the better of him. So, what was worse for Drew than Mimi? More Mimi. Enter "Mini Mimi," one of the funnier supporting characters in the series. Her real name was Doreen, and she appeared in four episodes total.
The person behind the character, Debbie Lee Carrington, first broke into acting by answering a casting call in a newsletter published by Little People of America. She went on to receive many credits as both an actress and stunt performer. As an actress, you've seen her in everything from "Return of the Jedi" to "Total Recall" to "Men in Black." As for her stunt roles, she often filled in for child actors, like she did on "Titanic." Her other stunt credits include "Bride of Chucky," "Curse of Chucky," and "Leprechaun 5: in the Hood."
She died in 2018 at age 58, per The New York Times.
Nan Martin (Fran Louder)
"The Drew Carey Show" fans no doubt remember Nan Martin, the powerhouse actress who played Drew's hilariously mean-spirited boss who wasn't above sleeping with employees and then favoring them.
But playing the owner of the Winfred-Louder department store was just one highlight in a career that began in the 1950s. Her Broadway debut came in the year 1950 in the play "A Story for a Sunday Evening." She received a Tony nomination in 1958 for the role of Sarah in "J.B.," a verse drama directed by Elia Kazan ("On the Waterfront").
Beyond her stage acting, Martin had over 130 credits in TV and film. Her TV appearances include "The Twilight Zone," "The Untouchables," "St. Elsewhere," and "E.R." On the big screen, some of her credits include "Hamlet," "Goodbye," "Columbus," "Shallow Hal," and "A Nightmare on Elm Street 3: Dream Warriors."
She died in 2010 at age 82 (via The New York Times).
Stanley Anderson (George Carey)
Drew Carey's fictional father, George Carey, was an all-American man's man sort of character, a Korean War veteran who worked a job he hated for 40 years. While he often tried to give Drew dating advice, Drew and his brother Steve often found themselves helping George be a better husband.
George was played by longtime character actor Stanley Anderson. He was a regular fixture on 90's sitcoms, playing the judge on the series finale of "Seinfeld' and making appearances on shows like "Just Shoot Me!" and "Ally McBeal." He also had many film roles, playing the President of the United States in two Michael Bay movies, "The Rock" and "Armageddon." He also had roles in "Spider-Man," "Primal Fear," "Arlington Road," and "Proof of Life." Altogether, Anderson had over 50 TV and film credits along with decades of experience acting in theater.
He died in 2018 at age 78 (via Deadline).