Anthony Clark, Stand-Up Comic and Star of Yes, Dear, Dies at 62

Anthony Clark, the comedian and actor widely recognized for his portrayal of Greg Warner in the CBS sitcom Yes, Dear, has died at 62. His friend and fellow cast member Mike O’Malley announced on Instagram that Clark died Tuesday. A cause of death was not immediately available.

In his tribute, O’Malley recalled speaking with Clark by telephone three weeks earlier and laughing with him during the conversation. He also said Clark had invested his earnings well and had largely retired after Yes, Dear finished. The two actors worked together on the comedy throughout its six-season run from 2000 to 2006.

Yes, Dear became Clark’s best-known television project. Featuring O’Malley, Liza Snyder and Jean Louisa Kelly alongside Clark, the series followed two young couples whose approaches to parenting differed sharply. Clark took on the role of Greg after appearing in several other television and film productions.

Born in Lynchburg, Virginia, on April 4, 1964, Clark studied mass communication at Emerson College, graduating in 1986. His talent for comedy earned recognition while he was still a student, when the American Collegiate Talent Showcase presented him with its Top College Comedian Award.

Clark’s first screen appearance came in a 1991 episode of American Playhouse. Five years later, he secured his first leading role in a series with NBC’s Boston Common. He played Boyd, a Virginian who relocates to Boston to keep watch on his sister as she begins college. Boyd ends up employed at the student union, where his behavior frequently causes trouble. The comedy aired for two seasons, from 1996 to 1997.

Stand-up remained a subject Clark spoke about with affection. In a 2006 interview with The Comic’s Comic, he described the appeal of getting an immediate audience response and performing without a director, writer or producer. He said he was glad people found him funny, even if he could not explain why.

His other screen credits spanned films and television, including Dogfight, The Thing Called Love, Ellen, The Rock, Soul Man, Say Uncle, My Uncle Rafael and West of Liberty.

O’Malley also remembered seeing Clark perform at Boston’s Comedy Connection while dating his wife, Lisa, in the mid-1990s. Clark was already well-known in the city and regularly sold out comedy shows, he said. O’Malley described a performer whose own laughter at the absurdity of his stories and observations made audiences laugh harder. As he put it: “I was a fan before I was a friend.”