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 When the researchers looked at the ages of those who had died in each group, they found that the stand-ups died younger, with the average age of death just 67.1 years compared to 68.9 for comedy actors and 70.7 for dramatic actors.
When the researchers looked at the ages of those who had died in each group, they found that the stand-ups died younger, with the average age of death just 67.1 years compared to 68.9 for comedy actors and 70.7 for dramatic actors. Photograph: Adam Taylor/Getty Images
When the researchers looked at the ages of those who had died in each group, they found that the stand-ups died younger, with the average age of death just 67.1 years compared to 68.9 for comedy actors and 70.7 for dramatic actors. Photograph: Adam Taylor/Getty Images

No laughing matter as researchers show that stand-ups die young

This article is more than 7 years old

Study suggests that standups tend to die younger than actors, and the funniest comedians were more likely to have a shorter lifespan than less funny comics

Death has the last laugh on all of us, but it seems that this is particularly true for standup comics. Research has revealed that they are more likely to die prematurely than dramatic actors, with funnier comics even more likely to die before their time.

The research follows a number of deaths of high-profile comedians including Rik Mayall, Robin Williams and Victoria Wood, and is the latest in a string of studies by researchers in Australia who are keen to unpick the reasons why being funny isn’t always a laughing matter.

Previous research from the team appeared to show that funnier comics died younger, with the so-called funny man in a comedy duo likely to die younger than the straight man.

“It started with Robin Williams - I was musing with a friend about good comedians dying young,” said lead author Simon Stewart from the Mary MacKillop Institute of Health Research at Australian Catholic University. “It then struck me that in every comedy duo I loved growing up (The Two Ronnies and Morecambe and Wise etc), the funnier of the two died first.”

Published in the International Journal of Cardiology, the latest study sought to understand whether the tendency to die young was confined to comedians or whether it was a general phenomenon among entertainers.

To unpick the trends, the team looked at the top 200 men and women within the categories of standup comedians, such as Richard Pryor; comedy actors, such as Jim Carrey; and dramatic actors, such as Jodie Foster, as publicly voted for on the website ranker.com.

When individuals appeared on more than one list, they were only counted once and were assigned to the funniest of the groups in which they appeared. The hugely talented Robin Williams, for example, appeared in all three lists but was only counted as a standup comic.

In total, the research focused on 200 standup comedians, 114 comedy actors and 184 dramatic actors. When the researchers looked at the ages of those who had died in each group, they found that the standups died younger, with the average age of death just 67.1 years, compared to 68.9 for comedy actors and 70.7 for dramatic actors.

Once date of birth and life expectancy were taken into account, standup comedians were found to be more likely to die prematurely than dramatic actors, although there was no difference with comedy actors. Of the 36 standups who had died, nearly 39% had passed away prematurely, compared to almost 20% of the 56 dramatic actors who had died.

The researchers also found that comedians ranked higher by the public were more likely to have a shorter lifespan than their less funny colleagues. But the trend was reversed for dramatic actors and, to a lesser extent, comedy actors. “When you adjusted for the age of a dramatic actor versus a standup comedian, the higher you were ranked in your acting ability the more likely you were to live longer,” said Stewart.

While the numbers involved in the study were small, the research also hints that standup comedians are more likely to die from non-natural causes, such as suicide or accidents, than dramatic or comedy actors. However, more than 80% of the deaths recorded for stand-up comedians were from natural causes.

Stewart says the phenomenon is complex, with a number of factors potentially at play. Among them, he suggests, the pressures of standup such as low pay and job insecurity, as well as irregular hours, could affect health, with personality also a possible factor. “There are a combination of things that contributed to their deaths and it might be about this intrinsic stress of being a comedian.”

Comedian Holly Burn, who is due to appear at the Edinburgh Fringe next month in her show I Am Special, said that “comedians live on the edge.”

“The highs are huge, the lows are huge. But the thing that distinguishes it from acting or other performing is the loneliness,” she said. “The life of a comic demands constant self analysis, self motivation and a very clear sense of self. All this coupled with an unconventional lifestyle surely puts a strain on us?”

Stewart believes the findings suggest standup comedians - and even funny friends - might need extra support.

“We think of them as just people that are heroes because they make us laugh and the have this bulletproof aura,” he said. “But this data tells us they are quite sensitive souls underneath there and we need to protect them.”

In the UK, the Samaritans can be contacted on 116 123. In the US, the National Suicide Prevention Hotline is 1-800-273-8255. In Australia, the crisis support service Lifeline is on 13 11 14. Hotlines in other countries can be found here

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