Kevin Bleyer, the four-time Emmy-winning writer and producer who spent eight years on The Daily Show with Jon Stewart, died Sunday in a car crash, his wife Nella Vera announced.
Bleyer was a member of The Daily Show writing staff from 2005 to 2013, working on more than 1,000 episodes and specials during one of the show’s most decorated stretches. In addition to his four Emmys, he won a Writers Guild Award for his work on the show.
He was also among the Daily Show writers who worked on the 2006 and 2008 Academy Awards, which Stewart hosted.
Bleyer’s career in political comedy predated The Daily Show. After contributing commentary and freelance reporting to NPR’s All Things Considered and American Public Media’s Marketplace, he became a writer and producer for Politically Incorrect with Bill Maher, later working on Dennis Miller‘s short-lived CNBC show before joining The Daily Show.
His political writing extended beyond television. Bleyer contributed to a number of Barack Obama’s speeches, including his comedy-heavy addresses at the annual White House Correspondents’ Dinner.
Bleyer also took his experience in political satire overseas. In 2013, working as a consultant for USAID, he traveled to Kyrgyzstan to help develop Studio 7, a topical comedy program modeled in part on The Daily Show. Bleyer worked with the show’s local writers and performers as they adapted the format to Kyrgyz politics and culture.
He later did similar work in Nigeria, serving as a consultant, writer, and trainer on The Other News, which launched on Channels TV in 2017 as the country’s first prime-time political satire program.
Bleyer was also the author of Me the People: One Man’s Selfless Quest to Rewrite the Constitution of the United States of America and a co-author of Earth: The Book, the 2010 bestseller credited to Stewart and the writers of The Daily Show. With former New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson, Bleyer later co-wrote How to Sweet-Talk a Shark, inspired in part by a 2013 humanitarian trip to North Korea.
His television credits outside of late night included Sleepy Hollow and The Right Stuff.
Bleyer grew up in Washington state and attended Stanford University, where he studied communications and computer engineering before graduating with a degree in communications in 1994. An early internship at New York’s Public Theater saw him work with Anna Deavere Smith and Tony Kushner.
Vera said Bleyer is also survived by his father, brother, sister-in-law, niece, and nephew. A private gathering is planned, with a larger celebration of life to follow in the coming months.
She asked those wishing to honor Bleyer to consider donations to the Alzheimer’s Association New York City Chapter, where he volunteered, or the ASPCA.
Terrible news. I don’t know much about Kevin, but his time working on the Daily Show was the golden era of the franchise IMO so I’m sure he was an immense talent. I’ve lost multiple family members and close friends to automobile and motorcycle accidents over the years, all way too young. RIP