Alex Duong, actor, comedian, and writer, has died at 42 after a heartbreaking battle with a rare and aggressive cancer.
Duong had been diagnosed last year with alveolar rhabdomyosarcoma, a fast-moving soft tissue cancer. The disease led to major health complications, including a malignant growth that blocked blood flow to his optic nerve and caused vision loss.
He later underwent surgery, and friends launched a GoFundMe to help support his family as medical bills piled up and his ability to work was impacted.
According to a statement shared by friends Hilarie and Gregg Steele, Duong was hospitalized with septic shock on Friday night and died the following day at St. John’s Hospital in Santa Monica, California.
In an emotional message, his loved ones said he passed away peacefully while surrounded by love and close friends. They also shared that his wife, Christina, and daughter, Everest, were able to see him the night before, and that he was alert enough to say goodbye to his little girl.
The loss is especially devastating given how much Duong had been building in both comedy and acting before his diagnosis.
Before learning he had cancer, Duong had been set to perform in 41 states over the year, including dates with Daily Show correspondent Ronny Chieng. He had also been told by Donnie Wahlberg, his former Blue Bloods co-star, to get ready for a possible upcoming spinoff.
Duong had been a member of SAG-AFTRA since 2009 and built a career that included roles in shows like Dexter, Everybody Hates Chris, 90210, The Young and the Restless, and Pretty Little Liars. He also wrote for Netflix’s Historical Roasts.
In addition to acting and writing, Duong was deeply rooted in the comedy world. Starting in 2021, he worked as a door guy at the famous Comedy Store in Los Angeles, all while continuing to chase his dream as a stand-up comic.
Even during chemotherapy and radiation, Duong spoke openly about how much the comedy community meant to him. He praised fellow comics for showing up during one of the hardest times of his life, saying comedians understand the struggle of scraping by just to keep doing what they love.
That support became especially clear last August, when comedians including Ronny Chieng, Atsuko Okatsuka, Andrea Jin, and others came together for a benefit show in Los Angeles to help him and his family.
Duong is survived by his wife and daughter.