Actor Shelly Desai, who was well-known for starring in It’s Always Sunny In Philadelphia, has passed away aged 90.
Well-known for playing the role of landlord Hwang in the sitcom, Desai appeared in a variety of projects across his career, including in an episode of Star Trek: The Next Generation as V’Sal, and TV series Men Of A Certain Age as Carlos.
The news of his passing was confirmed by his family, with stepdaughter Dawn Lerman Vaccaro writing on Facebook: “The kindest person in the world passed away today. I am beyond heartbroken.
“He was my mother, Phyllis’s husband, soul mate, my stepfather, my kids grandfather and my cheerleader for all my creative projects. Besides his friend and his family the thing he cared most about was acting and charity. Last month he filmed three commercials.”
She added that Desai “lived in an amazing life and believed in reincarnation”, encouraging fans to share posts of him to share in a planned documentary, before adding: “When we could wrap around our heads around all of this, as it was very sudden, we will print out all these wonderful post memories and stories.”
She further said in a separate post: “He was that guy if you watched enough TV, films, or plays, you saw him — and said it: ‘Oh, that guy.’
“With over 92 credits, he was a completely memorable character actor who could walk into a scene, raise one eyebrow, and suddenly everyone else had to work harder. That’s how he showed up for his friends and family, too. He was my mom’s longtime boyfriend and soulmate.”
Desai was born in Mumbai (then Bombay) before moving to the US in the 1960s to pursue studies in engineering, though found his way into acting.
He established a career in New York theatre in the 1970s, before breaking into TV, with his many credits across the decades including roles in in The A-Team, Hill Street Blues and St. Elsewhere, as well as Friends, E.R., Where On Earth Is Carmen Sandiego? and Curb Your Enthusiasm.
On the film side of things, he starred in the likes of Phantom Of The Paradise, Toys, Thelma & Louise and Paul Blart: Mall Cop 2.
Alongside his stepdaughter, Desai is survived by wife Phyllis, stepdaughter April and three grandchildren.