Actor Jeff Conaway passed away yesterday, May 27, 2011, at the age of 60. Geek fans will remember him from television shows such as Babylon 5 and Freddy’s Nightmares, but he is also more popularly known from Grease and Taxi.

Conaway’s passing is a sad long story… At the beginning of May he was apparently dealing with pneumonia, and was taking a lot of medication to deal with the illness. Several days later, he was found unconscious on May 11, where it was discovered he had overdosed on painkillers (some media outlets have speculated other prescription medications as well) almost 10 hours before being found.

He was placed in a medically induced coma in the hospital, and was subsequently taken off life support on May 26. The following day, he died.

Jeff Conaway got his first major break on the television show Taxi, after having acted in theater before that point. Later, in 1978, he was cast in the film adaptation of Grease (he had also performed in the theater version years earlier). Since those roles, he also played roles in television shows such as The Bold and The Beautiful, and Murder, She Wrote.

Conaway took on the role of Zack Allen in Babylon 5 in 1994, a series that became a favorite among many sci-fi fans. He is remembered for his flexibility and dexterity in his acting over the years.

Jeff Conaway
October 5, 1950 – May 27, 2011

AP News Report

[Source: Yahoo]