The Dark Organization Behind Some Of The World's Biggest Comedians

In 1973, Freddie Prinze, 19, was seen at the Comedy Store and booked for a spot on The Tonight Show. He made everyone laugh so hard that, according to Vulture, Prinze "became the first comic ever summoned to the couch by Carson after his first shot." Afterward, he was cast as the lead in the TV show Chico and the Man. Letterman said of Prinze, "it became pretty clear to me what the formula was [...] You move to Los Angeles, you go to a place called The Comedy Store, you get on the Tonight Show."

Prinze became a superstar overnight, dating models and riding in limos. Freddie, despite his success, had been a drug addict since he was 16. Entertainment Weekly writes, "he became a five-gram-a-day addict and bought Quaaludes by the hundreds," and "he played Russian roulette in front of horrified friends."

In the recent docuseries The Comedy Store, comedians confirm Prinze's drug use and obsession with death. ExBulletin, reporting on the series, quotes Jimmy Walker (Good Times) as saying Prinze was "furious" when John Travolta rose to fame for Welcome Back, Kotter. Jimmy said, "[H]e bought a crossbow and planned to kill Travolta. [...] Prinze shot three arrows in Travolta's door." According to the Telegram & Gazette, reporting on the docuseries, "Prinze was troubled, and died young from a self-inflicted gunshot wound in 1977. The film shows a parade of his fellow comedians emerging from the church after his funeral — shocked, grieving, but no less ready to go on stage whenever Mitzi asked."

If you or anyone you know is having suicidal thoughts, please call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline​ at​ 1-800-273-TALK (8255)​.

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