Dom DeLuise dead at 75

American actor Dom DeLuise is dead.


TMZ.com reports that the rotund comedian died in his sleep in a Los Angeles hospital around 6 p.m. Monday. DeLuise was 75.


DeLuise is perhaps best remembered for his appearances in comedies made by Mel Brooks in the 1970s and '80s. He had roles in such hits as Blazing Saddles, Silent Movie, History of the World, Part I, Spaceballs and Robin Hood: Men in Tights.


He also had recurring parts in the popular Smokey and the Bandit movies of the same era.


His career began to wind down as the '90s progressed. An accomplished cook, he began to write several cookbooks. He was also a children's author.


DeLuise was also nominated for a Golden Globe in 1974 for his work on TV comedy Lotsa Luck, while he received a nod at the Daytime Emmys in 1999 for his efforts on the animated All Dogs Go to Heaven: The Series.


Burt Reynolds, who appeared with DeLuise in the Smokey series, issued a statement Tuesday to ET.


"I was thinking the other day about this. As you get older you think about this more and more, I was dreading this moment. Dom always made everyone feel better when he was around. I never heard him say an unkind word about anyone. I will miss him very much."


He is survived by his actress wife Carol Arthur, who he married in 1965, and their three actor sons Peter, David and Michael DeLuise. Funeral arrangements have not yet been released.

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*Photograph by: Frazer Harrison, Getty Images