The Heartbreaking Death Of Salute Your Shorts Star Kirk Baily
Kirk Baily, perhaps best known for his portrayal of Kevin "Ug" Lee in the Nickelodeon sitcom "Salute Your Shorts," died over the weekend. According to TMZ, the 59-year-old actor died as a result of lung cancer. He had only been diagnosed with the disease six months ago.
Baily's career began in 1988, when he worked as a sound coordinator for the 1988 film "Killer Klowns From Outer Space." Then, in 1991, Baily snagged the biggest role of his life when he was cast in Nickelodeon's "Salute Your Shorts." Though it only aired for two seasons, the show, which followed the campers at the fictional Camp Anawanna, was incredibly popular during its short tenure on the network, per Fox News. Baily was especially lovable in the series, though he was the main antagonist. The pranks he endured and his reaction to these pranks still make audiences laugh decades later.
After the series ended, Baily went on to star in other notable films and television shows like "3 Ninjas: High Noon at Mega Mountain," "NYPD Blue," "Melrose Place," "7th Heaven," and "Star Trek: Voyager," according to Fox News. He also became quite an accomplished voice actor, lending his impressive vocal range to "Cowboy Bebop," "Frozen," and "Despicable Me."
Many have paid tribute to the actor since his death was announced
Since news of Kirk Baily's death was announced, many of his fans have taken to Twitter to voice their sadness over his passing. "Kirk Baily, who I knew mostly as Ug from Salute Your Shorts, passed away," a Twitter user said. "I loved this show as a kid. He was definitely one of the actors I appreciated on it. As a kid, his oddball and flawed character showed me adults aren't really perfect."
Writer Olivia Durant also spoke of Baily's influence on her life. "Kirk Baily was the character actor who was always there for us on so many shows. A presence that I found comforting. Kevin 'Ug' Lee was one of his best. It's the worst to lose him so young at age 59. He meant and still means a lot to a lot of kids," she tweeted.
According to Fox News, Baily is survived by his domestic partner, Ranjani Brow, and two children.