Kevin Bleyer, a writer who worked on “The Daily Show” and won four Primetime Emmy Awards, a Peabody Award and a Writers Guild Award, died Sunday in a car accident in Millrift, Pennsylvania. He was 54 years old.
His family said the accident happened on a rural road where he owned a country home.
He spent nine years on “The Daily Show” and an additional eight years as a writer for “Politically Incorrect” with Bill Maher and Dennis Miller.
His other writing credits include Disney+’s “The Right Stuff,” Fox’s “Sleepy Hollow” and Bravo’s “Significant Others.”
While living in Kyrgyzstan in 2013, Bleyer produced Studio 7, the first political satirical news show in Central Asia. Upon his return, he co-founded Pilot Media Initiatives, which sponsors civic-focused media programs in democratically challenged countries. He has produced and helped launch political satire shows in North Macedonia, Nigeria, Moldova, Kenya, Jordan and Estonia.
He also served as a writer and producer for NBC News’ “Today Show” and a supervising producer for MSNBC’s “Ronan Farrow Daily.”
His books include “Me the People: One Man’s Selfless Quest to Rewrite the Constitution of the United States of America” and the co-authored bestseller “Earth: The Book.” He also co-wrote “How to Sweet-Talk a Shark” with Bill Richardson.
Bleyer was the voice of Onion Radio News, had a weekly column in the Daily Beast, and wrote columns for Foreign Policy. He contributed as a speechwriter to President Barack Obama’s speeches, including at the White House Correspondents’ Dinners. He also served as deputy speechwriter for New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio. He was an assistant professor at NYU’s Tisch School in 2018 and worked at PRI’s Marketplace in London for a year.
Before his death, he was developing a pilot about New York politics for Appian Way and HBO.
Born in Bethesda, Maryland, Bleyer grew up in Seattle and had lived in New York for 20 years. He began as a child actor, appearing in commercials for Aim toothpaste and in the film “Twice in a Lifetime” before graduating from Stanford University. He began his career as a playwright and assistant to Anna Deavere Smith.
He is survived by his wife, Nella Vera; his father Dtr. Archie Bleyer; and his brother Keith Bleyer, his sister-in-law Kelly Schulz-Bleyer, his nephew Evan Bleyer and his niece Lauren Bleyer.
His wife, friends and colleagues remember his impact below:
MSNow host Lawrence O’Donnell said: “I don’t remember meeting Kevin because I immediately felt like I’d known him my whole life. Kevin was a generous friend who always brought the gift of laughter.”
Writer and producer Danny Strong said, “Kevin Bleyer was a writer. From his many years on ‘The Daily Show,’ to writing Obama’s WHCD speeches, to his many books and his work on many scripted dramas, Kevin could literally do it all. His immense talent was surpassed only by his kind soul.”
“Kevin spent his life finding the perfect words to make people laugh, think and see the world a little differently. I was lucky to know the humor, curiosity, mischief and tenderness behind those words – and to be loved by a man who made my own world more joyful, more adventurous and infinitely more beautiful,” said his wife, Nella Vera.
“I was privileged to count Kevin Bleyer as both a friend and a working partner. Whether crafting a series pitch or sharing stories, Kevin brought wit, humor and satire. But behind that rare talent lived a man with depth, love and a sincere desire to leave the world better than he found it. From working with the U.S. State Department in Central Asia to bringing political satire broadcasts to “He left the world a better place than he found it,” said producer Llewellyn Wells.
Gn entert
