Garry Shandling died from a blood clot in his heart, coroner says

Garry Shandling died from a blood clot in his heart, officials said Tuesday, more than seven months after the comedian’s unexpected death.

A report by the Los Angeles coroner’s office said the fatal clot occurred after the comedian developed blood clots in his legs, a condition known as deep vein thrombosis. He died March 24 after calling paramedics to his home.

Officials had delayed issuing a determination of what killed the 66-year-old until after a review of his medical records and toxicology tests were completed. The toxicology results found only a therapeutic amount of Xanax and some cold medication in his system.

Read Garry Shandling’s full obituary »

In 1992, Shandling created “The Larry Sanders Show,” which starred him as an egomaniacal late-night TV host with an angst-ridden show-biz life behind the scenes. The HBO series ran until 1998.

After “Larry Sanders” ended, Shandling’s few public appearances included hosting the Emmy Awards in 2000 and 2004 and a role in 2001’s “Zoolander.”

Shortly before his death, he appeared in Jerry Seinfeld’s Web series “Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee” in a segment that had the pair recounting memories of their stand-up comedy days and trying to make it in Hollywood.

ALSO

Garry Shandling’s essay on the millennium: ‘Time is just a concept’

‘Oddball perfectionist’ Garry Shandling on his constant quest to improve his craft

With Garry Shandling, nothing was straightforward, including the DVD release of ‘Larry Sanders Show’