Harris Wittels, co-executive producer and writer for Parks and Recreation, was found dead at his Los Angeles home on Thursday, The Hollywood Reporter has confirmed. He was 30.
Wittels’ assistant discovered his body, stated an LAPD representative. Police subsequently responded to a 911 call about a possible overdose this afternoon.
In addition to exec producing and writing for Parks and Rec, he appeared on the show in a small role as an animal-control employee. The show, which has had a seven-season run on NBC, is heading into its series finale on Feb. 24.
Wittels was also a stand-up comedian, a drummer for the band Don’t Stop or We’ll Die and a writer for The Sarah Silverman Program and The Suits.
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In 2012 he wrote a book, Humblebrag: The Art of False Modesty, that was based on his popular @Humblebrag Twitter account.
Tributes to the writer-comedian began arriving shortly after the news of his death broke.
“You should know that Harris was brilliant beyond compare. That his imagination was without limit. That he loved comedy more than anything,” wrote Sarah Silverman.
Billy Eichner, who portrays Craig Middlebrooks on the NBC series, tweeted: “Don’t know what to say. Harris Wittels was a fantastic writer I had the pleasure to work with at Parks and Rec.”
“Such heartbreaking news about Harris Wittels. A really funny guy,” wrote NBC’s Late Night host Seth Meyers on Twitter.
Joe Mande, a Parks and Recreation writer, tweeted, “I met Harris in 2002 & sought his approval ever since. He was the most effortlessly funny person I’ve ever known. He’d hate all these tweets.”
TMZ first reported the news of Wittels’ passing.
