Sad news for fans of Friday; TMZ is reporting that Reynaldo Rey, who played Red's father in Friday, passed away Thursday morning after suffering complications from a stroke he had in 2014. He was 75-years-old.
While details on his condition have been scarce, word is that he was noticing complications from the stroke back in January, and had been checked into the hospital for treatment. Word is that his wife Evelyn was at his side.
Fans of comedy, especially in the African American circuit, should be very familiar with Ray's work. Aside from a memorable cameo in Friday, he has a slew of film credits to his name, appearing in Harlem Nights (alongside his mentor, Redd Foxx, who managed Rey for 12 years), White Men Can't Jump, and House Party 3. He served as co-host for BET's Comic View, had been featured on Def Comedy Jam, and had roles on TV shows like The Parent Hood and 227.
While Ray was born in Sequoyah County, Oklahoma in 1940, it wasn't until he moved to Cleveland, Ohio that his comedy career got going, finding him touring with The O'Jays. He had three comedy albums under his belt, and even produced his own videos, including one for "I'm Scared A U."
Here are some clips from Ray's career:
