Steve Bridges Dead at 48 of Natural Causes
Comic actor Steve Bridges, renowned for impersonating George Bush, died suddenly on Saturday at the age of 48 from what experts believe to be natural causes.
Bridges, who made his mark while mocking Bush at the 2006 White House Correspondents' Association dinner, died in his Los Angeles home and although an autopsy has not yet been completed, foul play has been ruled out, according to The Los Angeles Times.
"It is with great sadness that we announce the death of Steve Bridges. His passing comes as a shock to all of us. The cause of death is not known at this time, but we will publish more information as it becomes available. Steve brought joy and laughter to millions and was a great inspiration to all who knew him. He will be sadly missed. Our prayers go to his family at this time," a statement on Bridges' website read.
Get Our Latest News for FREE
The comedian had just returned to the U.S. from China where he was visiting his brother before he was found dead by a housekeeper over the weekend.
Bridges, a regular on "The Tonight Show With Jay Leno, had no recent medical complaints according to the coroner's office, and his death was completely unexpected to friends and family.
President Bill Clinton, former California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, and President Barack Obama were just some of the many high profile names Bridges' impersonation list, though George Bush was often praised by critics as the most accurate.
"I try to become that person in a funny way. I try to act like him, from the mannerisms to the phraseology," Bridges once told The Washington Post about getting into character.
Bridges had also claimed that Bush once responded to his impersonations in 2003, describing it as "weird."
"I tell you: You see a videotape where someone looks like you, acts like you, talks like you- that's weird," Bush was quoted as telling Bridges, according to the L.A. Times.
Fans of Bridges also hailed his impersonations of cartoon character Homer Simpson, and controversial commentator Rush Limbaugh.
