Second City Co-Owner Len Stuart Dies

CHICAGO, IL - The longtime co-owner and co-chairman of the city’s most well-known comedy hot spot has died.

Len Stuart, who has served as co-owner and co-chairman of The Second City since 1978, died peacefully and surrounded by his family after a short illness, Andrew Alexander, CEO and Executive Producer of the Old Town theater wrote on The Second City website Monday.

“Over the course of four decades, Len has helped support the company through many defining challenges, including the most critical initial financing of the first seven episodes of SCTV,” Alexander wrote. “185 episodes later, SCTV went on to become a seminal TV show garnering 13 Emmy Nominations and winning two. Len was thrilled with the current expansion of the Chicago Second City Training Center and The Harold Ramis Film School and recognized the importance that this initiative would mean to young actors and future filmmakers...He was a brilliant entrepreneur, loving father and loyal friend. He will be greatly missed.”

Among the famous alumni of The Second City include Dan Akyroid, Catherine O’Hara, Bill Murray and John Candy. 

Stuart was 73.

The Second City photo