Jeff Conaway‘s struggles with addiction and poor health tended to overshadow his acting talent toward the end of his life, but he wasn’t without his admirers who remember him for his huge talent and bigger heart. Over the weekend, several of his celebrity friends and former co-stars spoke out to honor Conaway, who passed away on Friday, May 27 a day after doctors removed him from life support after he fell into a coma.
Conaway’s sister, Carla Shreve, told TMZ that his Grease co-star John Travolta sent flowers and food to the family and Travolta released a statement that called Conaway “a wonderful and decent man.” Olivia Newton-John, who was not only Conaway’s co-star but his sister-in-law for five years also paid her respects, saying “Jeff had a good heart and was so very talented. He was a big part of our family for many years and he will be missed.”
Marilu Henner, who kept a bedside vigil for Conaway in his last days, starred with the actor on Taxi. “He reminded me of one of my brothers and I reminded him of one his sisters, so we had a real family bond,” she said. Fellow Taxi actor Danny DeVito called Conaway “a good man,” and said “I will always think of him fondly and of our days together with the Taxi family. Finally he’s at peace.”
In a longer interview, Celebrity Rehab star Dr. Drew Pinsky revealed an inside look at Conaway’s struggles with his childhood and his addictions. After the jump, read what the good doctor had to say about Conaway’s traumatic life and the way that the man “lit up the lives” of those around him.
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