The Press Stories
Lander died Friday at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center after decades of fighting multiple sclerosis, his family told CNN.
“David’s family hopes his fans will remember him for all the laughter he brought into the world.” Read the report.
In “Lavern & Shirley”, Lander played Ski and Michael McKinney as Lenny, while Lavern Defacio and Shirley Finney starred as Penny Marshall and Cindy Williams, respectively.
Born in Brooklyn, New York, Lander has appeared in over 120 films and television series, including “Who Frame Roger Rabbit,” “Used Cars,” “The Horror Movie” and “101 Ptolemaids: The Series”.
One year after the end of “Lavern & Shirley”, Lander was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis in 1984. He kept the disease a secret until 1999, when he published his memoir, “Fall Down Laughing: How Skikey Got Multiple Sclerosis and Nobody Said.”
He later became known for speaking at conferences, fundraisers and exhibitions, where he advocated for others living with multiple sclerosis.
The actor left behind his wife Kathy Lander and 37-year-old daughter Natalie Lander.
CNN’s Holy Silverman contributed to this report.
“Alcohol evangelist. Devoted twitter guru. Lifelong coffee expert. Music nerd.”
