Harris Wittels passed away yesterday of an apparent drug overdose.
You’re probably incredibly aware of Harris’s work but you might not know it. In a short career, the guy left a huge imprint on comedy — he served as co-executive producer on Parks and Recreation, produced and wrote for The Sarah Silverman Program, Eastbound and Down and Secret Girlfriend.
Another incredibly impressive bullet point on his resume, Wittels was the creator of term “humblebrag” and the Twitter account dedicated to famous people and their false modesty. In 2012, Wittels published Humblebrag: The Art of False Modesty, a book based on the tweets. Harris also wrote a column for Grantland that highlighted the best of the worst Humblebrags.
Harris was not only a prolific comedian but a massive Phish fan and hosted a podcast dedicated to the popular band.
Sarah Silverman, a close friend of Wittels, summed up how the entire comedy community is feeling today.
He was my baby. I just keep thinking of superman flying backwards around the earth. I wish I could do that. I’m so mad at you Harris
— Sarah Silverman (@SarahKSilverman) February 20, 2015
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Harris was only 30 years old. Rest in peace, bro.
[H/T: Variety]