Beloved Comedian Dies At 68 (Video)

John Clarke, beloved comedian and satirist, has died of natural causes at the age of 68.

Many of Clarke’s on-camera roles parodied wide-ranging social and political issues, including large oil spills, according to NPR.

Among his many parts and roles, Clarke was renowned for his parody of a British Petroleum spokesman following the Deepwater Horizon oil spill in April, 2010 (below).

Clarke also reached audiences through his spoof of an Australian government official addressing an oil spill caused by a tanker for which “the front fell off.”

Clarke started his career in New Zealand and ended up later moving to Australia to collaborate in numerous film projects.

Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull lamented at Clarke’s passing in a Facebook post:

“John Clarke was more than a satirist. With the keenest eye and wit he understood the very essence of Australia. He was not born here, of course, but over time he became one of us. His laconic wit was rarely wide of the mark. I should know. With lethal accuracy he made politicians and prime ministers his prey. With Bryan Dawe, his weekly takedown of the absurdity of political life became required viewing. In this guise, his strength was the underperformance – that canny knack of saying just enough to hit the target, and no more. In this sense, his satire served a noble purpose. It spoke truth to power. It made our democracy richer and stronger. It kept politicians on their toes. And best of all it made us laugh along the way. We’ll wait a long time to find another John Clarke. In fact, we never will.”

Fellow New Zealand actors Jermaine Clement and Taika Waititi joined in singing Clarke’s praises.

“RIP John Clarke,” read a tweet by Waititi.

“Hugely influential to me and my mates, he was one of the fathers of NZ’s style of comedy. We all copied him at some point.”

Australian actor Max Gillies explained the essence of Clarke’s humor and ability as an actor.

“At school we were told sarcasm was the lowest form of wit, but John Clarke spent his whole life giving the lie to that,” said Gillies, according to The Canberra Times.

“It was in his comic bloodstream, a deep sense of outrage that kept his blood pumping and the electricity in his brain firing.”

Clarke’s family released a statement after his death, explaining his passing in context, according to SBS News.

“John died doing one of the things he loved the most in the world, taking photos of birds in beautiful bushland with his wife and friends,” read the statement. “He is forever in our hearts.”

Clarke is survived by his wife Helen, two daughters, and his grandchildren.

Sources: The Canberra Times, NPR, Malcolm Turnbull/Facebook, ClarkeAndDawe/YouTube/Photo Credit: ABC Australia