American playwright Neil Simon, who penned Broadway classics including ‘The Odd Couple’, ‘Barefoot in the Park’ and the ‘Brighton Beach’ trilogy, has passed away.
Simon died on Sunday morning at New York Presbyterian Hospital in Manhattan from health complications arising as a result of pneumonia, according to Bill Evans, his longtime friend and publicist who donated a kidney to Simon in 2004.
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The comedy master wrote more than 30 plays in his career, dating back to ‘Come Blow Your Horn’ in 1961, in addition to many screen adaptations of his work. His plays received 17 Tony nominations over the years, and secured three wins.
He also won a Tony for special achievement as well as a Pulitzer and the Mark Twain prize for humor.
Simon was married five times and is a father of three daughters. He had been married to actress Elaine Joyce since 1999.
Tributes have begun pouring in for the late playwright after news of his death broke. Fellow writers shared sorrow over his passing and credited him with influencing their career.