American actress and comedian Janet Vivian Hooks was born on April 23, 1957 and passed away on October 9, 2014. Hooks rose to fame as a repertory player on the NBC sketch comedy series Saturday Night Live from 1986 through 1991. Even after she left SNL, she kept making guest appearances until 1994.
After that, she appeared in a variety of films and TV shows, such as 30 Rock and The Simpsons, in addition to her recurrent position on the final two seasons of Designing Women and her recurring part on 3rd Rock from the Sun.
Jan Hooks Cause of Death
Hooks’s doctor had urged her to give up alcohol because of liver disease, but she didn’t make an effort to do so. In May of 2009, after months of treatment, her leukemia went into remission. Hooks felt a lump on her throat in April of 2014. Her tumor was biopsied and she had treatment at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, but the chemotherapy did not slow the growth of the tumor.
After hearing that a total laryngectomy was his sole remaining choice, Hooks decided against it. She opted for hospice care and self-medicated with prescription medicines, alcohol, and smokes. Her articulation, digestion, and respiration all deteriorated.
She passed away from throat cancer on October 9th, at the age of 57. She was laid to rest in Cedartown, Georgia, at Northview Cemetery. On October 12, 2014, she was commemorated in the credits of The Simpsons episode “Super Franchise Me” for her long-running role as Manjula Nahasapeemapetilon.
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The Illness of Jan Hooks
Jan first saw a lump on her throat in April of 2014, which she interpreted as a bad sign. She was soon after told that she had throat cancer. Hooks, full of optimism and resolve, decided to get help. Despite chemotherapy, the tumor remained unchanged. When faced with the potential of having his voice completely removed, Jan made a difficult decision.
She chose hospice care as her health deteriorated, and was medicated with pills, booze, and cigarettes.
What Were the Signs of Jan’s Deteriorating Health?
Jan’s health deteriorated rapidly as time passed. Even the simplest of acts, including talking, eating, and breathing, were arduous ordeals. She kept her faith in the face of adversity. Friends said she looked “great” in the days leading up to her death.
How Did Hooks’ Performances in Film and Television Shape Her Early Career?
Hooks got her start performing comedy with groups like The Groundlings in Los Angeles and The Wits End Players at Atlanta clubs.
She starred in Tush for Ted Turner’s WTBS (later rebranded as TBS) from 1980 to 1981. Early in the 1980s, she became known for her role on the HBO comedy series Not Necessarily the News, and by the mid-1980s, she was a regular on the show Comedy Break with Mack & Jamie. She first appeared on screen as an arrogant Alamo tour guide in Goldie Hawn’s Wildcats and then in Pee-wee’s Big Adventure.
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