‘One of the finest writers of comedy in American literary history'

Neil Simon, the playwright behind such comedies as The Odd Couple, has died at the age of 91.

He died last night at New York-Presbyterian Hospital from complications from pneumonia, his representatives have announced.

Simon started his career in 1950, writing comedy on Sid Caesar's Your Show of Shows on a team that included Carl Reiner,and Mel Brooks, and The Phil Silvers Show, which ran from 1955 to 1959.

His first play was 1961’s Come Blow Your Horn which ran for 678 performances on Broadway. It was followed by the romcom Barefoot in the Park in 1963 and The Odd Couple two years later, which cemented his reputation. 

He wrote more than 30 plays and nearly the same number of movie screenplays, and has received more combined Oscar and Tony nominations than any other writer. In 1991 he won the Pulitzer Prize For Drama with Lost in Yonkers.

Broadway critic Walter Kerr called him ‘one of the finest writers of comedy in American literary history.’

Published: 26 Aug 2018