Before there was Freddie Prinze Jr., there was his dad, beloved stand-up comedian and actor Freddie Prinze, whose death is beyond heartbreaking. Prinze was best known as the star of NBC’s 1970s sitcom Chico and the Man. Having dropped out of school to become a stand-up comedian, he worked at comedy clubs around New York City before getting his big break in 1973, appearing on The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson.
The following year, Prinze landed the role of Francisco “Chico” Rodriguez in Chico and the Man alongside Jack Albertston. Throughout his time on the show, he made frequent appearances on variety shows such as Cher, Tony Orlando and Dawn, American Bandstand, Dinah!, Van Dyke and Company, and more.
In 1975, he married Katherine Cochran, and the two welcomed Freddie Prinze Jr. in 1976. Later that year, Cochran filed for divorce a few weeks after he was arrested for a DUI. The worst, unfortunately, was yet to come. Via an archived New York Times article from Jan. 29, 1977, Prinze shot himself in the head in front of his business agent, dying 33 hours later at UCLA Medical Center.
THE TONIGHT SHOW STARRING JOHNNY CARSON — Pictured: (l-r) Actor/comedian Freddie Prinze during an interview with host Johnny Carson on March 7, 1974 — (Photo by: Fred Sabine/NBC via Getty Images)
– Fred Sabine/NBC via Getty Images)
Prinze was just 22 years old, and he never regained consciousness after he fired a 32-caliber bullet through his temples. Reportedly, his divorce was “too much” for him to “withstand.” He also previously threatened suicide and held a gun to his head in the presence of others. While he pulled the trigger, the safety was on at the time. What exactly drove him to suicide will never be known, but it proves that mental health truly takes a toll on someone.
Just last year, Freddie Prinze Jr. reflected on his dad’s suicide while speaking on the podcast Unbreakable with Jay Glazer. He admitted that it put a lot of pressure on him as a child, and all he knew of his father were stories from adults. He also revealed how it shaped him growing up and that he actually has a relationship with his father today because of all the stories he’s heard from not only his mom but some comedy legends as well.
It’s as heartbreaking as ever and really makes you think what would have happened if Freddie Prizne were still here today. He was very clearly struggling, and it’s hard to predict how much worse or better he would have gotten over the years. But to still be so young and at the pinnacle of his career, as the NYT put it, that might be the most tragic part.