Jeff Garcia, a beloved L.A. comedian and prominent Nickelodeon voice actor, has died. He was 50.
Garcia, a Laugh Factory regular, died Wednesday after a brief hospitalization, his son Joseph “JoJo” Garcia announced on Instagram.
“My father was a unique soul. He taught me so much and gave me advice that I live by every single day. He was a Father, Son, Uncle, Cousin, Brother, but most of all, he was my best friend,” JoJo wrote in his tribute.
JoJo, who has embarked on a comedy career of his own, added that he called his father every day and often confided in him about his career ambitions.
“He believed in me, in a way that nobody else did,” he wrote, adding, “I’m going to make you proud pops.”
Representatives for Garcia were unable to be reached Wednesday for comment.
“Jeff Garcia was such a beloved member of our family, and such a talent,” Erin von Schonfeldt, executive vice president of talent at the Improv, said in a statement to The Times. “We are all really feeling this tremendous loss.”
Garcia kicked off his career by frequenting Southern California comedy clubs throughout the 1990s. Later, he landed his most prominent role: voicing goofy sidekick Sheen Estevez in the 2001 animated movie “Jimmy Neutron: Boy Genius.” He also voiced the character in the subsequent TV series “The Adventures of Jimmy Neutron: Boy Genius” and the spinoff “Planet Sheen.”
The comedy veteran also lent his voice to other animated films and series, including “Barnyard” and “Happy Feet,” the latter of which he worked on with Robin Williams.
“He fell in love with my ass, man,” Garcia said of his famed co-star in a 2021 interview with radio host Freddy Rivera.
“If there was a comedy Mount Rushmore, he’d be the first [face],” he said.
Garcia’s fans shared similar sentiments following the news of his death. In a comment on JoJo’s Instagram post, comedian Eric Schwartz said Jeff was “one of the first to believe in me and was instrumental in my development as a comedian early on.”
“He generously gave me and many other comedians a lot of opportunities to shine,” Schwartz said.
Debi Derryberry, who voiced Jimmy Neutron, also shared a tribute on Instagram.
“I’m devastated to find out that my dear friend Jeff Garcia, who also played Sheen on Jimmy Neutron, has passed away,” she wrote. “We were all together just a few months ago at a convention. He was always the funniest man in the room. We’re gonna miss you Sheen.”
