Kevin Bleyer, Emmy-Winning Writer, Dies at 54 in Pennsylvania Crash

Kevin Bleyer, a television writer who won four Primetime Emmy Awards and a Peabody Award, died on Sunday in a car accident in Millrift, Pennsylvania. He was 54. His family said the crash happened on a rural road near the country home he kept there.

Bleyer's career in television began with comedy. He spent nine years on 'The Daily Show,' then followed with eight years writing for 'Politically Incorrect' with Bill Maher and Dennis Miller. His later credits included Disney+'s 'The Right Stuff,' Fox's 'Sleepy Hollow' and Bravo's 'Significant Others.' He also worked as a writer and producer for NBC's 'Today Show' and as a supervising producer for MSNBC's 'Ronan Farrow Daily.'

His work moved between comedy and politics. He contributed speeches to President Barack Obama's addresses, including those for the White House Correspondents' Dinners, and served as deputy chief speechwriter for New York Mayor Bill de Blasio. He wrote the books 'Me the People' and 'Earth: The Book,' and co-authored 'How to Sweet-Talk a Shark' with Bill Richardson. He was also the voice of Onion Radio News, wrote a weekly column for the Daily Beast and contributed to Foreign Policy.

In 2013, while living in Kyrgyzstan, Bleyer executive produced Studio 7, which his family described as the first political satire news show in Central Asia. After returning to the United States, he co-founded Pilot Media Initiatives, a group that sponsors media programs in countries with limited democratic institutions. Through that work, he produced and helped launch satire shows in North Macedonia, Nigeria, Moldova, Kenya, Jordan and Estonia.

Bleyer was developing a pilot about New York City politics for Appian Way and HBO before his death. He also taught at NYU's Tisch School in 2018 and spent a year working at PRI's 'Marketplace' in London.

He was born in Bethesda, Maryland, and raised in Seattle, and had lived in New York City for 20 years. He started as a child actor, appearing in Aim toothpaste commercials and the film 'Twice in a Lifetime,' before graduating from Stanford University. His first professional work was as dramaturg and assistant to Anna Deavere Smith.

Bleyer is survived by his wife, Nella Vera; his father, Dr. Archie Bleyer; his brother, Keith Bleyer; sister-in-law Kelly Schulz-Bleyer; nephew Evan Bleyer; and niece Lauren Bleyer.

Vera said her husband spent his life finding the words to make people laugh and think. 'I was lucky enough to know the humor, curiosity, mischief, and tenderness behind those words,' she said, 'and to be loved by a man who made my own world more joyful, more adventurous, and infinitely more beautiful.'

Lawrence O'Donnell, an anchor at MSNBC, said he could not remember first meeting Bleyer because their connection felt immediate. 'Kevin was a generous friend who always brought the gift of laughter,' O'Donnell said. Writer and producer Danny Strong called Bleyer 'a writer's writer' who could move from 'The Daily Show' to Obama's speeches to scripted dramas, adding that his talent was matched by his character.