Waymond Lee has died at the age of 72.
The actor died on Wednesday, Dec. 18 after being diagnosed with ALS earlier this month, according to TMZ, which was the first to report his death. Per the outlet, Lee’s sister, Norine, and wife, Diane, revealed he was symptomatic before he learned of his ALS after initially being diagnosed with degenerative brain disease in October.
PEOPLE reached out to Norine and Diane for comment.
Lee’s former Workaholics costars flooded social media with sweet tributes following the news, including Adam DeVine, who confirmed the actor’s death in a heartwarming Instagram post on Dec. 22.
“Rest in peace Waymond Lee. I am gutted. He was such a kind man,” DeVine, 41, wrote. “My deepest condolences go out to his wife Diane and the rest of his family. He was always down to do whatever insane thing we wrote for him on Workaholics. He was always game. A true professional. Even though I haven’t seen him since the workaholics days this is hitting me like a brick to the face. When I think of our show I think of Waymond. The older I get the more I realize what a special time that was.”
“You will be missed Way Way!” he concluded.
Blake Anderson also wrote a lengthy note to the late actor, who appeared in over 40 episodes of the Comedy Central sitcom as Waymond during its seven-season run from 2011 to 2017.
“This KING! Waymond Lee. Rest in peace my friend,” Anderson’s caption read, alongside a solo shot of Lee and another of them hugging. “I just don’t even know where to begin. The best explanation that comes to mind is in the Marvel multiverse movies when they explain the idea of ‘anchor beings’ Waymond was the Workaholics anchor being. The Workaholics universe just simply doesn’t exist without him. He was there from even before the beginning. He was always blown away and so appreciative of all the love Workaholics fans showed him ❤️”
He continued: “I’m very grateful I randomly ran into him on set in 2022 and gave him a big old hug. Such a peaceful and warm guy. He really made my heart smile. Waymond was a great dude. All my love goes out to his family and friends❤️ 🌹.”
Anders Holm also shared a photo of Lee and fellow Workaholics castmate Jesse “Jet Set” Hudson — who died in December 2012 — lying on the set floor.
“Waymond Lee was a great guy. Even though he never spoke on the show, he was always chatting people up on set,” Holm, 43, wrote. “Super positive. Goofy and fun, but would drop some real elder wisdom on us. Loved seeing him get love from the fans and always enjoyed seeing him pop up in other shows and movies. The camera loved that guy. He just had a real watchable look and unique comic timing that was all Waymond. Pictured above with his cubicle partner Jet Set, but his real comedy partner was his wife Diane. They were a dynamic duo on set, like a legit sitcom couple. Sending love to Diane and the rest of Waymond’s family. Everybody loved Waymond. 🙌🏻🙌🏻🙌🏻🙌🏻❤️❤️❤️.”
On Dec. 23, fellow series alum Erik Griffin posted a montage of images of him and Lee with the simple caption: “R.I.P. Way Way, he was silent on screen, but he said so much!”
In the background played Green Day’s “Good Riddance (Time of Your Life).”
In addition to his beloved role as Waymond (also known as “Old Way Way”) on Workaholics, Lee had made appearances, in Everything Everywhere All at Once, Iron Man 2, Bullet Train, Veep and The Cleaning Lady, among other projects.
Source: People
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