Inside Garry Shandling's Memorial Service: Judd Apatow, Sarah Silverman Remember the Late Comedian

Stars come together to celebrate his life

By Kendall Fisher Apr 25, 2016 6:37 PMTags
Garry ShandlingBrendan Hoffman/Getty Images

Family and many famous friends came together over the weekend to celebrate Garry Shandling after his passing.

According to the New York Times, Stars like Judd Apatow, Sarah Silverman, Kevin Nealon, Jeffrey Tambor, Conan O'Brien, Billy Crystal, Carrot Top, Ray Romano, and Adam Sandler attended the late comedian's memorial service, which was held at the Wilshire Ebell Theater in Los Angeles on Sunday.

Apatow hosted the event to honor Shandling, who died from a heart attack on March 24 at 66-years-old, making sure to bring the crowd both laughter and tears.

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Garry Shandling Dead at 66

"Garry was like a second father to me," Apatow told the crowd. "I think a lot of people felt that way."

Other stars reiterated Apatow's feelings. Silverman referred to him as "The Giving Tree," while Tambor called him "irreplaceable." George Segal even called him "the Prince of comedians" because he "changed everything" with the Larry Sanders Show.

Tiffany Rose/Getty Images for Harold & Carole Pump Foundation

A few of Shandling's never-before-heard jokes were also unveiled—some of which touched on a number of more somber topics, including: his older brother's death from cystic fibrosis; his $100 million lawsuit against his former manager and the executive producer of Larry Sanders; his recent health problems; and his immersion into Zen Buddhism.

Nealon said of his friend, "The truth is, I think it was very hard to be Garry. He was complex, at times neurotic, persnickety, high maintenance, a perfectionist with the highest standards. He could be a handful."

Adam Sandler closed the program with a rendition of George Harrison's "Give Me Love (Give Me Peace on Earth)."

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