Brain Injury Lawyer Blog

 Actor Jeff Conaway’s tragic life came to an end Friday, when he died after being taken off life support at Encino Hospital Medical Center. He was 60, and will probably now best be remembered for his appearances on “Celebrity Rehab With Dr. Drew,” which obviously didn’t succeed in rehabilitating him. 

http://www.latimes.com/news/obituaries/la-me-jeff-conaway-20110528,0,3260841,full.story

Last week doctors had essentially determined that Conaway, who has had problems with drugs for years, was brain dead. He was admitted to the hospital May 10, unconscious and with pneumonia, after ingesting a bad combination of prescribed drugs. He was placed in a medically induced coma at the hospital.

Conaway was a handsome blond who came to fame and fortune playing in the late 1970s and early 1980s as a not-too-bright struggling actor in the hit show “Taxi,” and performing in both the Broadway and film versions of “Grease.”

But he was not happy with his success. He broke his “Taxi” contract because he didn’t like playing “a blond bimbo,” according to The Los Angeles Times. And the lead role that he played in Broadway in “Grease,” Danny Zuko, was cast with John Travolta. Conaway got a lesser part.

Conaway complained of being depressed during his stint on “Taxi,” and said he started using drugs at age 15, when he was in a band.

In recent years the actor rose to prominence, or notoriety, when he was one of the celebrities on Dr. Drew’s show in 2008. According to the Times, “He was so intoxicated the morning he checked in that subtitles were required to translate his slurred speech.”

Conaway, looking like a train wreck, had become addicted to cocaine and pain medications after back surgery. He later claimed that he had essentially hammed it during his tantrums and arguments on “Celebrity Rehab,” but just looking at him told you he was in big trouble.

And so he was.

Conaway

If this isn’t a cautionary tale, I don’t know what is. 

Jeff Conaway, a once-handsome actor who made his name in the sitcom “Taxi” and most recently was a train wreck on “Celebrity Rehab,” is in a coma after an apparent drug overdose. He has struggled with addiction for years.

http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/gossip/2011/05/jeff-conaway-overdose-coma-hospitalized-taxi-celebrity-rehab-with-dr-drew.html

He went into a coma Wednesday and was hospitalized at Encino Hospital Medical Center.

Conaway, with his blond good looks, built a career playing not-too-bright leading men. In addition to “Taxi,” he portrayed Danny Zuko on “Grease” on Broadway, a role that John Travolta landed in the film. Conaway was in the movie, but played another role.

On Dr. Drew Pinsky’s “Celebrity Rehab,”  60-year-old Conaway provided a lot of drama as he struggled with withdrawal and fought with his fellow celebs. He had become addicted to cocaine and pain pills when he had back surgery.

The actor later claimed that he had acted ornery and created a lot of unpleasant scenes on “Celebrity Rehab” because that’s what the show’s producers wanted. That actually shouldn’t be much of surprise: Reality TV shows are anything but real.

Conaway has obviously battled a lot of demons in his life. Let’s hope he survives his most recent relapse.