‘Daily Show’ Writer Dies at 54 in Car Crash

Kevin Bleyer, a writer who worked on “The Daily Show” and won four Primetime Emmy Awards, a Peabody Award and a Writers Guild Award, died Sunday in a car accident in Millrift, Pennsylvania. He was 54.

His family said the accident occurred on a rural road where he had a country home.

He spent nine years on “The Daily Show” and an additional eight years as a writer for “Politically Incorrect” with Bill Maher and Dennis Miller.

His other writing credits included Disney+’s “The Right Stuff,” Fox’s “Sleepy Hollow” and Bravo’s “Significant Others.”

While living in Kyrgyzstan in 2013, Bleyer executive produced Studio 7, the first political satire news show in Central Asia. When he returned, he co-founded Pilot Media Initiatives, which sponsors civics-minded media programs in democratically challenged countries. He produced and helped launch political satire shows in North Macedonia, Nigeria, Moldova, Kenya, Jordan, and Estonia.

He also served as a writer and producer for NBC News’ “Today Show” and a supervising producer for MSNBC’s “Ronan Farrow Daily.”

His books included “Me the People: One Man’s Selfless Quest to Rewrite the Constitution of the United States of America” and co-authoring bestseller “Earth: The Book.” He also co-authored “How to Sweet-Talk a Shark” with Bill Richardson.

Bleyer was the voice of the Onion Radio News, had a weekly column in the Daily Beast and wrote columns for Foreign Policy. He contributed as a speechwriter to President Barack Obamas addresses, including at the White House Correspondents Dinners. He also served as deputy chief speechwriter for New York Mayor Bill de Blasio. He was an adjunct professor at NYU’s Tisch School in 2018, and worked at PRI’s “Marketplace” in London for a year.

Before his death, he was developing a pilot about New York City politics for Appian Way and HBO.
Born in Bethesda, Maryland, Bleyer was raised in Seattle and had lived in New York City for the past 20 years. He started out as a child actor, appearing in commercials for Aim toothpast and in the film “Twice in a Lifetime” before graduating Stanford U. He started his career as dramaturg and assistant to Anna Deavere Smith.

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

His wife and friends and colleagues remember his impact below:

MSNow anchor Lawrence O’Donnell said, “I don’t remember meeting Kevin because it instantly felt like I knew him forever. Kevin was a generous friend who always brought the gift of laughter.”

Writer and producer Danny Strong said, “Kevin Bleyer was a writer’s writer. From his many years on ‘The Daily Show’ to writing Obama’s WHCD speeches to his many books and his work on numerous scripted dramas, Kevin could literally do it all. His immense talent was only outmatched by his kind soul.”

“Kevin spent his life finding the perfect words to make people laugh, think, and see the world a little differently. I was lucky enough to know the humor, curiosity, mischief, and tenderness behind those word — and to be loved by a man who made my own world more joyful, more adventurous, and infinitely more beautiful,” said his wife, Nella Vera.

“I had the privilege of counting Kevin Bleyer as both a friend and a work partner. Whether developing a series pitch or sitting around sharing stories, Kevin brought the wit, the funny, the satire. But underneath that rare talent lived a man with depth, love and a sincere desire to leave the world a better place than he found it. Whether working with the US State Department in Central Asia to bring political satire programming to that part of the world or delivering biting and poignant takes on ‘The Daily Show’ and many other programs, Kevin did just that. He left the world a better place than he found it,” said producer Llewellyn Wells.