Stand-Up Comedians More Likely to Die at a Younger Age Than Comedy and Dramatic Actors, Study Shows

A new landmark study revealed that stand-up comedians are more likely to die young compared to comedic and dramatic screen and stage actors.

The study, published in the International Journal of Cardiology, showed "a pattern of premature mortality in elite stand-up comedians" suggesting a link between high comedic standing and premature death.

"Indeed, the data confirmed an adverse relationship between comedic ability and longevity, with elite standup comedians more highly rated by the public more likely to die prematurely," explained Professor Simon Stewart, a world-leading cardiac researcher from the Mary MacKillop Institute of Health Research at Australian Catholic University and lead author of the study, in a statement.

For the study, the researchers examined 498 people consisting of 200 stand-up comics, 114 comedian actors and 184 dramatic actors. The personalities included in the study came from the 2015 top 200 list of 'Funniest Stand-Up Comedians of All Time', 'Funniest People of All Time' and 'Greatest Actors and Actresses in Entertainment History' of Ranker.

The researchers found out that the average age of death for stand-up comedians is 67.1 years, while comedy actors and dramatic actors have an average dying age of 68.9 and 70.7 years respectively. Furthermore, the study also revealed that 14 out of 36 deaths, or 38.9 percent, in the stand-up comic group can be categorized as premature while only 19.6 percent of deaths in the dramatic actor group and 27.3 percent of the comedy actor group can be categorized as such.

According to the researchers, the difference in the work environment between stand-up comics and comedic and dramatic actors might be influencing the high mortality rate of the profession. Stand-up comics often work in night venues such as clubs and bars that can increase their exposure to alcohol tobacco and drugs. Additionally, their workplace can increase their engagement in violence and risky sexual behaviors. This is th exact opposite of the highly supervised film set of comedic and dramatic actors.