He was kept on life support until January 29, 1977, when his family and friends decided to turn off the life support, to let him rest in peace. Bad news would come, however, on January 26, 1977 when Kathy slapped him with a restraining order. Freddie James Prinze (born Frederick Karl Pruetzel; June 22, 1954 – January 29, 1977) was an American stand-up comedian and actor. … Music, Film, TV and Political News Coverage. Frederick James Prinze Jr. is an American actor, writer and producer. Freddie James Prinze Jr. is an American actor. In his short career he was best known as the star of Chico and the Man. "The thing with my pops was like, I didn't even know him, so I never missed him," the actor and producer told The Chicago Tribune in 1999. The comedian's infant son, Freddie James Prinze, was left one‐quarter of the estate's residue in a trust. Prinze died of a self-inflicted gunshot in 1977 when he was just 22. Prinze has also had recurring and starring roles in television shows, including Friends, Boston Legal, Freddie and 24, and voiced Kanan Jarrus in the Disney XD series Star Wars Rebels. Prinze was the first young comedian to be asked to have a sit-down chat with Carson on his first appearance. Freddie and Grace have been married for over 14 years now and their … While Snyder was visiting him, Prinze put a gun to his head and shot himself. Although his mother was in fact Puerto Rican, his father was a German immigrant with no Hungarian ancestry. His son, Freddie Prinze Jr., eventually made his way to Hollywood years later, becoming a popular actor and a Hollywood heartthrob. When Dusty finally arrived at the hotel, he attempted to calm Prinze down and reassure him that he had a lot to live for. [23], Can You Hear the Laughter? This is also verified by census records as well as Prützel/Pruetzel family accounts. Few entertainers came farther faster or fell more tragically than Freddie Prinze. For the sake of his budding comedic career, he legally changed his surname to "Prinze". Prinze worked at several comedy clubs in New York City, including The Improv and Catch a Rising Star, where he introduced himself to audiences as a "Hunga-rican" (part Hungarian, part Puerto Rican). Prinze was then administered last rites by a priest. Soon after, Wall became godfather to Prinze's newborn son. He died at 1:00 in the afternoon on January 29, 1977, 33 hours after shooting himself. He first attempted to kill himself at the age of 17, after becoming despondent over the breakup with his then girlfriend. This followed a $1,000,000 out-of-court settlement with his psychiatrist and doctor to end their malpractice suit for allowing him access to a gun and over-prescribing Quaaludes (as a tranquilizer). [despite the suicide note!?]. Freddie Prinze Jr. - Biography. He cared.". P.S. After a few years of their affair, the couple got married on 1 September 2002. He had purchased this gun in the presence of Jimmie "JJ" Walker and Alan Bursky, though it was long rumored that Bursky gave him the gun. [21][22] Actor and comedian George Lopez has acknowledged that he paid for Prinze's star. On Thursday, comedian George Lopez appeared on Jimmy Kimmel Live! However, in 1983 in a civil case brought by his mother, wife, and son against Crown Life Insurance Company the jury found that his death was medication-induced and accidental, which enabled the family to collect $200,000 in life insurance. Doesn't sound like an accident to us! Dusty's here. With his career at its peak, Freddie Prinze had a bright future for him and his son. As Dusty made a quick dive for the gun, Prinze pulled away. Also, shortly after his wife started the divorce proceedings, Prinze's manager successfully sued him for breaking a business contract. He starred in several films, such as I Know What You Did Last Summer, I Still Know What You Did Last Summer (1998), She's All That (1999), Scooby-Doo (2002), and its sequel Scooby-Doo 2: Monsters Unleashed (2004). He was a star, featured at the front of magazines, including “People,” “US,” and “Rolling Stone,” yet his fame and fortune were but a fraction of his life; the rest were thoughts of drugs and suicide. Forgive me. [19], Prinze is interred at Forest Lawn Memorial Park in the Hollywood Hills of Los Angeles, near his father, Edward Karl Pruetzel. Freddie Prinze was just 22 years old. Prinze was the father of actor Freddie Prinze Jr. Prinze was born Frederick Karl Pruetzel (German spelling: Prützel) at Saint Clare's Hospital in Manhattan of New York City[2] the son of Edward Karl Pruetzel and Aurea Elena Pruetzel (née Ruiz). Police did find a note in Freddie Prinze's room that said, "I must end it. [4] Prinze was raised in a mixed neighborhood in Washington Heights, New York City. Standing with the phone in one hand and his .357 Magnum* in the other, Prinze calmly sat down on the sofa in his extended-stay hotel room and raised the gun to his head. The son of popular actor and comedian Freddie Prinze who skyrocketed to fame in the '70s, he was born in 1976, at the height of Prinze Sr.'s career. When did Freddie Prinze Jr turn into a 1999 Bradley Whitford? He was the father of actor Freddie Prinze, Jr. Prinze was the star of NBC-TV sitcom Chico and the Man from 1974 until his suicide in 1977. Miraculously, he did not die right away, and was rushed to UCLA Medical Center with a massive head wound. [17][18] In 1977, the death was ruled a suicide. Prinze had been romantically linked to actress Pam Grier[1] after they met in 1973. Prinze also secured several high-profile stand-up gigs in Vegas, and he performed at the inauguration ball for then-President Jimmy Carter. [6] Grier recalls their relationship in chapter nineteen of her autobiographical memoir, My Life in Three Acts. His death was originally ruled a suicide, but in a civil case, a jury … On the night of January 28, 1977, after talking on the telephone with his estranged wife, Prinze received a visit from his business manager, Marvin "Dusty" Snyder.