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'Eastbound & Down' co-creator Ben Best dies at 46

By Megan Armstrong | Last updated Sep 13, 2021 4:14 PM ET

Ben Best has passed away at 46 years old, though the cause has not been revealed.

The Eastbound & Down co-creator's death was confirmed by Rough House Pictures, the production company behind Eastbound & Down, on Sunday:

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Eastbound & Down ran for four seasons on HBO from 2009-13. Best co-created the series with Jody Hill and Danny McBride.

McBride starred as Kenny Powers, a washed-up MLB pitcher forced to return to his hometown and work as a middle school P.E. teacher. Best appeared in eight episodes as Clegg, Kenny's friend and local bartender.

Prior to Eastbound, Best co-wrote The Foot Fist Way with Hill and McBride and starred alongside McBride in the 2006 comedy. Seth Rogen cited Best's performance in The Foot Fist Way while paying tribute to him on Twitter:

RIP Ben Best. I remember seeing him as Chuck The Truck in Foot Fist Way and thinking “I have to work with this man.” I’m honored I got work with him, and even more so and that I got to hang out with him and just be in his company. Watch Foot Fist Way today and bask in his genius.
— Seth Rogen (@Sethrogen) September 12, 2021

Best had a supporting role in 2007 comedy Superbad, co-written by Rogen and Evan Goldberg.

Megan Armstrong

Megan Armstrong (@megankarmstrong) is a writer whose work has appeared in places such as Billboard, GQ, Esquire, Bleacher Report, Uproxx, and others. Megan has also produced various podcasts and hosted a daily radio show at Mizzou. She grew up obsessed with sports — impressing adults by memorizing NFL statistics as a kindergartner — and grew into an obsession with music

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