Tony Hendra, 'This is Spinal Tap' actor, dead at 79

Tony Hendra, a British satirist who starred in "This is Spinal Tap," has died at the age of 79.

Hendra's cause of death was amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, known as Lou Gehrig’s disease, Carla Hendra told The New York Times. He was first diagnosed with the disease back in 2019. Anthony Christopher Hendra was born on July 10, 1941, in Willesden, England. He lived over half of his life in the United States, up until his death. Hendra got his start in comedy while studying at Cambridge University. In the early '60s, he performed with the Cambridge Footlights theatrical group, along with John Cleese and Graham Chapman, two of the founders of Monty Python, the Times reported.