LOS ANGELES (CelebrityAccess) – Comedian and actor Steve Bean passed away on January 21 after a battle with a rare form of nose cancer. He was 58-years-old.
Best known for his roles in Shameless and Ray Donovan, Bean had been diagnosed with Sino-Nasal Squamous Cell Carcinoma, one of the rarest forms of cancer, which caused him to lose his nose.
Last year, he opened up about his treatment in an article for Mel Magazine entitled, My Year Without A Nose.
“If you’re keeping track at home, I’ve now lost my nose, my tear ducts, my upper palate and gums, all but four of my teeth, my appetite, my right cheekbone, much of my right jawbone, much of my right cheek, my eyebrows and moustache (chemo), the feeling in my upper lip (surgery), most of the motor control of the right side of my face (surgery) and some hearing in each ear (chemo). I also lost about 40 pounds, and worst of all, I lost my sense of humor,” wrote Levy.
“All of that physical stuff ain’t ever coming back. Luckily, my sense of humor came back about a month ago,” he continued. “Not a moment too soon either: The latest scans show yet another recurrence of the cancer. The doctors tell me I have nine to twelve months to live.”
Born Stephen Joseph Levy in Lynn, Massachusetts, just outside of Boston, in April 1960, and raised in Providence, Rhode Island, Bean started performing while attending Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh.
In addition to appearing on Shameless and Ray Donovan, Bean starred in Days of Our Lives, Veronica Mars, Charmed and Married with Children among countless other films and television shows. He also worked as a writer.
He is survived by his wife, Caroline Carrigan; his son, Jacob Randall Levy; and parents, Irwin and Dorothy Levy, among numerous other family members.