Jeff Garcia, a beloved L.A. comedian and prominent Nickelodeon voice actor, has died. He was 50.<\/p>\n
Garcia, a Laugh Factory regular, died Wednesday after a brief hospitalization, his son Joseph \u201cJoJo\u201d Garcia announced on Instagram<\/a>.<\/p>\n \u201cMy father was a unique soul. He taught me so much and gave me advice that I live by every single day. He was a Father, Son, Uncle, Cousin, Brother, but most of all, he was my best friend,\u201d JoJo wrote in his tribute. <\/p>\n JoJo, who has embarked on a comedy career of his own, added that he called his father every day and often confided in him about his career ambitions.<\/p>\n \u201cHe believed in me, in a way that nobody else did,\u201d he wrote. \u201cI\u2019m going to make you proud pops.\u201d<\/p>\n Representatives for Garcia were unable to be reached Wednesday for comment. <\/p>\n \u201cJeff Garcia was such a beloved member of our family, and such a talent,\u201d Erin von Schonfeldt, executive vice president of talent at the Improv, said in a statement to The Times. \u201cWe are all really feeling this tremendous loss.\u201d<\/p>\n Garcia kicked off his career by frequenting Southern California comedy clubs throughout the 1990s. Later, he landed his most prominent role: voicing goofy sidekick Sheen Est\u00e9vez in the 2001 animated movie \u201cJimmy Neutron: Boy Genius.\u201d He also voiced the character in the subsequent TV series \u201cThe Adventures of Jimmy Neutron: Boy Genius\u201d for three seasons and his own short-lived spinoff \u201cPlanet Sheen.\u201d<\/p>\n The comedy veteran lent his voice to other animated films and shows, including \u201cBarnyard\u201d and \u201cHappy Feet,\u201d the latter of which he worked on with Robin Williams.<\/p>\n \u201cHe fell in love with my ass, man,\u201d Garcia said of his famed co-star in a 2021 interview<\/a> with radio host Freddy Rivera.<\/p>\n \u201cIf there was a comedy Mount Rushmore, he\u2019d be the first [face],\u201d he said.<\/p>\n Garcia\u2019s fans shared similar praise following the news of his death. In a comment on JoJo\u2019s Instagram post, comedian Eric Schwartz said<\/a> Jeff was \u201cone of the first to believe in me and was instrumental in my development as a comedian early on.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cHe generously gave me and many other comedians a lot of opportunities to shine,\u201d Schwartz said.<\/p>\n Debi Derryberry, who voiced Jimmy Neutron, also shared a tribute on Instagram<\/a>. <\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m devastated to find out that my dear friend Jeff Garcia, who also played Sheen on Jimmy Neutron, has passed away,\u201d she wrote. \u201cWe were all together just a few months ago at a convention. He was always the funniest man in the room. We\u2019re gonna miss you Sheen.\u201d<\/p>\n A tween always armed with a punchline, Sheen was one of the most beloved \u201cJimmy Neutron\u201d characters during the show\u2019s run. But he\u2019s also gained a new generation of fans on TikTok, where some of his famous lines have gone semi-viral. <\/p>\n