Comedian and Netflix star David A. Arnold dead at 54

Comedian David A. Arnold, best known for headlining two Netflix comedy specials, died at the age of 54 on Wednesday.

The stand-up funnyman, who was the showrunner of Nickelodeon’s “That Girl Lay Lay” and served as a producer on the “Fuller House” reboot, died “from natural causes” at his home, his family announced.

He was just three shows into his four-month national comedy tour titled “Pace Ya Self.”

“It is with great sadness that we confirm the untimely passing of our husband, father, brother and friend, David A. Arnold,” his family told the LA Times.

“David passed away peacefully today in his home and doctors have ruled the cause of death due to natural causes.”

“Please keep our family in prayer and respect our privacy at this time, as we are all shocked and devastated by this loss,” the statement concluded.

Just one week before his death, Arnold spoke to Jalen Rose for his weekly column for The Post about his glittering comedy career, recalling how he first tried an open mic night and bombed. But years later, after a career in the Navy, he was inspired by D.L. Hughley to try again.

“And the next thing you know, I was a comedian,” he told Rose. “And that’s when I realized: You gotta bomb. You got to take it in the face and you still got to want to do it.”

Arnold, who hailed from Ohio, kickstarted his writing career at the Montreal Comedy Festival and later appeared on “Jamie Foxx Presents Laffapalooza.”

After putting his name on the map, Arnold secured two Netflix stand-up specials, with his first one being in 2019, titled “David A. Arnold: Fat Ballerina.”

His second Netflix special, titled “It Ain’t For The Weak,” was released in July earlier this year, and was produced by Kevin Hart.

Arnold is also known for being the creator and executive producer of the hit Nickelodeon show “That Girl Lay Lay.”

He also served as the writer and producer on “Fuller House,” as well as “Meet The Browns” and “Tyler Perry’s House of Payne.”

He is survived by his wife Julie Harkness and their two daughters, Anna-Grace and Ashlyn. 

Just hours before his untimely death, Arnold posted a clip of his comedy sketch on Instagram.

“I’ll never forget the day my oldest decided between my wife and me who she was gonna send to the nursing home,” he captioned the post.

Celebrities and fans alike have been paying tribute to the comic on social media after news of his death came to light.

“Devastated to hear of the passing of David A. Arnold. He was a beloved member of our Fuller House writing team, one of the funniest comedians I’ve ever seen & an all-around wonderful man,” tweeted Bryan Behar, a TV writer, and producer.

“David was finally experiencing the fruits of decades of work. May his memory be a blessing.”

Stand-up comedian Matt Rife tweeted, “Wow…. God damn…. RIP David Arnold.”

“One of Cleveland’s finest has left the stage and way too soon. 54 is too young. #RIP @DavidAArnold This does not feel real,” actress Yvette Nicole Brown tweeted.

“And Just Like That” star Bobby Lee tweeted, “I’ve known you for 20 years. An amazing human and comic. Heartbroken @DavidAArnold.”

“Check out David Arnold’s @netflix comedy specials.. he was a comedy genius #rip,” tweeted comedian Loni Love.