Charlie Murphy, famed comedian, writer and actor, has passed away at the age of 57. 

Murphy, who rose to fame while writing on Dave Chappelle’s critically acclaimed “Chappelle’s Show,” reportedly faced a lengthy battle with leukemia before passing away on Wednesday morning a New York City hospital, according to TMZ.

As an older brother to Eddie Murphy, Charlie was able to use many of his wildest stories to fuel some of the most memorable skits from the Comedy Central sketch show. Among the most popular stories were his losing a basketball game to Prince and a having a feud with Rick James.

Charlie played a role in creating  or featuring in many other comedies over the years, including “The Boondocks,” “Are We There Yet?,” “Black Jesus,” and much of his brother’s work.

The comedian’s death apparently came as a shock to his family as they thought his health was improving. He leaves behind three children. Murphy’s wife, Tisha Taylor Murphy, died in 2009 after a battle with cancer.