Changes

===Chicago Years===

===Chicago Years===

In 1960, Close moved to Chicago – which was to be his home base for much of the rest of his life – to perform and direct with Second City. Close was fired from Second City due to his substance abuse and spent the latter half of the 1960s in San Francisco, where he was the House Director of The Committee (improv group)|The Committee theater, toured with the Merry Pranksters, and made light images for Grateful Dead shows.

In 1960, Close moved to Chicago – which was to be his home base for much of the rest of his life – to perform and direct with Second City. Close was fired from Second City due to his substance abuse and spent the latter half of the 1960s in San Francisco, where he was the House Director of The Committee theater, toured with the Merry Pranksters, and made light images for Grateful Dead shows.

After returning to Chicago in the early 1970s, Close was hired again to direct at Second City. He also performed and directed the Second City show in Toronto in 1977. Over the next decade he helped develop many of today’s leading comedians. Many of his protégés have gained prominence in the field of comedy; at any given time, roughly a quarter of ''Saturday Night Live''’s cast has been composed of his former trainees.

After returning to Chicago in the early 1970s, Close was hired again to direct at Second City. He also performed and directed the Second City show in Toronto in 1977. Over the next decade he helped develop many of today’s leading comedians. Many of his protégés have gained prominence in the field of comedy; at any given time, roughly a quarter of ''Saturday Night Live''’s cast has been composed of his former trainees.

Close spent the early 1980s in New York, as "House Metaphysician" at ''Saturday Night Live'', coaching the cast in the wake of producer Lorne Michaels' departure. He spent the mid-to-late 1980s and 1990s teaching improv, collaborating with Charna Halpern in Yes And Productions and Improv Olympic.  Despite suffering from emphysema, he continued to consume pot brownies, and use various tobacco supplements. During this period, Close acted in several movies, including portraying a corrupt alderman in ''The Untouchables” and an English teacher in ''Ferris Bueller's Day Off''.  He also co-authored the graphic horror anthology ''Wasteland (DC Comics)|Wasteland'' for DC Comics with John Ostrander, and co-wrote several installments of Grimjack's backup feature Munden's Bar. Close joined Charna Halpern at the ImprovOlympic Theater, which she had founded and briefly run with Compass Players producer David Shepherd.  

Close spent the early 1980s in New York, as "House Metaphysician" at ''Saturday Night Live'', coaching the cast in the wake of producer Lorne Michaels' departure. He spent the mid-to-late 1980s and 1990s teaching improv, collaborating with Charna Halpern in Yes And Productions and Improv Olympic.  Despite suffering from emphysema, he continued to consume pot brownies, and use various tobacco supplements. During this period, Close acted in several movies, including portraying a corrupt alderman in ''The Untouchables'' and an English teacher in ''Ferris Bueller's Day Off''.  He also co-authored the graphic horror anthology ''Wasteland'' for DC Comics with John Ostrander, and co-wrote several installments of Grimjack's backup feature Munden's Bar. Close joined Charna Halpern at the ImprovOlympic Theater, which she had founded and briefly run with Compass Players producer David Shepherd.  

Among Close's last words to those visiting him in his hospital room were, "I’m tired of being the funniest person in the room."

Among Close's last words to those visiting him in his hospital room were, "I’m tired of being the funniest person in the room."