Erica Ash, horror film actress and MADtv comedian, dies at 46

It’s a sad day in the world of comedy.

Erika Ashthe comedian who in MADtv And Remorse of a survivordied on July 28 after a long battle with cancer, her publicist said The Hollywood ReporterShe was 46.

“Erica was an amazing woman and talented entertainer who touched countless lives with her sharp wit, humor and genuine joy for life,” her family said in a statement. “Her memory will live forever in our hearts.”

Erica’s mother Dianne Ash added in a statement to TMZ that the actress passed away “peacefully surrounded by her loved ones.”

Although Erica originally planned to become a doctor and studied medicine at Emory University, she changed her career after discovering her passion for acting.

“Subconsciously, I think I knew it all along,” she previously told the alumni association Emory Wire. “My parents had other plans for me: Like most parents, they just wanted to see me successful and happy. In their minds, that meant becoming a doctor or a lawyer: going to Emory University.”