Who was Kirk Baily? Tributes pour in as Nickelodeon star of 'Salute your Shorts' fame dies aged 59

American actor Kirk Baily passed away on February 28 at the age of 59 following a battle with lung cancer. The former Nickelodeon star's family confirmed his unfortunate death to TMZ. His friends also shared the news of his demise on social media.

Baily was reportedly diagnosed with pulmonary cancer around six months earlier. He worked as a voice artist in animated projects until last year.

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What is known about Kirk Baily's career?

Kirk Baily was best known for his portrayal of Kevin "Ug" Lee in 1991's Nickelodeon sitcom, Salute Your Shorts. He played the character in 26 episodes of the show.

Baily also appeared in multiple one-time roles in TV series and movies in the mid-1990s. In 1998, he portrayed the adult version of Millions Knives in eight episodes of Trigun.

Later in his career, the New York native did vocal work in anime projects and animated feature films. His works include Mobile Suit Gundam, Aladdin, Cowboy Bebop, Hotel Transylvania, Despicable Me 2, Frozen, Big Hero Six, and more. He was also involved in the upcoming DC animated movie, DC League of Super-Pets.

From 2002 to 2004, Baily voiced multiple characters in the English-dubbed version of Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex. Apart from his contributions to films and TV series, the 59-year-old also worked in some video games. He did voice work for Star Trek: Voyager – Elite Force, the .hack series, Shadow Hearts: Covenant, and Condemned 2: Bloodshot, among others.

Before his foray into the entertainment industry, Baily served as an ADR personnel in projects. He was presumably also a drama teacher in New York City. In 1987, he shifted to Los Angeles to pursue acting and voice work.

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Condolences pour in following the news of Kirk Baily's demise

Twitter was flooded with condolences after the news of Kirk Baily's passing.

Most of the tweets acknowledged his iconic role as camp counselor Kevin 'Ug' Lee in Salute Your Shorts.

The late actor was also immortalized in a cartoon art piece by Brett Wilson. The artwork has been shared several times on Twitter.