Author and playwright Gore Vidal died in Los Angeles on Tuesday at the age of 86. Vidal’s nephew Burr Steers said his uncle passed away from complications from pneumonia. Steers said Vidal had been living alone in his Hollywood Hills home and had been sick for “quite a while.”
Vidal was known for best-selling novels like “Burr” and “Myra Breckenridge.” He also wrote the six-time Tony-nominated play “The Best Man.” Vidal was also popular for his essays. He wrote on an array of topics, including everything from politics and literature to sex and religion.
