Sam Rubin, iconic LA entertainment reporter, passes away at 64

LOS ANGELES - Longtime Los Angeles entertainment reporter Sam Rubin passed away at the age of 64 on Friday. He worked for KTLA and graced TV screens nationwide for over three decades. 

Rubin was just on KTLA's morning show Thursday before he called out sick for his shift on Friday. KTLA anchor Frank Buckley called Rubin's death "sudden." 

According to KTLA’s website, Rubin won multiple Emmy Awards and also received the prestigious Golden Mike Award as the best entertainment reporter. His other accolades include winning a lifetime achievement award from the Southern California Broadcasters Association and best entertainment reporter from the Los Angeles Press Club. 

TMZ reported he suffered a heart attack at his home sometime Friday morning and was rushed to UCLA West Valley Medical Center in West Hills where he was pronounced dead.

KTLA's Sam Rubin attends the Silver Carpet Roll Out Event for the 26th Annual Screen Actors Guild Awards at The Shrine Auditorium on January 17, 2020 in Los Angeles, California. 719737 (Photo by Kevin Winter/Getty Images for Turner)

Not only was he a respected entertainment reporter, but he also made several cameos on films and movies, such as "Major Crimes," "Rizzoli & Isles," "That’s So Raven," "Melrose Place," "Fantastic Four," and "Beverly Hills, 90210." 

"KTLA 5 is profoundly saddened to report the death of Sam Rubin. Sam was a giant in the local news industry and the entertainment world, and a fixture of Los Angeles morning television for decades. His laugh, charm and caring personality touched all who knew him. Sam was a loving husband and father: the roles he cherished the most. Our thoughts are with Sam’s family during this difficult time," KTLA wrote in a social media post. 

He was busy supporting numerous non-profit organizations when he wasn’t making Southern California viewers laugh with the cameras rolling. His bio on KTLA said he was determined to revive LA schools, including improving its literacy programs at events like the Los Angeles Times Festival of Books. 

Rubin graduated from Occidental College with a Bachelor of Arts degree in American studies and rhetoric. 

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Sam Rubin and Leslie Rubin in Beverly Hills, California. (Photo by Michael Kovac/Getty Images for Children's Diabetes Foundation)

He is survived by his wife, Leslie, and their four children.