Beloved celebrity chef, best-selling author, and award-winning TV personality Anthony Bourdain died of apparent suicide on Friday morning. He was 61.
Bourdain's longtime friend and fellow chef Eric Ripert found Bourdain unresponsive in his hotel room in France where he was filming an episode of Parts Unknown. The authorities are still investigating the cause of death.
In his tweet several hours after the news of Bourdain's death broke out, Ripert called him his best friend and an exceptional human being. Former US President Barack Obama tweeted that he would always remember "Tony" from a meal they shared in a simple restaurant in Hanoi, Vietnam, in 2016.
Bourdain left behind an 11-year-old daughter.
Gifted Storyteller
The unconventional Bourdain brought the world to people's homes and tables. In his first book "Kitchen Confidential: Adventures in the Culinary Underbelly," he detailed behind-the-scenes secrets of New York City restaurants. Before becoming a TV superstar, he spent 30 years as a chef.
Bourdain was a gifted storyteller having penned the article "Don't Eat Before Reading This" on the New Yorker in 1999. Prior to that, he wrote two suspense novels. He had written several other books including "Medium Raw."
Bourdain's first hosting gig was at Food Network's A Cook's Tour. However, it was in Travel Channel's Anthony Bourdain: No Reservations that he shot to international stardom. The show won two Emmy Awards and received several nominations. He hosted other TV shows including The Layover, served as a guest judge in Top Chef, co-produced and presented food documentaries such as The Mind of a Chef.
Bourdain considered Tokyo as his favorite city because of its food and eccentricities.
Award-winning TV Host
In 2013, he joined CNN for the series "Parts Unknown" that won the prestigious Peabody Award.
CNN released a statement announcing Bourdain's death, which also highlighted his support for the #MeToo movement among his many accomplishments. His girlfriend, actress Asia Argento, accused movie mogul Harvey Weinstein of raping her when she was 21 years old.
The outspoken chef was a master wordsmith who left inspiring words guiding every traveler and foodie in their journeys. Here are some of Bourdain's best quotes.
"Travel changes you. As you move through this life and this world you change things slightly, you leave marks behind, however small. And in return, life - and travel - leaves marks on you. Most of the time, those marks - on your body or on your heart - are beautiful. Often though, they hurt."
"If I'm an advocate for anything, it's to move. As far as you can, as much as you can. Across the ocean, or simply across the river. The extent to which you can walk in someone else's shoes or at least eat their food, it's a plus for everybody. Open your mind, get up off the couch. Move."
"It's an irritating reality that many places and events defy description. Angkor Wat and Machu Picchu, for instance, seem to demand silence, like a love affair you can never talk about. For a while after, you fumble for words, trying vainly to assemble a private narrative, an explanation, a comfortable way to frame where you've been and what happened. In the end, you're just happy you were there- with your eyes open- and lived to see it."
"Your body is not a temple, it's an amusement park. Enjoy the ride."
"Tokyo would probably be the foreign city if I had to eat one city's food for the rest of my life, every day. It would have to be Tokyo, and I think the majority of chefs you ask that question would answer the same way."
"[When I die], I will decidedly not be regretting missed opportunities for a good time. My regrets will be more along the lines of a sad list of people hurt, people let down, assets wasted and advantages squandered."
How to get help: In the United States, call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-8255. The International Association for Suicide Prevention and Befrienders Worldwide also can provide contact information for crisis centers around the world.
