Artie Lange is on set today and performing in the role of Artie for season two of HBO’s Crashing which is shooting in New York City this month. Rumors and speculation swirled that Artie might not be back for season two after a few drug-related incidents made headlines, but we’re excited to hear that Lange is confirmed to return.

It’s been a year of ups and downs for the beloved comedian and actor. His stand up career is back on track and he has been killing at clubs like The Stand and The Cellar, and he just finished a headlining run at Carolines on Broadway this weekend. We loved season one of Crashing and particularly applauded Lange’s semi to very auto-biographical portrayal of “Artie Lange.” Artie not only loaned his acting chops to HBO for the series- he also shared plenty of stories which helped shape all the scenes Lange appears in. And Artie went on a national stand up tour with Judd Apatow and Pete Holmes to promote the show.

Despite some strong career successes for Lange, 2017 has been a rough year, personally. In March, Lange was arrested for drug possession in Hoboken, NJ in the parking garage of his apartment building. Reports said Lange was found with “several bags” of cocaine and heroin in his possession and his car. At the time, fans believed Artie was in recovery. “I wish I could tell u how my story ends,” he tweeted after the arrest went public. “I hope it’s being old & smiling cuz of unique memories. But I’m such a flawed person guys. Tryin!” and shortly after tweeted “Pls don’t be me younger ppl.”

After the arrest, the New York Times reported that Lange said he had been fired from the series, but both HBO and Judd Apatow said that Lange had not been let go.

Then in early July– only a few months after the March arrest– news came that Artie needed to be hospitalized and undergo emergency surgery after he had to be carried out of a show at Chicago’s Thalia Hall. Lange revealed that he had nearly died after collapsing- a result of an infection in his chest that was caused by years of drug abuse. He tweeted that years of cocaine use and heroin use blew a hole in his nose, and landed in his chest. “I was hours from checkin out,” he wrote on Twitter. “They ripped open my chest and got it all. I cheated the devil for the hundredth time.” Artie said he was still hoping to do Crashing – Season Two, adding an ominous, “If I’m not clean I’m gone. I love u.”

Crashing – Season Two is filming in New York City now. The eight-episode first season of Crashing aired starting February 19 on HBO, telling the story of Pete, a sheltered suburbanite who after catching his wife cheating, decides to go all in on his dreams of becoming a stand up comedian in New York City. Season one is now available on Blu Ray, DVD and digital download. New York fans can catch a night of comedy with Pete Holmes and Friends this Wednesday at The Bell House in Brooklyn.

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