MARK CURRY: Back to Life

By Karu F. Daniels, AOL Black Voices

Comedian and actor Mark Curry appears on the Feb. 15 episode of 'The Montell Williams Show.'

On the Feb. 15 episode of 'The Montell Williams Show,' actor and comedian Mark Curry will reveal the true life tragedy he recently endured for a show centering on guests who overcame enormous odds to rebuild their lives.

The 'Hangin' with Mr. Cooper' star said he lived through a freak accident last spring when he inadvertently knocked an aerosol can of spray starch off a shelf, in his California home.

According to Curry, the can hit a metal wall bracket that connected the water heater to a wall and ruptured, causing an explosion and a fire that engulfed him.

He suffered second degree burns over 18% of his body and spent three days in a medically induced coma.

"It was so bad, I didn't think about it--the pain was so excruciating that I just threw it out. I wanted to kill myself," he revealed to Williams. "By the 4th day, I said, 'I can't do this.' I felt less than a man. I couldn't even look at my own body. I saw my hand with the peeling skin and threw up and I didn't look at myself again."

Curry, who had a memorable role on Kirstie Alley's short-lived reality based Showtime series 'Fat Actress,' says support from fellow comedians helped to lift his spirits and that, coupled with the love and encouragement from his family, made him want to live again.

"Sinbad called, Bill Cosby called and even Martin Lawrence's mother called. She sounded like my mother who'd just passed [away] earlier this year," he shared.

"When the comedians called, they all joked and accused me of freebasing like Richard Pryor," he said, adding, "When Bill Cosby calls, you get up - I don't care what's wrong with you. They made me laugh and that helped."

Photo courtesy of The Montel Williams Show.