The US comedian and actor said he and his wife Paula Zwagerman had suffered a "terrible tragedy" on Wednesday evening following the death of their "beloved son" Dex.

"Dex packed a lot into those 32 years," the 68-year-old said in a statement on Instagram.

"He was extremely talented at so many things - music, art, film making, comedy - and pursued all of them passionately.

"It's not an exaggeration to say that Dex loved life. And when you were with him, you loved life too. He made everything fun.

"But most of all, he loved his family, his friends and his girlfriend, Kaylee.

"Dex was a beautiful person. His handmade birthday cards are a treasure. We will miss him forever."

Carvey, who won an Emmy award in 1993 for outstanding individual performance in US comedy sketch show Saturday Night Live, said to those struggling with addiction or those who have loved ones struggling with addiction "you are in our hearts and prayers".

Dex starred in a number of TV series alongside his father, including The Funster in 2013, Beyond The Comics a year later and Carpool Pandering in 2016.