Ben Stiller, Jay Leno and other comics have come out to mourn the death of George Carlin.

The comedian, known for his anti-establishment humour, died on Sunday aged 71.

"George Carlin was a hugely influential force in stand-up comedy," said Stiller.

"He had an amazing mind, and his humour was brave, and always challenging us to look at ourselves and question our belief systems, while being incredibly entertaining. He was one of the greats and he will be missed."

Carlin, who had a history of medical issues and survived three previous heart attacks, was admitted to Santa Monica's Saint John's Health Centre after complaining of chest pains.

He had recently celebrated 50 years in showbiz, including frequent appearances on US talk shows like 'The Ed Sullivan Show' and 'The Tonight Show', where he first began appearing in 1960.

"If there was ever a comedian who was a voice of their generation it was George Carlin," said Leno, who currently hosts 'The Tonight Show'.

"Before George, comedians aspired to put on nice suits and perform in Las Vegas. George rebelled against that life. His comedy took on privilege and elitism, even railing against the game of golf," said Leno.

"He never lost that fire. May he continue to inspire young people never to accept the status quo."

Carlin is most famous for his routine 'Seven Words You Can Never Say on Television' which, in the early '70s resulted in a Supreme Court case that affected US TV and radio decency rules.

"Nobody was funnier than George Carlin," remembered Judd Apatow, director of 'The 40-Year-Old Virgin' and 'Knocked Up'.

"I spent half my childhood in my room listening to his records experiencing pure joy. And he was as kind as he was funny."