Comedic actor Fred Willard passed away this weekend at the age of 86. I loved his Jerry Hubbard character on Fernwood 2-Night.
He was funny in every part he played, even if it was only a bit part like in This is Spinal Tap.
He was consistently amusing in his many appearances on Letterman.
His characters in the Christopher Guest improv movies (Waiting for Guffman, Best in Show, A Mighty Wind) were outstanding.
And he kept us laughing later in his career, with roles on Everybody Loves Raymond and Modern Family, as well as appearances on The Tonight Show and Jimmy Kimmel Live. He really elevated the laugh factor on every project he did.
“He was absolutely, unconditionally original. He worked so spontaneously. He had such a closet that he could go to. It was just remarkable. You never where he was going to go. He didn’t tip it.”
Fred’s longtime acting pal Martin Mull in this Variety article
By all accounts, he was a very nice person as well.
“He was as kind and as gentle and as warm and generous a person as you could ever want to meet.”
Martin Mull
R.I.P. Fred… here’s your somber exit song
And here’s your will:
I saw a notice of his padding and thought about my memories of his work. His humor was connecting, never abrasive and that is remarkable. I smiled just seeing him on the screen. The world needs more players like Fred Willard.
Great point, Phil, I never really thought about the fact that his humor was never abrasive.