Fred Willard, the comic actor who delighted audiences in beloved films like “This is Spinal Tap” and “Best in Show” over his more than 50-year-career, died Friday at age 86.
He died of natural causes, his family confirmed.
“My father passed away very peacefully last night at the fantastic age of 86 years old,” his daughter Hope Mulbarger said in a statement, “He kept moving, working and making us happy until the very end.”
Willard received three Emmy nominations for his recurring role on the TV series “Everybody Loves Raymond.” He also had roles in the popular series “Roseanne,” “Mad about You,” and most recently, “Modern Family,” which also landed him an Emmy nom.
“Rest in Peace sweet @Fred_Willard. You will always be a true original and I am so honored that our lives intersected. No one will ever come close to replacing your genius,” tweeted his “Modern Family” co-star Jesse Tyler Ferguson.
Willard, also a writer, was a master of satiric documentaries, or mockumentaries. He had parts in Rob Reiner’s “This Is Spinal Tap;” Christopher Guest films “Waiting for Guffman,” “Best in Show,” “A Mighty Wind,” “For Your Consideration” and “Mascots;” and the “Anchorman” films.
“So sad to hear about Fred Willard. He was a brilliant satirist. Made you laugh from your gut. And the kindest of souls,” Rob Reiner tweeted.
Steve Carell, who shared the screen with Willard in the two “Anchorman” movies, tweeted, “Fred Willard was the funniest person that I’ve ever worked with. He was a sweet, wonderful man.”
The Ohio-born Willard rose to fame in 1977-78 as Martin Mull’s clueless sidekick and announcer, “Jerry Hubbard,” on the “Mary Hartman, Mary Hartman” spinoff “Fernwood 2 Night.”
“I like to play the guy that has no self-awareness, kind of the likeable buffoon who will stick his foot in his mouth and say the wrong thing,” he told The New York Times in 2008.
Known for his improvisational skills, Willard appeared dozens of times on the “Tonight Show with Jay Leno,” performing in funny skits.
He hosted “Saturday Night Live” in 1978.
In a brush with scandal in 2012, Willard was arrested on suspicion of lewd activity in a Los Angeles adult movie theater. Instead of going to trial, he completed a diversion program for people charged with minor sexual offenses. The incident cost him a job narrating a public TV series.