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Martin Mull, ‘Roseanne’, ‘Arrested Development’ actor, dies at age 80 – WSOC TV

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Martin Mull, who became a hip sensation in the 1970s with his droll, esoteric comedy and acting and later was a popular guest star on sitcoms such as “Roseanne” and “Arrested Development,” has died, his daughter said Friday, The Associated Press reported.

( “Roseanne”, “The Conners” house for sale )

Mull’s daughter, television writer and comic artist Maggie Mull, said her father died at home on Thursday after “a brave battle with a long illness”.

Mull, who was also a guitarist and painter, rose to national fame through a recurring role on the Norman Lear-created satirical soap opera “Mary Hartman, Mary Hartman” and the lead role in its spin-off “Fernwood Tonight,” in which he played Barth Gimble, the host of a satirical talk show.

“He was known for excelling in every creative discipline imaginable, including his Red Roof Inn commercials,” Maggie Mull said in an Instagram post. “He thought that joke was funny. It was always funny. My dad will be sorely missed by his wife and daughter, by his friends and colleagues, by fellow artists, comedians and musicians, and – the mark of a truly extraordinary person – by many, many dogs.”

Obituary for Martin Mull FILE – Wendy Haas, left, and Martin Mull arrive at one of the Creative Arts Emmy Awards at the Microsoft Theater in Los Angeles on Saturday, Sept. 10, 2016. Martin Mull, whose droll, esoteric comedy and acting made him a hip sensation in the 1970s and later a popular guest star on such sitcoms as “Roseanne” and “Arrested Development,” has died, his daughter said Friday, June 28, 2024. (Photo by Richard Shotwell/Invision/AP, File) (Richard Shotwell/Richard Shotwell/Invision/AP)

Known for his blond hair and neat mustache, Mull was born in Chicago, grew up in Ohio and Connecticut, and studied art in Rhode Island and Rome. In the 1970s, he combined his music and comedy in trendy Hollywood clubs.

“In 1976, I was a guitarist and comedian performing at the Roxy on the Sunset Strip when Norman Lear came in and heard me,” Mull told the Associated Press in 1980. “He cast me as a wife beater in ‘Mary Hartman, Mary Hartman.’ Four months later, I got my own show.”

In the 1980s, he appeared in films such as “Mr. Mom” and “Clue,” and in the 1990s he had a recurring role on “Roseanne.”

He later played private investigator Gene Parmesan in “Arrested Development” and was nominated for an Emmy in 2016 for a guest appearance on “Veep.”

“I’m very proud of what I did on ‘Veep,’ but I’d like to think it’s more collective, at my age it’s more collective,” Mull told the AP after his nomination. “Maybe it goes back to ‘Fernwood.'”

Other comedians and actors were often his biggest fans.

Obituary for Martin Mull FILE – Martin Mull participates in “The Cool Kids” panel during the Fox Television Critics Association summer press tour at the Beverly Hilton hotel, Thursday, Aug. 2, 2018, in Beverly Hills, Calif. Martin Mull, whose droll, esoteric comedy and acting made him a hip sensation in the 1970s and later a popular guest star on such sitcoms as “Roseanne” and “Arrested Development,” has died, his daughter said Friday, June 28, 2024. (Photo by Willy Sanjuan/Invision/AP, File) (Willy Sanjuan/Willy Sanjuan/Invision/AP)

“Martin was the greatest,” said Bridesmaids director Paul Feig in an X-post. “So funny, so talented, such a nice guy. I was lucky enough to star with him on The Jackie Thomas Show and enjoyed every moment with a legend. Fernwood Tonight had such an impact on my life.”

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