Veteran comic actor, Fred Willard, passed away overnight from natural causes. He was 86.
Actress Jamie Lee Curtis, the wife of Willard’s longtime friend and collaborator, Christopher Guest, first shared the news.
“How lucky that we all got to enjoy Fred Willard’s gifts,” Curtis tweeted earlier today.
“He is with his missed Mary now. Thanks for the deep belly laughs Mr. Willard”
Tributes for Fred Willard have poured in on social media. A representative for Willard wrote that the “four-time Emmy nominee radiated a unique charm that established him as one of our generation’s most gifted comic actors,”
“A master of sketch comedy, Fred was most heralded for his quick wit and improvisational expertise, which he demonstrated in hundreds of appearances on stage, on the big screen, and on a wide range of television shows.”
Willard amassed over 300 on-screen acting credits in his career, which began in the late 1950s. He is perhaps best remembered by contemporary audiences for playing Frank Dunphy in the long-running series, Modern Family.
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A representative for the sitcom paid tribute to the late actor on social media this morning.
“It was an honor having the legendary Fred Willard be a part of our #ModernFamily. Thank you for all the laughs We will miss you and we love you,” the post read.
Willard also had recurring roles on the series Everybody Loves Raymond, King of The Hill, The Bold & The Beautiful, Family Guy, Roseanne and Mad About You.
Aside from his work on television, Willard starred in some of the most beloved comedy films of all time. He appeared in the cult hit, This Is Spinal Tap, and as Ron Burgundy’s boss, Ed Harken, in the Anchorman films.
Willard is survived by his daughter and grandson and will be sorely missed by the entertainment community.
Check out Fred Willard as Frank Dunphy in Modern Family:
