Grammy, Emmy-Nominated Actor and Comedian Dies at 80

Martin Mull, the comedic actor greatest identified for his roles on Mary Hartman, Mary Hartman and Roseanne, died on Thursday, June 27. He was 80. Although Mull by no means reached the best ranks of comedy stardom, he had an extended and energetic profession and acquired each a Grammy nomination and a Primetime Emmy nod.

His daughter, TV author and producer Maggie Mull (Household Man) shared the information of his demise on Instagram.

“He was identified for excelling at each artistic self-discipline conceivable and in addition for doing Crimson Roof Inn commercials,” she wrote. “He would discover that joke humorous. He was by no means not humorous. My dad will probably be deeply missed by his spouse and daughter, by his associates and coworkers, by fellow artists and comedians and musicians, and — the signal of a very distinctive individual — by many, many canine.”

Mull was born in Chicago on Aug. 18, 1943. He moved together with his household to North Ridgeville, Ohio when he was two. They lived there till he was 15, when his household moved to New Canaan, Connecticut.

Mull had his first style of success as a songwriter. He wrote the novelty track “A Lady Named Johnny Money,” a solution track to Shel Silverstein’s “A Boy Named Sue,” which was a 1969 crossover smash for Johnny Money. Singer Jane Morgan recorded Mull’s track and took it to No. 61 on Billboard’s Scorching Nation Songs chart in 1970.

Mull had a minor hit on the Billboard Scorching 100 as an artist in 1973, “Dueling Tubas,” a parody of “Dueling Banjos,” which was featured within the 1972 film Deliverance. Eric Weissberg and Steve Mandell’s instrumental smash “Dueling Banjos” logged 4 weeks at No. 2; “Dueling Tubas” reached No. 92.

Mull additionally launched a sequence of comedy albums within the ’70s. His self-titled debut album, launched by Capricorn in 1972, featured such well-known musicians as Ramblin’ Jack Elliott, Levon Helm from The Band, Keith Spring from NRBQ and Libby Titus.

Two of Mull’s comedy albums made the Billboard 200 — I’m Everybody I’ve Ever Liked (1977) and Intercourse & Violins (1978). The latter album acquired a Grammy nomination for greatest comedy recording, however misplaced to Steve Martin’s smash hit A Wild and Loopy Man. Each of Mull’s Billboard 200 albums have been launched on ABC Information. He additionally bubbled underneath the chart with albums launched on Capricorn and Elektra.

Within the early-to-mid Seventies, earlier than his profession as an actor actually took off, Mull was principally generally known as a musical comic, performing satirical and humorous songs. He opened in live performance for such prime music stars as Randy Newman and Sandy Denny, Frank Zappa, Billy Joel and Bruce Springsteen.

Mull’s breakout appearing function was as Garth Gimble in Norman Lear’s 1976 cleaning soap opera parody Mary Hartman, Mary Hartman. He additionally starred within the spin-off speak present parodies Fernwood 2 Evening (1977) and America 2 Evening (1978). He performed speak present host Barth Gimble (Garth’s twin brother), reverse Fred Willard, who performed sidekick and announcer Jerry Hubbard.

Mull appeared in 49 episodes of Mary Hartman, Mary Hartman, which was a giant cult hit; 44 episodes of Fernwood 2 Evening; and 65 episodes of America 2-Evening.

Mull appeared in two extra long-running TV sequence. He performed Roseanne Barr’s homosexual boss (and later enterprise accomplice), Leon Carp, on 46 episodes of her smash sitcom Roseanne (1991-97). His sexual orientation was handled matter-of-factly. That was groundbreaking on TV on the time, when homosexual characters hardly ever appeared in any respect. Mull was additionally a artistic marketing consultant on the fourth season of that present and wrote the episode “Tolerate Thy Neighbor.”

He performed the nosy Principal Willard Kraft on 39 episodes of Sabrina the Teenage Witch (1997-2000).

Mull additionally appeared as a voice actor on quite a few episodes of Household Canine, Teamo Supremo, Danny Phenom and American Dad!

Mull acquired a Primetime Emmy nomination for excellent visitor actor in a comedy sequence in 2016 for taking part in Bob Bradley on HBO’s Veep. Given his lengthy profession in TV, the nomination was overdue and almost certainly given in recognition of a lifetime of stable work.

Mull made his movie debut in FM, a 1978 movie about an FM radio station. He performed the libidinous DJ Eric Swan. The FM soundtrack album, that includes most of the prime rock stars of the period, rose to No. 5 on the Billboard 200.

Mull went on to play Teri Garr’s boss Ron Richardson in 1983’s Mr. Mother; Colonel Mustard within the 1985 comedy Clue; and Justin Gregory in 1993’s Mrs. Doubtfire, to quote three of his most profitable movies.

He additionally starred in commercials for Michelob and Pizza Hut, and in a sequence of tv and radio spots for Crimson Roof Inn with his outdated pal and co-star Fred Willard. (Therefore his daughter’s affectionate jibe above.)

Mull started portray within the Seventies. Considered one of his work, titled After Dinner Drinks (2008), is owned by Steve Martin. Martin used it as the quilt of Love Has Come for You, an album he recorded with Edie Brickell that acquired a Grammy nod for greatest Americana album.

Twice divorced, Mull was married to singer Wendy Haas. Mull died at his Los Angeles house following what his household described as “a valiant battle in opposition to an extended sickness.”