Martin Mull—Acclaimed Actor, Comedian, Painter, Musician—Has Died at 80

Martin Mull attends the 2018 Fox Network Upfront in New York City on May 14, 2018. Roy Rochlin/Getty Images

Actor and comedian Martin Mull, best known for his roles in hit series “Roseanne” and films “Clue” and “Mr. Mom,” has died at 80-years-old.

His daughter announced the heartbreaking news in a touching Instagram post, saying he passed away on June 27 at his home after a “valiant fight against a long illness.”

“He was known for excelling at every creative discipline imaginable and also for doing Red Roof Inn commercials. He would find that joke funny. He was never not funny,” she wrote.

“My dad will be deeply missed by his wife and daughter, by his friends and coworkers, by fellow artists and comedians and musicians, and—the sign of a truly exceptional person—by many, many dogs. I loved him tremendously.”

Tributes are pouring in across Hollywood, including from former co-star Melissa Joan Hart, who worked alongside Mr. Mull on the show “Sabrina the Teenage Witch” in the late 90’s.

“Rest in Peace my friend. The incredible #MartinMull (Principal Kraft) has left us for his eternal rest. I have such fond memories of working with him and being in awe of his huge body of work,” she captioned with a throwback photo of the two of them.

In her tribute, Ms. Hart expressed how she and the world have benefited from Mr. Mull’s talents, and went on to share a key piece of advice the actor gave her as a young star.

“He once told me that he takes every job he’s offered just in case the train comes to an end, which in this business tends to halt quickly. But he was an artist who liked to paint and build things with his hands, a musician and a wonderful man who i am better for knowing [sic].”

Meanwhile, actress Jennifer Tilly remembered Mr. Mull for his kindness and charisma, and reflected on their first time working together on set nearly 40 years ago.

“So sad to hear of the passing of Martin Mull. I worked with him a long time ago on a film called ‘Rented Lips’  that he wrote and also starred in … As an actress just starting out, it really meant a lot to me to be able to work with such a wonderful actor,” she said.

Early Career

Born in Chicago, Illinois, in 1943, Mr. Mull had original plans of becoming a painter and went on to receive a bachelor’s degree in fine arts and a master’s in painting.

While attempting to earn money for tuition, Mr. Mull had a job organizing bands and in part found a new passion in entertainment.

Eventually, he made his way to Hollywood where he would write and perform music, while also doing stand-up comedy at clubs. It was at “The Roxy Theatre” on Sunset Strip where he was spotted by screen-writer and film producer Norman Lear.

Mr. Mull made his first television debut in the 1970’s starring in a soap opera parody “Mary Hartman, Mary Hartman,” then its spinoff “Fernwood Tonight.”

This catapulted his career and throughout the 90’s, earned him roles on television screens across the country. Appearing in over 50-different shows, his TV-credits include beloved series like “Roseanne” and “Sabrina The Teenage Witch.”

He also notably appeared in “Arrested Development,” and “Two and a Half Men,” and went on to earn his only Emmy nomination in 2016 for his guest performance on “Veep” a comedy satire series based on politics.

Appearing in nearly 40 films, his list of legendary film credits include, “Clue (1985),” “Mr. Mom (1983),” “Far Out Man (1990),” and “Mrs. Doubtfire (1993)” to name a few.

He is survived by his wife Wendy, and his daughter Maggie, who followed in his entertainment footsteps as a television-writer and producer herself.