On Saturday, it was announced by his agent that Fred Willard had passed away at the age of 86. Willard was known for his roles in popular movies like Anchorman and This Is Spinal Tap, as well as his appearances on TV shows like Modern Family.
Fred’s daughter, Hope Mulbarger, said in a statement on Saturday that her father died peacefully Friday night. The cause of his death has not been released. “He kept moving, working, and making us happy until the very end,” Mulbarger said. “We loved him so very much! We will miss him forever.”
Willard received four Emmy nominations for his performances in popular TV shows such as What’s Hot, What’s Not, Everybody Loves Raymond, Modern Family, and The Bold and the Beautiful.
Messages of admiration were shared for the actor, including one from Jamie Lee Curtis, a close friend and fellow entertainment industry professional tweeting, “Thanks for the deep belly laughs, Mr. Willard.”
Actor Steve Carrell tweeted “Fred Willard was the funniest person that I’ve ever worked with. He was a sweet, wonderful man,”
At the beginning of his career, he produced Desperate Hours at a nearby YMCA and collaborated with his future comedy partner, Vic Grecco.
They performed together under the name Willard and Grecco in Greenwich Village and achieved some success by touring and appearing on popular shows such as The Dean Martin Show, The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour, and The Tonight Show.
RIP, Fred Willard!
