Martin Mull obit

Martin Mull, Comic Actor of ‘Clue,’ ‘Roseanne’ and ‘Arrested Development,’ Dies at 80

The actor’s daughter announced the news Friday, saying he “passed away at home after a valiant fight against a long illness” 

He was not on the list.

Martin Mull, the droll comic actor best known for his roles in “Clue,” “Roseanne” and “Arrested Development,” died Thursday at age 80.

His daughter, Maggie Mull, shared the news to Instagram on Friday, writing, “I am heartbroken to share that my father passed away at home on June 27th, after a valiant fight against a long illness.”

Maggie, who is a TV writer, added, “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 added that he will be 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.”

She ended her post with, “I loved him tremendously.”

Mull’s first big break as an actor was playing Garth Gimble on Norman Lear’s soap opera spoof “Mary Hartman, Mary Hartman” in 1976, which led to roles on spin-offs “Fernwood 2 Night” and “America 2 Night.”

He portrayed Colonel Mustard in the 1985 comedy “Clue” and Teri Garr’s boss in “Mr. Mom.” He also began voicing the ads his daughter mentioned for Red Roof Inn.

His other films include “FM,” “Serial,” Mrs. Doubtfire” and the 1996 live-action “101 Dalmatians.”

He later played Roseanne’s boss Leon Carp, private detective Gene Parmesan on “Arrested Development” and Principal Willard Kraft on the ABC sitcom “Sabrina the Teenage Witch.” He also found time to voice a hippy who was friends with Homer Simpson’s mother in a 1998 episode of “The Simpsons.”

Mull’s first foray into show business was as a songwriter. He penned the comic tune “A Girl Named Johnny Cash” for Jane Morgan; the song peaked at No. 61 on the country charts. As a solo musician, he opened for such diverse headliners as Randy Newman, Frank Zappa, Billy Joel and Bruce Springsteen.

Among those offering their condolences to Maggie Mull on her post was “The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel” star Alex Borstein, who wrote, “This blows and I’m sending my best to you and your family and I hope your heart is full of love for him and great memories.”

 

Filmography

Film work by Martin Mull

Year     Film            Role            class="unsortable" | Notes

1978    FM            Eric Swan   

1980    Serial            Harvey Holroyd           

1980    My Bodyguard            Mr. Peache

1981    Take This Job and Shove It            Dick Ebersol

1982    Flicks            Tang/Arthur Lyle            aka "Loose Joints"

1983    Mr. Mom    Ron Richardson      

1983    Private School            Pharmacy Guy            Uncredited

1984    Bad Manners            Warren Fitzpatrick            aka Growing Pains

1985            Television Parts            Himself

1985            California Girls  Elliot    

1985    Clue            Colonel Mustard          

1985    O.C. and Stiggs            Pat Coletti 

1986    The Boss' Wife            Tony Dugdale           

1988    Rented Lips      Archie Powell 

1988    Portrait of a White Marriage            Himself (as talk show host)    

1989    Cutting Class    William Carson III       

1990    Ski Patrol   Sam Marris 

1990    Think Big       Dr. Hayden Bruekner         

1990    Far Out Man     Dr. Leddledick      

1992    Miracle Beach   Donald Burbank          

1992    Dance with Death            Art      

1993    Mrs. Doubtfire            Justin Gregory           

1994    How the West Was Fun      Bart Gifooley          

1994    Mr. Write    Dan Barnes 

1996    Edie & Pen      Johnnie Sparkle           

1996    Jingle All the Way            D.J.     

1996    101 Dalmatians            Wildlife Presenter         

1997    Beverly Hills Family Robinson            Doug Robinson         

1998    Zack and Reba            Virgil Payne  

1998    Richie Rich's Christmas Wish            Richard Rich Sr.           

2000            Attention Shoppers            Charles

2002    The Year That Trembled            Wayne Simonelli          

2004    A Boyfriend for Christmas            Martin Grant   

2006    Relative Strangers            Jeffry Morton

2010    Killers            Holbrook       

2011    Oliver's Ghost   Clive Rutledge          

2013    Tim's Vermeer            Himself

2018    A Futile and Stupid Gesture            Modern Doug Kenney           

Television work by Martin Mull

Year     Film            Role            Notes

1976–1977            Mary Hartman, Mary Hartman            Garth Gimble/Barth Gimble 49 episodes

1977            Fernwood 2 Night            Barth Gimble 44 episodes

1977    The New Adventures of Wonder Woman            Hamlin Rule/Pied Piper            Episode: "The Pied Piper"

1978            America 2-Night            Barth Gimble 65 episodes

1979    Taxi            Roger Chapman            Episode: "Hollywood Calling"

1983    Sunset Limousine            Mel Shaver            Television film

1984            Domestic Life   Martin Crane   10 episodes

1985    The History of White People in America            Himself

1985    Lots of Luck    Frank Maris            Television film

1990    His & Hers     Doug Lambert            13 episodes

1990    The Golden Girls            Jimmy            Episode: "Snap Out of It"

1991    Get a Life      Sandy Connors          

1991–1997            Roseanne         Leon Carp    46 episodes

1992–1993            The Larry Sanders Show   Himself            2 episodes

1993    Family Dog      Skip Binsford            Voice, 10 episodes

1994    Burke's Law     Wayne Hudson            Episode: "Who Killed Good Time Charlie?"

1995    Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman            Marlin Pfinch-Lupus            Episode: "Whine, Whine, Whine"

1997    Over the Top            Brookes Jenson            Episode: "The Review"

1997–2000            Sabrina the Teenage Witch   Willard Kraft    73 episodes

1998    The Simpsons            Seth            Voice, episode: "D'oh-in' in the Wind"

2000    Family Guy      Mr. Harris   Voice, episode: "If I'm Dyin', I'm Lyin'"

2000    Just Shoot Me!            Stan            Episode: "Slamming Jack"

2000    The Wild Thornberrys            Dennis Tucker Voice, episode: "Birthday Quake"[23]

2001–2002            The Ellen Show            Ed Munn   18 episodes

2002            Dexter's Laboratory            M.A.R. 10        Voice, episode: "Lab on the Run"

2002    Teamo Supremo            Governor Kevin            Voice

2003    Reba            Dr. Todd            Episode: "Encounters"

2003–2004            Hollywood Squares            Himself

2004    Half & Half      Bob Tyrell    1 episode

2004    Reno 911!     Jim Kringle

2004–2007            Danny Phantom            Vlad Masters / Vlad Plasmius            Voice, 16 episodes[23]

2004–2013            Arrested Development            Gene Parmesan            4 episodes

2005–2011            American Dad!            Father Donovan            Voice, 10 episodes

2007    The War at Home            Principal Fink  3 episodes

2008    Law & Order: Special Victims Unit            Dr. Gideon Hutton            Episode: "Retro"

2008    My Boys    Dr. Clayton            Episode: "Opportunity Knocks"

2008–2013            Two and a Half Men            Russell            6 episodes

2009            Eastwick          Milton Philmont            1 episode

2010    'Til Death            Whitey/Mr. White            12 episodes

2013    Psych            Highway Harry            Episode: "100 Clues"

2013–2014            Dads            Crawford Whittemore            19 episodes

2015            Community       George Perry    2 episodes

2015–2017            Life in Pieces  Gary Timpkins            4 episodes

2016    Veep            Bob Bradley            4 episodes

Nominated – Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Guest Actor in a Comedy Series

2016–2018            The Ranch   Jerry            7 episodes

2017    NCIS: Los Angeles            Eddie (Edward O'Boyle)            Episode: "Old Tricks"

2017–2019            I'm Sorry    Martin            6 episodes

2018–2019            The Cool Kids            Charlie            Main role (22 episodes)

2020            Brooklyn Nine-Nine            Admiral Walter Peralta            Episode: "Admiral Peralta"

2020    Bless This Mess            Martin            Episode: "The Table"

2020    Bob's Burgers            Shopkeeper     Voice, episode: "Local She-ro"

2022    Grace and Frankie            H.W. Wallingford            Episode: "The Last Hurrah"

2023    Not Dead Yet            Monty            3 episodes

2023    The Afterparty            Sheriff Reardon            2 episodes

Video game work by Martin Mull

Year     Film            Role            Notes

2005            Nicktoons Unite!            Vlad Plasmius            Voice

2023            Nickelodeon All-Star Brawl 2            Vlad Plasmius            Voice