Fred Willard

Fred Willard (born September 18, 1939, died May 15, 2020) was an American comedian and actor known for his improvisational comedy skills. He was known for his roles in the Christopher Guest mockumentary films This is Spinal Tap, Waiting for Guffman, Best in Show, A Mighty Wind, and For Your Consideration as well as television series D.C. Follies. He was an alumnus of The Second City comedy troupe. He received three Emmy nominations for his recurring role on the TV series Everybody Loves Raymond as Robert Barone's father-in-law, Hank MacDougall.

Early life
Willard grew up in Cleveland, Ohio. His father died in 1951 when Willard was 12. Willard is a former Army soldier, having graduated from the Virginia Military Institute. After his tour in the Army, Willard auditioned alongside Robert Klein for The Second City, which consisted of a nightclub manager and his employee. The audition helped the two secure the job. He is an alumnus of The Second City and currently heads a sketch comedy workshop, The MoHos. He was a founding member of the improvisational comedy group, Ace Trucking Company. Fellow members of Ace included Bill Saluga and Patti Deutsch, among others. They appeared regularly on This is Tom Jones.

Career
Willard achieved wider fame as Martin Mull's impossibly dense sidekick, "Jerry Hubbard," on the television shows Fernwood 2 Night, Forever Fernwood, and America 2-Night, which parodied the nighttime talk shows of the day. He was an original cast member of the NBC comedy series Real People from 1979 to 1985. From 1987 to 1989, he starred as a bartender/straightman in Sid and Marty Krofft's D.C. Follies, where all the other regular characters were Krofft puppets portraying political figures of the time. In 1990, Willard hosted the cable TV show "Access America" on the Ha! Comedy Network. As part of that show, he appeared September 21, 1990 on Episode #7 of the cult public access TV show Decoupage with Summer Caprice. In 1995, Willard reunited with his Fernwood co-star playing Scott, the romantic partner of Mull's character, Leon Carp, on Roseanne. The couple married in the episode "December Bride" and Scott became a recurring character during the series' final two seasons. That same year, Willard had guest starred in three episodes of Sister, Sister, starring Tia and Tamera Mowry; Willard played Carl Mitushka, a teacher at Roosevelt High who often spoke popular teenage slang terms in order to sound cool to his students. Willard guest-voiced a 1999 episode of The Simpsons titled Sunday, Cruddy Sunday as Wally Kogen, a travel agent. From 2001 to 2002, he played the father of five children on Maybe It's Me. He has also guest starred in an episode of The Weird Al Show.

His most recent notable work has been in Christopher Guest films, such as A Mighty Wind, in which he played "Mike LaFontaine", a character known for his catch phrase, "Eh? Wha' happened?"; Best in Show, in which he portrayed "Buck Laughlin," a dog show announcer who offered up an unending stream of bad jokes and off-color comments; Waiting for Guffman, in which he played "Ron Albertson," a travel agent who performs in amateur stage productions with his wife; This Is Spinal Tap, in which he played a lieutenant on the military base where Spinal Tap play; and For Your Consideration, as an obnoxious entertainment television show anchor. He also appeared as KVWN news director "Ed Harken" in, Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy, and in American Wedding as Michelle Flaherty's father, "Harold."

Willard had a recurring role as "Hank MacDougall" on the later seasons of CBS' Everybody Loves Raymond. He was nominated for an Emmy Award for this role in 2003, 2004 and 2005. Willard was also the host of a VH1 documentary series called Totally Obsessed about people obsessed with their hobbies. He appears as "Captain Ribmanman" in Episode 21 of Channel Frederator, a podcast from Kansas. Willard also landed a role on Family Guy as Jeff Campbell, the father of a nudist family (first appearing in "From Method to Madness"). It is unclear whether or not the role will be reprised. Willard also voices "Officer Brown" in King of the Hill and has made an appearance on That '70s Show.

Willard frequently appeared in sketches on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno, typically as a government official, businessman, or other authority figure named Willard J. Fredericks, who is always drinking. He also hosted Saturday Night Live in 1978 (musical guest: Devo) and appeared twice on SNL's rival show, MADtv. Two years before this, he made a minor appearance in the movie Silver Streak as a bemused railway station worker.

He was the voice of a clueless companion to a lazy robot (Martin Mull) in one episode of the series Dexter's Laboratory and guest-starred on the Adult Swim cartoon, Tom Goes to the Mayor. He acted in the Cartoon Network movie Re-Animated and played Vala Mal Doran's "father" in an episode of Stargate SG-1 in 2007. He appeared in an episode of the Adult Swim program Tim and Eric Awesome Show, Great Job!. He has also starred as the "Boogie Man" in an episode of The Grim Adventures of Billy and Mandy and reprised his role in the movie, Billy & Mandy's Big Boogey Adventure. His final appearance as "Boogey" occurred in Billy & Mandy: Wrath of the Spider Queen. In 2007, he made a guest appearance on the children's TV series Come on Over. He's also guest-starred on an episode of The Boondocks providing the voice of "Joe Petto." In 2008, he guest starred on Transformers Animated as the Decepticon arms dealer Swindle.

Willard was cast as a sportscaster in the television series Back to You, which premiered on the Fox Network on September 19, 2007. He also made an appearance in the 2007 sci-fi comedy I'll Believe You and he plays Shelby Forthright, the CEO of the Buy n Large Corporation in live-action segments in the Pixar animated film WALL-E.

Willard completed a sold-out run of Fred Willard: Alone At Last!, advertised as a one-man show but actually featuring a cast of 10, and received Los Angeles Artistic Director Awards for Best Comedy and Best Production. He completed a RiffTrax with Michael J. Nelson for the movie Missile to the Moon.

He was seen roasting William Shatner in the Comedy Central special The Comedy Central Roast of William Shatner on August 12, 2006. Also at the roast was George Takei with whom Willard performed in the improv show Thank God You're Here.

Willard was the voice of the character "Ed Warmer" in the PlayStation Portable game Hot Brain.

In 2007, Willard took the role of "Aslo" in Epic Movie.

Willard was part of the one-night celebrity performed staging of Howard Ashman's unproduced musical Dreamstuff. The musical was re-imagined by Howard's partners Marsha Malamet and Dennis Green and performed one night only at Los Angeles' Hayworth Theatre as part of the Bruno Kirby celebrity reading series, directed by Ugly Betty's Michael Urie. Willard starred in the show alongside Eden Espinosa, Vicki Lewis, David Blue (actor) and Luke Macfarlane.

On October 5, 2008, he hosted the Nickelodeon Fido Awards.

Willard played the father of Phil (Ty Burrell) in the episodes "Undeck the Halls" and "Travels with Scout" of the show Modern Family. He returned in the same role in the next season.

Personal life
Willard married Mary Lovell in 1968. She died on July 13, 2018. They had a daughter, Hope (b. 1969) and a grandson, Freddy (b. 1997).

On July 18, 2012, Willard was arrested on suspicion of engaging in a misdemeanor lewd act in an adult theater on Santa Monica Boulevard and was brought to the Los Angeles Police Department's Hollywood Station. However, there was no proof of any misconduct and no charges were filed. Despite the outcomes, PBS fired Willard from Market Warriors immediately following his arrest, and Mark L. Walberg replaced him on the show. In an appearance on Late Night with Jimmy Fallon shortly thereafter, Willard stated that the incident was "very painful" and "very embarrassing", but that he "did nothing wrong". Willard was subsequently required to take a sex education diversion program.

Death
Willard died at his home in Los Angeles on May 15, 2020, at age 86, according to his daughter, Hope Mulbarger, and his representative; the cause of death was subsequently reported as cardiac arrest. Jamie Lee Curtis, whose husband, Christopher Guest, frequently worked with Willard, first shared news of the actor's death.

Willard is interred in the Forest Lawn Memorial Park in Hollywood.

Television
{| class="wikitable sortable" ! Year ! Television show ! Role ! class="unsortable" | Notes
 * 1966
 * Pistols 'n' Petticoats
 * Ben
 * Episode "Quit Shootin' Folks"
 * 1968
 * Get Smart
 * Lundy, Agent 198
 * Episode "A Tale of Two Tails"
 * 1976
 * How to Break Up a Happy Divorce
 * Lance Colson
 * Television film
 * 1977
 * Escape from Bogen County
 * Pearson
 * Television film
 * 1979
 * Flatbed Annie and Sweetiepie: Lady Truckers
 * Jack LaRosa
 * Television film
 * 1979
 * Salem's Lot
 * Larry Crockett
 * Mini-series
 * 1981
 * Pen 'n' Inc.
 * Ralph
 * Television film
 * 1981-1986
 * The Love Boat
 * Various roles
 * Three episodes
 * 1985
 * The History of White People in America
 * Hal Harrison
 * Television film
 * 1985
 * Lots of Luck
 * A.J. Foley
 * Television film
 * 1986
 * The History of White People in America: Volume II
 * Hal Harrison
 * Television film
 * 1988-1989
 * D.C. Follies
 * The Bartender
 * 19 episodes
 * 1989
 * My Secret Identity
 * Jay Bennett
 * Episode "For Old Time's Sake"
 * 1994-1996
 * Family Matters
 * Vice Principal Mallet
 * Three episodes
 * 1995-1997
 * Roseanne
 * Scott
 * 8 episodes
 * 1996
 * Back to Back
 * Loan Officer
 * Television film
 * 1996
 * Friends
 * Mr. Lipson
 * Episode "The One After the Superbowl: Part 1"
 * 1996
 * Sister, Sister
 * Mr. Mitushka
 * 3 episodes
 * 1996-1997
 * Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman
 * President Garner
 * 3 episodes
 * 1998-1999
 * Mad About You
 * Henry Vincent
 * 5 episodes
 * 1999
 * The Pooch and the Pauper
 * President
 * Television film
 * 2001-2002
 * Maybe It's Me
 * Jerry Stage
 * 22 episodes
 * 2001-2008
 * King of the Hill
 * Various roles
 * Seven episodes; voice only
 * 2001
 * When Billie Beat Bobby
 * Howard Cosell
 * Television film
 * 2002
 * Family Guy
 * Dave Campbell
 * Two episodes; voice only
 * 2003
 * National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation 2: Cousin Eddie's Island Adventure
 * Professor Doornitz
 * Television film
 * 2003-2004
 * A Minute with Stan Hooper
 * Fred Hawkins
 * 13 episodes
 * 2003-2005
 * Everybody Loves Raymond
 * Hank MacDougall
 * 13 episodes
 * 2003-2007
 * Kim Possible
 * Jack Hench
 * Three episodes; voice only
 * 2004-2005
 * Saturday Night Live
 * 'Bear City' Narrator
 * Voice only; uncredited
 * 2006
 * Re-Animated
 * Milt Appleday
 * Television film
 * 2007
 * Billy & Mandy's Big Boogey Adventure
 * The Boogey Man
 * Television film
 * 2007
 * Stargate SG-1
 * Jacek
 * Episode "Family Ties"
 * 2007-2008
 * Back to You
 * Marsh McGinley
 * 17 episodes
 * 2008
 * Larry the Cable Guy's Star-Studded Christmas Extravaganza
 * Various roles
 * Television film
 * 2008
 * Transformers Animated
 * Swindle
 * Two episodes
 * 2009
 * Everybody Hates Chris
 * Cop
 * Episode "Everybody Hates the Car"
 * 2009
 * Wizards of Waverly Place
 * Mr. Stuffleby
 * Two episodes
 * 2009-2020
 * Modern Family
 * Frank Dunphy
 * 13 episodes
 * 2010
 * Chuck
 * Craig Turner
 * Episode "Chuck versus the Role Models"
 * {| class="wikitable sortable"
 * rowspan="3" |2010
 * Castle
 * Hank McPhee
 * Episode: "The Late Shaft"
 * Important Things with Demetri Martin
 * Scientist
 * Episode: "Money"
 * Chuck
 * Craig Turner
 * Episode: "Chuck Versus the Role Models"
 * rowspan="2" |2010–2011
 * Glory Daze
 * Dr. Reynolds
 * 2 episodes
 * Funny or Die Presents
 * Professor / Jeff Baker
 * 3 episodes
 * 2010–2014
 * Waves Sea
 * Donal Wilkins
 * rowspan="6" |2011
 * G.I. Joe: Renegades
 * Mayor
 * Voice, Episode: "Fire Fight"
 * My Future Boyfriend
 * Bob
 * Television film
 * The Closer
 * Santa Jack
 * Episode: "You Have The Right To Remain Jolly"
 * Franklin & Bash
 * Wallace Clayton
 * Episode: "She Came Upstairs to Kill Me"
 * Accidentally in Love
 * Dick Brocton
 * Television film
 * Retired at 35
 * Peter Dixon
 * 2 episodes
 * 2011–2012
 * Easy to Assemble
 * Sigvard Thorsten
 * 3 episodes
 * rowspan="9" |2012
 * Raising Hope
 * Mr. Swift
 * Episode: "Mrs. Smartypants"
 * Trust Us With Your Life
 * Host
 * Season 1, 8 episodes
 * The Life & Times of Tim
 * Judd
 * Voice, Episode: "Action Packed Heist/Fall Foliage"
 * Market Warriors
 * Host
 * Season 1
 * Rob
 * George
 * Episode: "Dad Comes to Visit"
 * Hot in Cleveland
 * Dr. Hill
 * Episode: "A Box Full of Puppies"
 * I, Martin Short, Goes Home
 * Mason Macgillivray
 * Television special
 * Breaking In
 * Marty Mann
 * Episode: "The Legend of Hurley's Gold"
 * The Cleveland Show
 * Gary
 * Voice, Episode: "Menace II Secret Society"
 * rowspan="4" |2013
 * Community
 * Alternate Pierce Hawthorne
 * Episode: "History 101"
 * Family Tree
 * Mike Morton
 * 3 episodes
 * Drunk History
 * Deep Throat
 * Episode: "Washington D.C."
 * Good Luck Charlie
 * Herb Pickler
 * Episode: "All Fall Down"
 * rowspan="2" |2014
 * Black Jesus
 * Mr. Jimmy Maxwell
 * Voice, Episode: "Love Thy Enemy Part 2"
 * The Birthday Boys
 * Archbishop
 * Episode: "Getting Preachy"
 * rowspan="2" |2014–2015
 * Review
 * Jack Walthall
 * 4 episodes
 * The Bold and the Beautiful
 * John Forrester
 * 7 episodes
 * Daytime Emmy Award for Outstanding Special Guest Performer in a Drama Series (Tied with Donna Mills and Ray Wise)
 * rowspan="2" |2014–2016
 * Comedy Bang! Bang!
 * Various roles
 * 2 episodes
 * TripTank
 * Various roles
 * Voice, 5 episodes
 * rowspan="2" |2015
 * Hell's Kitchen
 * Himself (Blue Kitchen VIP guest)
 * Episode: "11 Chefs Compete"
 * Kevin from Work
 * Roger Trousdale
 * Episode: "Roommates from Work"
 * 2016–2019
 * The Loud House
 * Pop-Pop
 * Voice, 7 episodes
 * rowspan="2" |2016
 * The $100,000 Pyramid
 * Himself (Celebrity Guest)
 * Episode: "Fred Willard vs. Yvette Nicole Brown"
 * The Odd Couple
 * Fred Langford
 * 2 episodes
 * rowspan="4" |2017
 * SuperMansion
 * Champston employee
 * Voice, Episode: "School Me Once"
 * New Girl
 * Beezus
 * Episode: "Five Stars for Beezus"
 * Tim & Eric's Bedtime Stories
 * Dan
 * Episode: "The Demotion"
 * 9JKL
 * Dick
 * Episode: "It Happened One Night"
 * 2017–2019
 * Milo Murphy's Law
 * Grandpa Murphy
 * Voice, Episodes: "A Christmas Peril", "Now I Am Murphy"
 * 2017–2021
 * Mickey Mouse Mixed-Up Adventures
 * Mr. Doozy
 * Voice, 7 episodes
 * rowspan="3" |2018
 * The 5th Quarter
 * Jerry Hymowitz
 * Episode: "Farewell"
 * Corporate
 * Bill Hathaway
 * Episode: "The Long Meeting"
 * Skylanders Academy
 * Announcer
 * Voice, Episode: "Off to the Races"
 * 2018–2019
 * Jimmy Kimmel Live!
 * Various roles
 * 9 episodes
 * rowspan="5" |2019
 * I Think You Should Leave with Tim Robinson
 * New Joe
 * Episode: "It's the Cigars You Smoke That Are Gonna Give You Cancer"
 * Historical Roasts
 * God
 * Episode: "Anne Frank"
 * The Bachelorette
 * Himself; Guest Announcer
 * Episode: "Week 2"
 * What Just Happened??! with Fred Savage
 * Himself
 * Episode: "Assistant"
 * Tigtone
 * Crackers
 * Voice, Episode: "Tigtone and the Wizard Hunt"
 * rowspan="2" |2020
 * The Bachelor
 * Himself; Guest Announcer
 * Episode: "Week 3"
 * Space Force
 * Fred Naird
 * 3 episodes; posthumous release, (final appearance)
 * === Video gamesEdit ===
 * Episode: "11 Chefs Compete"
 * Kevin from Work
 * Roger Trousdale
 * Episode: "Roommates from Work"
 * 2016–2019
 * The Loud House
 * Pop-Pop
 * Voice, 7 episodes
 * rowspan="2" |2016
 * The $100,000 Pyramid
 * Himself (Celebrity Guest)
 * Episode: "Fred Willard vs. Yvette Nicole Brown"
 * The Odd Couple
 * Fred Langford
 * 2 episodes
 * rowspan="4" |2017
 * SuperMansion
 * Champston employee
 * Voice, Episode: "School Me Once"
 * New Girl
 * Beezus
 * Episode: "Five Stars for Beezus"
 * Tim & Eric's Bedtime Stories
 * Dan
 * Episode: "The Demotion"
 * 9JKL
 * Dick
 * Episode: "It Happened One Night"
 * 2017–2019
 * Milo Murphy's Law
 * Grandpa Murphy
 * Voice, Episodes: "A Christmas Peril", "Now I Am Murphy"
 * 2017–2021
 * Mickey Mouse Mixed-Up Adventures
 * Mr. Doozy
 * Voice, 7 episodes
 * rowspan="3" |2018
 * The 5th Quarter
 * Jerry Hymowitz
 * Episode: "Farewell"
 * Corporate
 * Bill Hathaway
 * Episode: "The Long Meeting"
 * Skylanders Academy
 * Announcer
 * Voice, Episode: "Off to the Races"
 * 2018–2019
 * Jimmy Kimmel Live!
 * Various roles
 * 9 episodes
 * rowspan="5" |2019
 * I Think You Should Leave with Tim Robinson
 * New Joe
 * Episode: "It's the Cigars You Smoke That Are Gonna Give You Cancer"
 * Historical Roasts
 * God
 * Episode: "Anne Frank"
 * The Bachelorette
 * Himself; Guest Announcer
 * Episode: "Week 2"
 * What Just Happened??! with Fred Savage
 * Himself
 * Episode: "Assistant"
 * Tigtone
 * Crackers
 * Voice, Episode: "Tigtone and the Wizard Hunt"
 * rowspan="2" |2020
 * The Bachelor
 * Himself; Guest Announcer
 * Episode: "Week 3"
 * Space Force
 * Fred Naird
 * 3 episodes; posthumous release, (final appearance)
 * === Video gamesEdit ===
 * The Bachelorette
 * Himself; Guest Announcer
 * Episode: "Week 2"
 * What Just Happened??! with Fred Savage
 * Himself
 * Episode: "Assistant"
 * Tigtone
 * Crackers
 * Voice, Episode: "Tigtone and the Wizard Hunt"
 * rowspan="2" |2020
 * The Bachelor
 * Himself; Guest Announcer
 * Episode: "Week 3"
 * Space Force
 * Fred Naird
 * 3 episodes; posthumous release, (final appearance)
 * === Video gamesEdit ===
 * Space Force
 * Fred Naird
 * 3 episodes; posthumous release, (final appearance)
 * === Video gamesEdit ===