Remembering the Comic Genius of Fred Willard
By: Richard Lebeau
Tags: Movies, Comedy, Television, Society, Culture

Last Friday, we lost one of the funniest and hardest working men in show business when Fred Willard passed away at the age of 86 from natural causes at his home.

Fred Willard is among the most recognizable faces in Hollywood, even though he never quite became a household name. Much of his critical acclaim and fame was due to his role in a string of iconic mockumentary feature films. These include Rob Reiner’s 1984 classic This is Spinal Tap (about a fictional heavy metal band) and a quintet of Christopher Guest films (1996’s Waiting for Guffman, about community theater; 2000’s Best in Show, about the world of show dogs; 2003’s A Mighty Wind, about the reunion of long estranged folk music bands; 2006’s For Your Consideration, about Hollywood awards season; and 2016’s Mascots, about, well, sports mascots). His roles in these films varied widely, but he always delivered a fully committed and gut-busting performance that gelled perfectly with the brilliant ensembles.

His film career was not constrained to the mockumentary genre, but it was almost exclusively in comedy. Among other memorable films he appeared in over the decades included 1977’s Fun with Dick and Jane (with Jane Fonda and George Segal), 1987’s Roxanne (with Steve Martin and Darryl Hannah), 1999’s Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me (the second film in the Mike Meyers-led James Bond spoof trilogy), 2001’s The Wedding Planner (with Jennifer Lopez and Matthew McConaughey), and 2004’s Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy (with Will Ferrell and Paul Rudd). Perhaps his most unique film credit came from his role as a CEO in 2008’s Oscar-winning Pixar film WALL-E, which marks the only live-action speaking role in the animation studio’s 22-film catalogue.

Willard’s work on the small screen was equally, if not more, memorable than his film work. After appearing in small guest roles on smash hit comedies of the ’60s and ’70s like Get Smart, The Bob Newhart Show, Laverne & Shirley, and Love, American Style, he gained cult fame and critical acclaim for his role on Fernwood 2 Night, a satirical comedy about a talk show that was developed by television legend Norman Lear and aired every weeknight in syndication for several months in 1977. By this point, he was well known enough to headline an episode of Saturday Night Live (which aired in 1978 with musical guest Devo).

He continued to be a regular presence on television for the next 40 years. He appeared in episodes of an astonishing array of hit comedies (and the occasional drama), including Friends, The Golden Girls, Murphy Brown, Mad About You, Ally McBeal, Married…with Children, Mama’s Family, The Love Boat, Family Matters, That 70s Show, The Drew Carey Show, The Closer, Castle, and Hot in Cleveland. In recent years, he also had arcs on the soap opera The Bold and the Beautiful and made a series of appearances on Jimmy Kimmel Live.

Willard was best known to me for a trio of classic series on which he appeared in extended arcs. He appeared on eight episodes of Roseanne as Scott, the husband of Roseanne’s boss Leon (Martin Mull). Leon and Scott were most certainly two of the highest profile LGBT characters on television at that time due to the enormous popularity of the show and were among the first depictions of gay marriage ever on network television. He appeared in thirteen episodes of Everybody Loves Raymond as the conservative and uptight father-in-law of Robert (Brad Garrett). He fit in perfectly to the esteemed ensemble and showed remarkable chemistry with his on-screen wife Georgia Engel (who we also lost last year). Most recently, he played the goofy and fun-loving father of Phil Dunphy (Ty Burrell) on 13 episodes of Modern Family. The 11th episode of Modern Family’s final season showcased Willard in a heartbreaking episode that ended with his character’s death. This episode aired just a few months ago, underscoring how hard Willard worked right up until the end.

Clockwise from top: Fred Willard on “Modern Family” (Copyright: ABC), “Everybody Loves Raymond” (Copyright: CBS), and “Roseanne” (Copyright: ABC)

Fred Willard was a quintessential character actor and a comic genius. His droll delivery and seemingly effortless ability to wring laughs from virtually any role in any project was legendary in the industry and he was instantly recognizable to millions of viewers, even though he rarely got top billing, media buzz, or awards attention. Despite over four decades of brilliant performances, he only scored four Primetime Emmy nominations (three for Everybody Loves Raymond and one for Modern Family, all in the category of Outstanding Guest Actor in a Comedy Series) and no wins. He did, however, score a Daytime Emmy win in 2015 for his guest appearance on The Bold and the Beautiful.

Thankfully, we have at least one more chance to revel in Fred Willard’s comic genius. On May 29, Netflix releases one of his final projects — the comedy Space Force. The show is a satire of the current administration’s new sixth branch of the military focused on outer space, and features a brilliant ensemble that includes Steve Carell, John Malkovich, Lisa Kudrow, and Jane Lynch. And, thankfully, we will always have his decades of brilliant film and television work to make us laugh on even the darkest of days.

Rest in peace, Fred. I hope you know how much you were loved.