Martin Mull, adored comedian, actor, singer-songwriter and painter, who first gained visibility in his role on the eccentric 70s satirical soap opera Mary Hartman, Mary Hartman, died on Thursday at age 80, according to The Hollywood Reporter. He died at home following following a “valiant fight against a long illness” according to an Instagram post shared by his daughter, Maggie Mull.
Mull was born in 1945 in Chicago, Illinois and was raised in North Ridgefield, Ohio. According to The Hollywood Reporter, before his star-making stint on Mary Hartman, Mary Hartman, which led to him starring in the spin-off Fernwood 2 Night, he first found success in 1970 when country music star, Jane Morgan, recorded his parody of Johnny Cash’s “A Boy Named Sue” entitled “A Girl Named Johnny Cash”, which remained on the Billboard Hot Country Charts for five weeks. He continued songwriting and performing until his role on the Norman Lear (All in the Family, The Jeffersons) soap opera launched him into the national spotlight.
Mull’s laundry list of iconic performances goes on across decades, including television credits such as Arrested Development, in which he portrayed private detective Gene Parmesan in a recurring role. Earlier roles include a starring performance in three seasons of Sabrina the Teenage Witch, portraying Willard Kraft, the vice principal and later principal of Sabrina’s high school. He also featured in a supporting role in seven seasons of the hit sitcom Roseanne as Leon Carp, Roseanne’s boss. Younger fans may recognize Mull from his role as Bob Bradley in Season 5 of Veep.
Fans may also recognize Mull from his performance as Colonel Mustard in the cherished 1985 cult film Clue. His co-star, Leslie Ann Warren (Victor/Victoria, Mission: Impossible), who starred as Miss Scarlet and shared the silver screen with him playing his wife in Community, shared a touching tribute on Instagram saying “I am heartbroken. Couldn’t stop crying. I’ve loved this brilliant, hilarious deeply special friend for a very long time… I will miss you so very much.” Mull and Warren went on to reprise their Clue roles in a special episode of Psych.
Warren is not the only co-star to express her immense sadness at the loss of Mull on social media. Jennifer Tilly (Bound, Bride of Chucky), who co-starred in the 1988 film Rented Lips shared the following on Twitter, “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. He was such a witty charismatic and kind person. As an actress just starting out, it really meant a lot to me to be able to work with such a wonderful actor.”
Mull is survived by his wife Wendy Haas, who he married in 1982, and his daughter Maggie.