RIP Fred Willard

Fred Willard, ‘Best in Show’ and ‘A Mighty Wind’ Actor, Dead at 86

Prolific comic actor was master of mockumentary genre

Rolling Stone

By Daniel Kreps

May 16, 2020

Fred Willard, the prolific comic actor and master of the mockumentary genre who stood out in ensemble comedies like Best in Show, For Your Consideration and This Is Spinal Tap, died Friday at the age of 86.

Willard’s rep Glenn Schwartz confirmed his death to Rolling Stone, adding that the cause of death was natural causes. Willard’s daughter Hope Mulbarger said in a statement, “My father passed away very peacefully last night at the fantastic age of 86 years old. He kept moving, working and making us happy until the very end. We loved him so very much! We will miss him forever.”

Jamie Lee Curtis, wife of Willard’s longtime director Christopher Guest, first shared news of the actor’s death.

“How lucky that we all got to enjoy Fred Willard’s gifts,” Curtis tweeted. “He is with his missed Mary now. Thanks for the deep belly laughs Mr. Willard.” Willard’s wife of 40 years, Mary, died in 2018.

Willard is best known for his work in Guest’s comedies — Waiting for Guffman, Best in Show, For Your Consideration and A Mighty Wind — as well as scene-stealing moments in This Is Spinal Tap, Anchorman, Austin Powers and Harold & Kumar Go to White Castle.

A veteran of the stage and sketch comedy, Willard made his big-screen debut in a little-seen 1967 film titled Teenage Mother. After a decade of bit parts, Willard landed a role on the Mary Hartman, Mary Hartman spinoff Fernwood 2 Night in 1977; the following year Willard hosted an episode of Saturday Night Live with musical guest Devo.

Willard’s work with Guest first began in 1984 when the two appeared onscreen together in Rob Reiner’s groundbreaking mockumentary This Is Spinal Tap in a scene where Willard’s Air Force lieutenant gives the Spinal Tap, including Guest’s Nigel Tufnel, a tour of the military base. Guest would later cast Willard in prominent roles in five mockumentaries he helmed, most recently 2016’s Mascots.

With hundreds of credits over an acting career that spanned over 50 years, Willard built a reputation where he could pop up in any setting — sitcoms (New Girl, Community), cartoons, late-night TV, offbeat comedies (Tim & Eric, Comedy Bang! Bang!, I Think You Should Leave), reality television (The Bachelor and The Bachelorette), game shows, commercials, even soap operas (an Emmy-nominated turn on The Bold and the Beautiful) — and it was not out of character.

Willard will appear posthumously in the upcoming Netflix satirical series Space Force; a testament to his enormous filmography, Willard previously starred in an unrelated 1978 TV movie also titled Space Force, which he lampooned\ in a 2019 Jimmy Kimmel Live sketch. Kimmel tweeted Saturday, “There was no man sweeter or funnier.  We were so lucky to know Fred Willard and will miss his many visits.”

Steve Carell, Willard’s cast mate in Anchorman and Space Force, tweeted Saturday, “Fred Willard was the funniest person that I’ve ever worked with. He was a sweet, wonderful man.”

WILLARD, Fred (Frederick Charles Willard)

Born: 9/18/1933, Shaker Heights, Ohio, U.S.A.

Died: 5/15/2020, Los Angeles, California, U.S.A.

Fred Willard’s westerns – actor;

Pistols ‘n’ Petticoats (TV) -1966

Sodbusters (TV) – 1994 (Clarence Gentry)