Martin Mull, whose witty and cryptic comedy and acting became a sensation in the 1970s and who later became a beloved guest star on sitcoms such as “Roseanne” and “Arrested Development,” has died, his daughter said Friday. He was 80.
Mull’s daughter, Maggie Mull, a TV writer and cartoonist, said her father died at home Thursday after a “courageous battle with a long illness.”
Mull, a guitarist and painter, achieved national fame with a recurring role on Norman Lear’s satirical soap opera “Mary Hartman, Mary Hartman” and a starring role in its spin-off, “Fernwood 2 Night,” in which he hosted a satirical talk show.
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“He excelled in every creative field imaginable and was known for doing the Red Roof Inn commercials,” Maggie Mull said in an Instagram post. “He would think the joke was funny. He was never funny. Our father will be deeply missed by his wife and daughter, his friends and co-workers, his fellow artists, comedians, musicians, and — the mark of a truly remarkable man. “By many, many dogs.”
Melissa Joan Hart, who co-starred with Merle on the “Sabrina the Teenage Witch” series, paid tribute to him on Instagram on Friday, calling him “an amazing man who I know better than anyone else.”
“I have such fond memories of working with him and was in awe of his vast body of work,” she wrote.
Fellow “Sabrina” actress Caroline Lea described Merle as “very funny and kind” in her social media posts.
“The impact you have had on the world will never be forgotten,” Leah wrote. “Knowing Martin has been such a gift.”
Known for his blonde hair and well-groomed mustache, Mull was born in Chicago and raised in Ohio and Connecticut. He studied art in Rhode Island and Rome. He combined music and comedy in hip Hollywood clubs in the 1970s.
“In 1976, I was a guitar player and a comedian appearing at the Roxy on the Sunset Strip,” Mull told the Associated Press in 1980. “When Norman Lear came in and heard me, he cast me as a wife beater: ‘Mary.” . Hartman, Mary Hartman.’ “After four months I was independent with my own show.”
In the 1980s, she appeared in films including “Mr. Mom” and “Clue,” and in the 1990s she had a recurring role on “Roseanne.”
He later played private investigator Gene Parmesan on “Arrested Development” and guest-starred on “Veep” in 2016, for which he received an Emmy nomination.
“I’m very proud of what I did on ‘Veep,’ but I like to think that at my age it will be more collective,” Mull told the AP after her nomination. “You could go all the way back to ‘Fernwood.’”
Other comedians and actors were often his biggest fans.
“Martin was the best,” said “Bride Maze” director Paul Feig. X post. “So funny, so talented, such a great guy. I was lucky enough to act with him on The Jackie Thomas Show and cherish every moment with the legend. Fernwood Tonight had a huge impact on my life.”
