Roseanne Star Martin Mull Dead At 80
"Roseanne" actor and musician Martin Mull has died at age 80. In a statement on Instagram, the entertainer's daughter Maggie shared that his cause of death was an undisclosed illness that he had been suffering from for a while.
Channeling her funny father, Maggie added some levity to her sad announcement by writing, "He was known for excelling at every creative discipline imaginable and also for doing Red Roof Inn commercials. He would find that joke funny." She added that Martin was a big dog lover, an admirable trait that she believes marked him as a first-rate human being.
One of Mull's biggest TV projects was the '70s sitcom "Mary Hartman, Mary Hartman," in which he played against type as the abusive villain Garth Gimble and his twin Barth Bimble. He also portrayed the boss of the titular star in "Roseanne," while "Arrested Development" fans might remember him best as the private eye Gene Parmesan. One of his most notable roles was another character with a culinary moniker: Colonel Mustard in the mystery movie "Clue." His passing has reminded fans that he worked with some other comedy greats that we've sadly lost.
Martin Mull posed for a heartbreaking photo
Some famous users on X, formerly known as Twitter, shared their fond memories of Martin Mull upon learning of his death. "Chucky" star Jennifer Tilly recalled acting alongside him in the movie "Rented Lips" early in her career. "He was such a witty charismatic and kind person," she wrote. "Bridesmaids" director Paul Feig also considered himself fortunate to share the screen with Mull on "The Jackie Thomas Show," which starred Mull's "Roseanne" castmate Tom Arnold. "Oh man, this is so sad. Martin was the greatest. So funny, so talented, such a nice guy," Feig wrote.
One fan also retweeted a photo of Mull and two other beloved funnymen who are no longer with us. There was Fred Willard, who was one of the many stars who died in 2020. Mull and Willard co-starred together in the "Mary Hartman, Mary Hartman" spinoff "Fernwood 2 Night," and they played a couple on "Roseanne." Sadly, Mull never got the chance to appear on the "Roseanne" spinoff, "The Conners," with showrunner Bruce Helford explaining to CinemaBlend that there just wasn't an organic way to work him into the script.
The third comedian in the photo was "Full House" star Bob Saget, who died in 2022. Saget posted the picture as a tribute to Willard after his death. "Here am I with he and Martin Mull while shooting a documentary about Martin," he wrote. "Seeing them having fun together reminiscent of the Fernwood days was truly a joy."