Martin Mull, Clue and Arrested Development Star, Dies at Age 80

Martin Mull – the actor who made us laugh with his comedic skills in Fernwood 2 Nights, Tip, Arrested developmentand more — died. He was 80. His daughter, Maggie, announced the news on Instagram. “I am saddened to report that my father passed away at home on June 27th after a valiant battle with a long illness,” she wrote. “He was known for excelling in every creative field imaginable, as well as for doing commercials for Red Roof Inn. He thought the joke was funny. He never stopped being funny. My dad will be deeply missed by his wife and daughter, friends and colleagues, fellow artists, comedians and musicians, and — in a testament to the special person he was — his many, many dogs. I loved him very much.”

Born in 1943, Mull was a true artist of many talents. He earned a BFA and MFA in painting from the Rhode Island School of Design, and his work has found its way into galleries, museums, and celebrity collections. He began his career in the entertainment industry as a funny singer-songwriter, then had his breakthrough acting role in 1976’s Mary Hartman, Mary Hartman (which landed him the role of Barth Gimble in the spin-offs Fernwood 2 Night AND America 2 Night). Mull continued to build on his comedic legacy with a number of other projects, including Clue, A History of White People in America, Roseanne, Sabrina the Teenage Witch, The Ellen Show, Danny Phantom, Arrested Development, Two and a Half Men, AND Cool kids. He was also nominated for an Emmy for his role as Bob Bradley in Spectator.

In 2018, Mull pleaded guilty in New York Times that he has received many compliments from performers whose careers he has inspired. “I think I know why,” he mused. “Because if you stay in the industry and get to a certain age that I will by just breathing, you are now a legend – because you made it through that.”