RIP: Martin Mull, Comic Actor in ‘Clue,’ ‘Arrested Development,’ Dies at 80.
Martin Mull, the comic musician and actor who started with 1970s TV series “Fernwood Tonight” and went on to appear as Colonel Mustard in “Clue” and on “Arrested Development” and “Roseanne,” died Thursday. He was 80.
His daughter Maggie announced his death on Instagram, writing “I am heartbroken to share that my father passed away at home on June 27th, after a valiant fight against a long illness. He was known for excelling at every creative discipline imaginable and also for doing Red Roof Inn commercials. He would find that joke funny. He was never not funny. My dad will be deeply missed by his wife and daughter, by his friends and coworkers, by fellow artists and comedians and musicians, and—the sign of a truly exceptional person—by many, many dogs. I loved him tremendously.”
Mull was nominated for an Emmy for his guest role as political aide Bob Bradley in “Veep.”
Mull had guested in 2015 on NBC comedy “Community” as George Perry, the father of Gillian Jacobs’ Britta Perry, and on CBS’ comedy “Life in Pieces.”
In recent years he had recurred from 2008-2013 on “Two and a Half Men” as Russell, a pharmacist who uses and sells drugs illegally and attended Charlie’s funeral in the season-nine premiere episode. The actor also recurred on “Arrested Development” as a rather incompetent private investigator named Gene Parmesan who has a habit of showing up in inane disguises.
He was also a quite competent electric guitarist, and traded licks with B.B. King when he (Mull) guest hosted the Tonight Show in 1982.