Comic actor Fred Willard, who stood out in mockumentaries like “Best in Show” and “This Is Spinal Tap” and enjoyed a prolific acting career that spanned more than 50 years, has died. He was 86.
Rolling Stone first reported the death after his daughter Hope Mulbarger, and agent, Glenn Schwartz, confirmed the news. He died of natural causes, Mulbarger said.
“My father passed away very peacefully last night at the fantastic age of 86 years old,” Mulbarger said in a statement, Rolling Stone reported. “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 in a tweet Saturday.
“How lucky that we all got to enjoy Fred Willard’s gifts,” she said. “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” — and was a scene-stealer in “This Is Spinal Tap,” “Anchorman,” “Austin Powers,” and “Harold & Kumar Go to White Castle.”
Over an acting career that spanned over 50 years, Willard popped up in a variety of settings— from sitcoms like “Modern Family” to reality TV shows slike “The Bachelor” and “The Bachelorette,” game shows, commercials and even on the soap opera “The Bold and the Beautiful.”
He’ll appear posthumously in the upcoming Netflix satirical series “Space Force,” Rolling Stone reported.
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