Martin Mull dead at 80 after ‘long illness’ as tributes pour in for Roseanne and Sabrina the Teenage Witch star
BELOVED comedian and actor Martin Mull has died at the age of 80, his family confirmed.
Mull’s daughter, Maggie, shared the news on Instagram, writing that her father died at home on June 27 “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,” she wrote.
“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 perhaps best known for his stint as principal Willard Kraft on Sabrina the Teenage Witch and Leon Carp, a friend to Roseanne Connor on the eponymous sitcom.
He also played Gene Parmesan, a private detective on Arrested Development.
In 2016, Mull received his first and only Emmy nomination for his role as Bob Bradley on Veep.
During his career, Mull wore several hats such as the time he served as co-writer for the 1985 mockumentary The History of White People in America with Fred Willard.
He had a passion for songwriting and comedy, finding success in the early 1970s when country music star Jane Morgan recorded his song A Girl Named Johnny Cash – a parody of A Boy Named Sue.
The track stayed on the Billboard’s Hot Country Songs chart for five weeks.
Mull would play the guitar in nightclubs and made a career of singing parody songs, even opening for musicians such as Frank Zappa, Randy Newman, Bruce Springsteen, and Billy Joel.
“While his peculiar sense of humor is evident on all of his albums, Mull is no Weird Al-style parodist,” read a review on AllMusic.com.
“His albums are skewed singer/songwriter, pop/rock with a strong jazz influence, which just happen to have funny lyrics.”
SUCCESSFUL CAREER
Melissa Joan Hart, who played Sabrina Spellman in the hit TV series, paid tribute to her longtime, bumbling principal.
“Rest in Peace my friend. The incredible #MartinMull (Principal Kraft) has left us for his eternal rest,” she wrote on Instagram.
“I have such fond memories of working with him and being in awe of his huge body of work which before #SabrinaTheTeemageWitch included #Roseanne and #MrMom as the projects I knew him from.
Hart added that even after their time on Sabrina, Mull kept taking on guest star and recurring roles on other projects.
“He once told me that he takes every job he’s offered just in case the train comes to an end, which in this business tends to halt quickly,” she wrote.
“But he was an artist who liked to paint and build things with his hands, a musician, and a wonderful man who I am better for knowing. He will be missed but this world has benefited from his being here. My deepest sympathies to his family and friends.
“I will continue to cherish the Martin Mull art work hanging in my home!”
Born in Chicago, Illinois, on August 18, 1943, Mull was the son of Harold, a carpenter, and Betty, an actress and director.
His childhood was split between North Ridgeville, Ohio, and New Canaan, Connecticut.
He had plans of becoming a painter, studying at the Rhode Island School of Design, and getting a bachelor’s in fine arts and a master’s in painting.
Mull was introduced to the entertainment world when he helped organize bands as a way to make tuition money.
He is survived by his third wife, Wendy Haas, whom he married in 1982, and his daughter, a TV writer and producer.