Comedian Martin Mull, known for his roles in 'Roseanne' and 'Clue,' dies at 80

Comedian Martin Mull, known for his droll, esoteric humor and acting, which made him a hip sensation in the 1970s and later a beloved guest star on sitcoms such as “Roseanne” and “Arrested Development,” has died at the age of 80, his daughter confirmed Friday.

Mull’s daughter, TV writer and comic artist Maggie Mull, announced that her father passed away at home on Thursday after “a valiant fight against a long illness.”

In addition to being a comedian and actor, Mull was a talented guitarist and painter. He first gained national fame with a recurring role on Norman Lear's satirical soap opera “Mary Hartman, Mary Hartman,” and later starred in its spinoff, “Fernwood Tonight.”

“He excelled at every creative discipline imaginable and also did Red Roof Inn commercials,” Maggie Mull shared in an Instagram post. “He would find that joke funny. He was never not funny. My dad will be deeply missed by his wife and daughter, friends and coworkers, fellow artists, comedians, musicians, and many, many dogs.”

Recognized for his blonde hair and well-trimmed mustache, Mull was born in Chicago, raised in Ohio and Connecticut, and studied art in Rhode Island and Rome. His first foray into show business was as a songwriter, penning the 1970 semi-hit “A Girl Named Johnny Cash” for singer Jane Morgan. He combined music and comedy in an act that he performed at hip Hollywood clubs in the 1970s.

“In 1976, I was a guitar player and sit-down comic appearing at the Roxy on the Sunset Strip when Norman Lear walked in and heard me,” Mull told The Associated Press in 1980. “He cast me as the wife beater on ‘Mary Hartman, Mary Hartman.’ Four months later, I was spun off on my own show.”

Mull's time on the Strip was immortalized in the 1973 country rock classic “Lonesome L.A. Cowboy,” where the Riders of the Purple Sage gave him a shoutout along with music luminaries Kris Kristofferson and Rita Coolidge.

On “Fernwood Tonight” (later revamped as “America 2 Night”), he played Barth Gimble, the host of a local talk show in a midwestern town, with Fred Willard as his sidekick. Mull later served as a substitute host for Johnny Carson on “The Tonight Show.”

Often cast as slightly sleazy, somewhat slimy, and often smarmy characters, Mull played Teri Garr’s boss and Michael Keaton’s foe in 1983's “Mr. Mom.” He portrayed Colonel Mustard in the 1985 movie adaptation of the board game “Clue,” which has since become a cult classic.

In the 1980s, Mull co-created and starred in “A History of White People in America,” a mockumentary that first aired on Cinemax. He starred as an investigative reporter exploring all things mundane, with Fred Willard as a co-star.

He wrote and starred in 1988's “Rented Lips” alongside Robert Downey Jr., with Robert Downey Sr. directing. His co-star Jennifer Tilly remembered Mull as “such a witty, charismatic, and kind person” in a social media post.

In the 1990s, Mull was best known for his recurring role on several seasons of “Roseanne,” where he played a warmer, less sleazy boss to the title character, an openly gay man whose partner was played by Willard. Mull later played private eye Gene Parmesan on “Arrested Development” and was nominated for an Emmy in 2016 for a guest role on “Veep.”

Reflecting on his Emmy nomination, Mull told the AP, “What I did on ‘Veep’ I’m very proud of, but I’d like to think it’s probably more collective, at my age it’s more collective. It might go all the way back to ‘Fernwood.’”

Other comedians and actors were often his biggest fans. “Martin was the greatest,” “Bridesmaids” director Paul Feig said in a social media post. “So funny, so talented, such a nice guy. I was lucky enough to act with him on The Jackie Thomas Show and treasured every moment being with a legend. Fernwood Tonight was so influential in my life.”

Mull is survived by his daughter and musician Wendy Haas, his wife since 1982.