R.I.P. Joe Flaherty: ‘Freaks And Geeks’ And ‘Happy Gilmore’ Actor Dead At 82

Joe Flaherty , an actor and comedian known for his roles on Freaks and Geeks and his sketch comedy work on SCTV , has died. He was 82.

TV Insider reports that Flaherty’s death was announced yesterday (April 1) on X by Joel Murray, who worked with Flaherty on One Crazy Summer . He wrote , “We’ve lost another of my idols. RIP Joe Flaherty 1941-2024.”

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Decider has reached out to Flaherty’s rep for additional comment.

Flaherty, whose career spanned from the ’70s up until his last role in 2014, was born in Pennsylvania on June 21, 1941. After serving in the United States Air Force, he joined Chicago’s famed Second City Theater, where he honed his comedy skills, per TV Insider.

He was also instrumental in bringing Second City to Toronto, Canada, where he moved to help work with the Toronto Second City theater, and later, SCTV , the popular sketch comedy series that also featured greats like John Candy , Catherine O’Hara , Eugene Levy , Martin Short and Rick Moranis , among others.

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Flaherty starred on SCTV for eight years, working on the show from 1976 to 1981 and appearing in a whooping 75 episodes, during which he created memorable characters like Count Floyd/Floyd Robertson, Guy Cabellero and Big Jim McBob.

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After wrapping his time on SCTV , Flaherty went on to appear in films like Going Berserk , Follow That Bird , Club Paradise , One Crazy Summer , Innerspace , Blue Monkey , Who’s Harry Crumb? , Speed Zone and Back to the Future Part II . He also had a memorable role in Happy Gilmore , in which he played the film’s “Jeering Fan.”

He also appeared in dozens of TV shows, among them George Burns Comedy Week, The Hitchhiker , The Completely Mental Misadventures of Ed Grimley , Married… with Children , Monsters , Maniac Mansion , Dinosaurs , Ellen , and Police Academy: The Series .

Perhaps his most recognized television role is in Freaks and Geeks , the short-lived but beloved Judd Apatow series in which he played uptight dad Harold Weir. The show, which has now become a cult classic, also featured a young cast including Linda Cardellini , Jason Segel , James Franco and Seth Rogen . During his run on Freaks and Geeks , Flaherty dressed as a vampire for a Halloween episode in a nod to his iconic SCTV Count Floyd character.

Later in his career, Flaherty’s credits included roles in Even Stevens , Freddy Got Fingered , That ’70s Show , Slackers , Clone High , The King of Queens , American Dad! and Family Guy . His final role is listed on IMDb as 2014’s Nightlife , a short in which he once again reprised Count Floyd.

Flaherty wed Judith Dagley, and the two shared children Gudrun and Gabriel. The couple later divorced after 22 years, per TV Insider.

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