Comedic actor Martin Mull dies at 80

Funeral services were pending Friday for veteran comic actor Martin Mull, whose credits ranged from "Arrested Development" to "Roseanne" to "Mary Hartman, Mary Hartman."

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Mull's daughter, Maggie, said her father died Thursday due to an extended illness. He was 80.

"I am heartbroken to share that my father passed away at home on June 27th, after a valiant fight against a long illness," she wrote on Instagram. "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."

A native of Chicago, began his show-business career by playing music and performing stand-up comedy, showing off a dry wit and everyman humor that would persevere throughout his career. He got his big break by portraying a talk show host on "Mary Hartman, Mary Hartman" in the 1970s, reprising the role in Norman Lear's "Fernwood Tonight" and again in "America 2-Night," which paired him with another satirical comedian, Fred Willard.

He launched into a series of television and film appearances, including big-screen roles in "Mr. Mom," "Mrs. Doubtfire" and "Clue." On the small screen, he showed up in shows including "The Golden Girls," "It's Garry Shandling's Show," "The Larry Sanders Show," "The Ellen Show," "Sabrina, the Teenage Witch" and "Roseanne."

He more recently co-starred in the sitcom "The Cool Kids" and "Not Dead Yet," and appeared in "Grace and Frankie" and "Arrested Development."

"This blows and I'm sending my best to you and your family and I hope your heart is full of love for him and great memories," actress/producer Alex Borstein wrote to Maggie Mull on her Instagram page.

Actress Jennifer Tilly, who worked with Mull on the film "Rented Lips," wrote on X, "He was such a witty, charismatic and kind person. As an actress just starting out, it really meant a lot to me to be able to work with such a wonderful actor."

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