Martin Mull, Emmy-Nominated Clue & Roseanne Actor, Dies At 80
Summary
- Martin Mull, a renowned artist with a 50-year career, has passed away at 80 after a long illness.
- His daughter, Maggie Mull, shared the news on Instagram, remembering his accomplishments and love for his work.
- Mull leaves behind a wide-ranging legacy both on and off-screen, having first found success as a musician before starring in everything from
Mary Hartman, Mary Hartman
to
Clue, Roseanne, Arrested Development
and
Two and a Half Men
.
With an acclaimed 50-year-plus career across multiple art forms, Roseanne actor Martin Mull is leaving behind a storied legacy following his death at the age of 80. Following his acting debut in Mary Hartman, Mary Hartman, Mull built an extensive filmography on both the big and small screens, with one of his most notable being that of Colonel Mustard in the cult classic movie adaptation of Clue. More recently, Mull has found larger success with his recurring roles, including his Emmy-nominated turn in HBO’s Veep.
Maggie Mull, the Emmy nominee’s daughter, took to her Instagram to share the news of her father’s passing.
The post, as seen above, features an emotional caption written by the Family Guy co-executive producer, who reveals that Mull died “after a valiant fight against a long illness“. Mull goes on to reflect on his various creative works, while also humorously recalling his work “doing Red Roof Inn commercials“, and sharing the love she had for her father.
Mull Leaves Behind A Wide-Ranging & Varied Career
Interestingly, before becoming a star in the world of on-screen comedy, Mull’s career first took off in the music industry by performing a variety of satirical songs, as well as opening for a number of iconic performers, including Randy Newman, Billy Joel and Bruce Springsteen. Around the same time, Mull was making a name for himself in the art world as a painter, for which he would later publish a book of some of his works entitled Paintings Drawings and Words. His work would even be used for the cover of Steve Martin’s 2013 bluegrass album, Love Has Come for You.
As far as his onscreen work goes, Mull may be remembered best for his TV performances, particularly in Roseanne in which he starred as Leon Carp, the titular character’s boss and eventual business partner. The tense-yet-caring banter between Roseanne and Leon, as well as being an early example of a main gay character in a TV show, quickly established him as a fan-favorite for years to come. Despite this love, though, Mull interestingly never returned for the Roseanne revival season or the spinoff sequel The Conners, though showrunner Bruce Helford recently explained it was due to not finding an organic and special story to bring Leon back.
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Roseanne wouldn’t be the end to Martin Mull‘s sitcom work, though, as he went on to star in four seasons of Sabrina the Teenage Witch and the short-lived The Ellen Show, while also having recurring roles in Arrested Development as frequently disguised private detective Gene Parmesan, Two and a Half Men as laidback pharmacist Russell, The Ranch and Not Dead Yet. With so many iconic roles to his name, Mull is sure to be missed by fans along with his family.
Source: Maggie Mull/Instagram
