Martin Mull, star of Clue, Fernwood 2 Night, and Roseanne, dies at 80

Martin Mull, the comedian and actor best known for his roles in Clue, Fernwood 2 Night, and Roseanne, among many others, has died. He was 80.

Mull died Thursday at home after a "valiant fight against a long illness," his daughter, Maggie Mull, announced on Instagram on Friday.

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

See her full tribute below:

Mull originally rose to fame on Mary Hartman, Mary Hartman and its spinoffs, Fernwood 2 Night and America 2 Night. In 1985, he co-wrote and starred with his frequent collaborator Fred Willard in mockumentary The History of White People in America, as well as its 1986 sequel. He also played Colonel Mustard in the 1985 movie Clue.

He went on to appear on beloved '90s shows Sabrina, the Teenage Witch and Roseanne. He made audiences laugh with recurring roles on Arrested Development as Gene Parmesan and Two and a Half Men as Russell, and he voiced the main villain Vlad Plasmius on animated series Danny Phantom. He earned his only Emmy nomination in 2016 for his work on Veep playing Bob "The Eagle" Bradley. Other onscreen appearances include The Ellen Show, Dads, Life in Pieces, Serial, FM, Mr. Mom, Mrs. Doubtfire, and Jingle All the Way.

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He also made an early career out of singing and writing parody songs after his "A Girl Named Johnny Cash" spin of "A Boy Named Sue" charted on Billboard’s Hot Country Songs for five weeks in 1970. Mull was a musical comedian for much of that decade, recording songs, performing live, and releasing his self-titled debut album. He opened for acts including Bruce Springsteen, Billy Joel, Randy Newman, Frank Zappa, and more.

Most recently, Mull appeared on the Fox sitcom The Cool Kids, Netflix’s Grace and Frankie and The Ranch, ABC’s Not Dead Yet, and Apple TV+'s The Afterparty.

Mull is survived by his third wife, Wendy Haas, and daughter Maggie.