Martin Mull, the comedic actor, musician and artist who gained widespread attention in the 1970s on television shows like “Mary Hartman, Mary Hartman” and “Fernwood 2-Night,” and remained active in television and film over the next half-century, died on Thursday at his home in Los Angeles. He was 80.
His wife, Wendy Mull, confirmed the death. No cause was given.
On “Mary Hartman,” Norman Lear’s satire of soap operas, Mr. Mull played Garth Gimble, a domestic abuser who met his demise by being impaled on the star atop an aluminum Christmas tree.
He also starred in the show’s subsequent spinoff, “Fernwood 2-Night,” a parody of talk shows that aired in 1977. He played the show’s host, Barth Gimble, Garth’s twin brother.
“With an undistinguished blond mustache, which may or may not be intended as a joke, Barth copes manic‐depressively with a shaky job situation and some hazy allegations about charges pending against him in Florida,” John J. O’Connor of The New York Times wrote in a review in of the show’s opening week. “Barth will say only that his lawyer thinks he has ‘a pretty darn good case for entrapment.’”
He was also known for his roles in the movie “Clue” (1985) and the television shows “Roseanne” and “Arrested Development.” He played Bob Bradley, an aide to the main character in the political sitcom “Veep.”
More recently, Mr. Mull was seen on the Fox series “The Cool Kids,” about a group of rule-breaking friends living in a retirement community.
Martin E. Mull was born on Aug. 18, 1943, in Chicago to Harold and Betty Mull. He earned degrees from the Rhode Island School of Design. His work appeared in gallery shows and in the Whitney and Metropolitan museums.
In addition to his wife, he is survived by a daughter, Maggie Mull.
In a 2018 interview with The Times, Mr. Mull described his approach to his art as “going back and finding old Life and Look magazines, people’s family photos and things like that, and then I collage from those, make my own images and then paint them.”
A full obituary will follow.
Alain Delaquérière contributed research.
Source: nytimes.com
