Martin Mull, the comedic actor, musician and artist who gained widespread consideration within the Nineteen Seventies in exhibits corresponding to “Mary Hartman, Mary Hartman” and “Fernwood 2-Night time,” and remained lively in tv and movie over the subsequent half-century, died on Thursday at his residence in Los Angeles. He was 80.
His spouse, Wendy Mull, confirmed his dying. He died after an extended sickness, his household stated. No trigger was given.
In “Mary Hartman,” Mr. Mull performed Garth Gimble, a home abuser who met his demise by being impaled on the star atop an aluminum Christmas tree.
He starred within the present’s subsequent spinoff, “Fernwood 2-Night time,” a parody of discuss exhibits that aired in 1977. He performed the talk-show host Barth Gimble, the dual brother of Garth Gimble.
“With an undistinguished blond mustache, which can or is probably not supposed as a joke, Barth copes manic‐depressively with a shaky job scenario and a few hazy allegations about expenses pending towards him in Florida,” The New York Times wrote in a review in 1977 of the present’s opening week. “Barth will say solely that his lawyer thinks he has ‘a fairly darn good case for entrapment.’”
He was additionally identified for his roles in “Clue” (1985) and the tv exhibits “Roseanne” and “Arrested Improvement.” He additionally performed the character Bob Bradley, an aide to the primary character within the political sitcom “Veep.”
Extra lately, Mr. Mull appeared within the Fox tv sequence “The Cool Kids,” a few group of rule-breaking associates dwelling in a retirement group.
Martin E. Mull was born on Aug. 18, 1943, in Chicago to Harold and Betty Mull. He earned levels from the Rhode Island College of Design. His work appeared in gallery exhibits and within the Whitney and Metropolitan museums.
Along with his spouse, he’s survived by a daughter, Maggie Mull.
In a 2018 interview with The Times, he described his strategy to his artwork as “going again and discovering outdated Life and Look magazines, individuals’s household pictures and issues like that, after which I collage from these, make my very own photographs after which paint them.”
A full obituary will observe.
Alain Delaquérière contributed analysis.
