‘Roseanne’ Actor Martin Mull Dead At 80
Martin Mull, an actor who starred in sitcoms like “Roseanne” and “Arrested Development,” has died. He was 80.
The actor died at his home on Thursday as a result of a long illness, his daughter Maggie wrote on social media on Friday. She said she is “heartbroken” by her father’s passing and fondly recalled his creativity and humor.
“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,” she wrote on Instagram. “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 representative for Mull did not immediately respond to HuffPost’s request for comment or additional information on his death, which was first reported by TMZ.
Mull was born in Chicago and grew up in Ohio, before moving to Connecticut when he was 15. He went on to earn a master’s degree in painting from the Rhode Island School of Design.
Mull started his entertainment career as a songwriter. He began recording music of his own around the 1970s, later opening up for Bruce Springsteen and Frank Zappa, Variety reported.
His music career spanned over a decade before he pivoted to acting. He appeared in several television shows over the years, including “Dads,” “Community” and “Two and a Half Men.” He also scored a recurring role as private investigator Gene Parmesan in the show “Arrested Development.”
Mull was well known for his portrayal of Leon Carp on the ABC show “Roseanne” from 1991 to 1997. In 2016, he received an Emmy nomination for his guest role in “Veep.”
Mull is survived by his daughter and his wife, Wendy Haas-Mull, Variety reported.