LOS ANGELES — Martin Mull, whose distinctive brand of dry, intellectual humor and acting prowess made him a cultural icon in the 1970s and a cherished guest star on sitcoms such as “Roseanne” and “Arrested Development,” has passed away, his daughter announced Friday.
Mull's daughter, Maggie Mull, a TV writer and comic artist, revealed that her father died at his home on Thursday following “a courageous battle with a prolonged illness.”
Mull, who was also an accomplished guitarist and painter, gained national recognition through his recurring role on the satirical soap opera “Mary Hartman, Mary Hartman,” created by Norman Lear, and as the lead in its spinoff, “Fernwood Tonight.”
"He excelled in every creative discipline imaginable and even did Red Roof Inn commercials," Maggie Mull wrote in an Instagram post. "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—showing his exceptional nature—by many, many dogs."
Martin Mull, recognized for his blonde hair and well-groomed mustache, was born in Chicago, raised in Ohio and Connecticut, and studied art in Rhode Island and Rome.
His career began as a songwriter, composing the semi-hit "A Girl Named Johnny Cash" for singer Jane Morgan in 1970.
Combining music and comedy, Mull performed at trendy Hollywood clubs during the 1970s.
"In 1976, I was a guitar player and sit-down comic performing at the Roxy on the Sunset Strip when Norman Lear walked in and heard me," Mull recounted to The Associated Press in 1980. "He cast me as the wife beater on ‘Mary Hartman, Mary Hartman.’ Four months later, I was spun off into my own show."
During his time on the Sunset Strip, Mull was immortalized in the 1973 country rock classic "Lonesome L.A. Cowboy," where the Riders of the Purple Sage mentioned him alongside music legends Kris Kristofferson and Rita Coolidge.
"I know Kris and Rita and Marty Mull are hangin' at the Troubadour," the song lyrics declare.
On “Fernwood Tonight” (sometimes styled as “Fernwood 2 Night”), Mull portrayed Barth Gimble, the host of a local talk show in a midwestern town, reprising his role from “Mary Hartman, Mary Hartman.” Fred Willard, a frequent collaborator with a similar comic sensibility, played his sidekick. The show was later revamped as “America 2 Night” and relocated to Southern California.