Rolling Obituary Thread: 2020

At 86

https://www.rollingstone.com/movies/movie-news/fred-willard-best-in-show-actor-dead-obit-1000942/

Damn, he improved everything he was in. What a comic presence he had.

absolute legend

Lynn Shelton, 54

Fred Willard an utter original, RIP

If anyone deserved a LOL RIP, it’s Fred Willard.

Damn, Willard was still doing bits on Kimmel earlier this year...

xp was gonna say, you hit it too soon

Fuck. Lynn Shelton?? Wow. That is shocking.
Love her work.

My Fred Willard story as such: so I'm at the theater seeing A Mighty Wind on its run, a few days after release. Full crowd, we're all enjoying ourselves, it's great, plenty of laughs. Then Fred Willard's amazing mug appears on the screen for the first time -- nobody knows anything about his character or what the heck he'll end up doing nearly stealing the whole damn film away from everyone else -- and *immediately* the entire place amps up from an already high level, we're laughing before his character gets even a word out, practically. What a comic genius.

Ah man I thought Fred Willard was a lot younger than 86, and yeah, amazing in everything

seen him as 80 on wiki so...?

Huh, his daughter tweeted that he was 86.

It is with a heavy heart that I share the news my father passed away very peacefully last night at the fantastic age of 86 years old. He kept moving, working and making us happy until the very end.We loved him so very much!
We will miss him forever.

— Hope Willard (@Mulbytime7) May 16, 2020

But in this clip he says he was born in 1939: https://interviews.televisionacademy.com/interviews/fred-willard?clip=72743#interview-clips

Must have been that age-reduction surgery...

Yes, people lie about their age.

Regardless, RIP Fred Willard. Next time you watch Best In Show, count the amount of times he makes his co-star Jim Piddock nearly (or fully a couple times) break character.

It’s like. Every single thing he says.

Yeah, he must've shaved off a few years. I just found him in the 1940 census as a 6-year-old.

My Fred Willard story as such: so I'm at the theater seeing A Mighty Wind on its run, a few days after release. Full crowd, we're all enjoying ourselves, it's great, plenty of laughs. Then Fred Willard's amazing mug appears on the screen for the first time -- nobody knows anything about his character or what the heck he'll end up doing nearly stealing the whole damn film away from everyone else -- and *immediately* the entire place amps up from an already high level, we're laughing before his character gets even a word out, practically. What a comic genius.

― Ned Raggett, Saturday, May 16, 2020 4:19 PM (one hour ago) bookmarkflaglink

Exactly my experience (in NYC at the Angelika). The five minutes that followed FW's scene were completely lost. Atomic laughter. My dad and I saw it only once but "WHA HAPPENED?" became integrated into our family slang overnight, as if it always existed, passed down through generations. In lieu of going to theaters lately, we've been watching movies together. A couple weeks ago I picked A Mighty Wind since it was short and none of us had seen it since 2003. That scene, unbelievable. I jumped up and slapped the floor.

So to this news I say.... I DON'T THINK SO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Gotta re-watch Waiting For Guffman now

One thing I learned (or was reminded of) when looking for a Fernwood 2 Night clip to post on Facebook: the scope of acceptable parody was broader for some things then than now. Couldn't find a clip I felt comfortable posting.

His penis reduction surgery routine in Guffman is all-time.

Same, clemenza.

Lynn Shelton, 54

oh, already noted ....

Phyllis George.

http://www.nytimes.com/2020/05/16/arts/television/phyllis-george-dead.html

Pioneer, and, of course, a major teenage crush.

https://i.imgur.com/IozKPoL.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/uiZMwpI.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/2A8HI3w.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/qDycsCv.jpg

FUCK 🤣🤣🤣

One thing I learned (or was reminded of) when looking for a Fernwood 2 Night clip to post on Facebook: the scope of acceptable parody was broader for some things then than now. Couldn't find a clip I felt comfortable posting.

― clemenza, Saturday, May 16, 2020 6:39 PM (five hours ago) bookmarkflaglink

Same, clemenza.

― Louder Than Bach's Bottom (James Redd and the Blecchs), Saturday, May 16, 2020 6:49 PM (five hours ago) bookmarkflaglink

Like what

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zdx4EBgtA2I

I met Fred Willard backstage at a TV show. He said to me, "Dan let me teach you something I learned in showbiz. I'm gonna throw my shoe at you and if you catch it in time you can keep it. Not now, when you least expect it. Be ready." Then he walked away and I never saw him again.

— Dan Telfer (@dantelfer) May 16, 2020

goat

That Fernwood clip above is fine. I was thinking more of "Talk to a Jew," or the clip I looked at where they talked about two women or two men raising a child together.

Well I just looked up “Talk to a Jew” and laughed my head off so as a Jew I endorse it

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tCsnTxjRNPA

“What tribe are you from?”

w/out watching I remember the "beanie with the propeller" joke

yall a bunch of PC mofos

I'm a fan of Mull and Willard's clueless white guy shtick. Also love the fact that Tom Waits was a regular guest on Fernwood.

that telfer anecdote is gold

I'm in awe

I thought "Talk to a Jew" was very funny and that the intent was clear. But there's a gap between what I might think and posting it on Facebook. I mean, I've posted stuff here where I thought the intent was clear and gotten grief. It's guesswork, and guessing wrong means 15 minutes explaining yourself.

It’s no Ronaldinho bottle opener, at least.

never explain

Pull out his ice
Apologize

reiterating Never explain & also never respond to critics

French actor Michel Piccoli has died at the age of 94. He appeared in Le Doulos, Le Mépris, Belle de Jour and Les Choses de la Vie, among many other films.

https://www.francebleu.fr/infos/medias-people/deces-de-michel-piccoli-un-comedien-hors-norme-1508329595

:(

RIP

People you though were dead, RIP Michel, what a CV!

RIP, such an impressive filmography.

Loved this guy, RIP. So great in so many things. A chill when up my spine when I was watching That Obscure Object of Desire and I realized it was his voice dubbing Fernando Rey. Highly recommend this video essay about Contempt and his character's look, in part: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CzyZKBQDDLg

RIP. Saw him introduce the London Film Festival screening of Rivette's La Belle Noiseuse. in which he's great, of course.

https://www.billboard.com/articles/news/9379513/bluesman-lucky-peterson-obit

Bluesman Lucky Peterson at 55