Fred Willard, the comedic actor whose improv style kept him relevant for more than 50 years in films like "This Is Spinal Tap," "Best In Show" and "Anchorman," has died. He was 86.
Willard's daughter, Hope Mulbarger, said in a statement Saturday that her father died peacefully Friday night. The cause of his death has not been released.
"He kept moving, working and making us happy until the very end," Mulbarger said. "We loved him so very much! We will miss him forever."
Willard was rarely a leading man or even a major supporting character. He specialized in small, scene-stealing appearances.
As an arrogantly clueless sports announcer on "Best In Show," his character seemed to clearly know nothing about the dogs he's supposed to talk about and asks his partner on-air: "How much do you think I can bench?"
Willard was a four-time Emmy nominee for his roles in "What's Hot, What's Not," "Everybody Loves Raymond," "Modern Family" and "The Bold and the Beautiful."
"How lucky that we all got to enjoy Fred Willard's gifts," said actress Jamie Lee Curtis on Twitter. She was married to Christopher Guest who directed "Best in Show" and "Waiting for Guffman."
"Thanks for the deep belly laughs Mr. Willard," she continued.
Willard's death comes nearly two years after his wife Mary Willard died at the age of 71. She was a playwright and TV writer, earning four Emmy nominations.
After his wife died, Willard questioned whether he would work again. But the beloved actor was brought on "Jimmy Kimmel Live!" to mock President Donald Trump's "space force." It was a reprise role of the 1978 NBC show "Space Force."
"There was no man sweeter or funnier," Kimmel said on Twitter. "We were so lucky to know Fred Willard and will miss his many visits."
In 2012, Willard had a brush with the law. The actor was arrested after being suspected of committing a lewd act at a Hollywood adult theater.
Willard was fired from a narrating job and had to complete a diversion program. He called the arrest "very embarrassing" but insisted he did nothing wrong.
"It's the last time I'm going to listen to my wife when she says, `Why don't you go and see a movie?'" Willard said during an appearance on Jimmy Fallon's NBC show "Late Night."
SMPTE elects board officers, regional governors
SMPTEยฎ,the home of media professionals, technologists, and engineers, has revealed the board officers and regional governors who will serve terms beginning in January 2025.
Three new officers--Richard Welsh as SMPTE president, Eric Gsell as SMPTE executive VP, and Polly Hickling as SMPTE Education VP--have been elected for a two-year term from Jan. 1, 2025, to Dec. 31, 2026. One SMPTE officer, Lisa Hobbs, will be continuing her service as SMPTE secretary and treasurer for another two-year term. Additionally, Raymond Yeung will be stepping into the role of standards VP on Jan. 1, 2025.
โSMPTEโs membership has spoken,โ said SMPTE interim executive director Sally-Ann DโAmato. โThese officers have been tasked with an important responsibility, one each of them is prepared to tackle head-on. These next two years are looking bright for SMPTE!โ
In addition to the officers, 10 regional governors were elected by the Society to serve two-year 2025-2026 terms.
These include the following regional governors, re-elected to continue their service:
Asia-Pacific Region Governor
Tony Ngai, Society of Motion Imaging Ltd.
EMEA - Central & South America Region Governor
Fernando Bittencourt, FB Consultant
United Kingdom Region Governor
Chris Johns, Sky UK.
USA - Central Region Governor
William T. Hayes, Consultant
USA - Eastern Region Governor
Dover Jeanne Mundt, Riedel Communications
USA - Western Region Governor
Jeffrey F. Way, Open Drives
Also elected were four newcomers to the SMPTE Board:
Canada Region Governor
Jonathan Jobin, Grass Valley
USA - Hollywood Region Governor
Allan Schollnick, Voxx... Read More